Cheng Ziang is known as the "Poetry Bone" because of his majestic poetic style and profound meaning.
Chen Ziang (AD 661-AD 702), a litterateur in the Tang Dynasty, was one of the innovative figures in poetry and literature in the early Tang Dynasty.
The courtesy name Boyu was born in Shehong, Zizhou (now part of Sichuan). Because he served as You Shiyi, later generations called him Chen Shiyi. His poetic style is majestic, profound in meaning, vigorous and powerful, and the "Collection of Chen Boyu" has been handed down from generation to generation.
When Chen Ziang was a teenager, his family was relatively wealthy, he was philanthropic, generous and generous. After he became an adult, he began to study hard, read a lot of books, and was good at writing. At the same time, he cares about national affairs and requires making achievements in politics. At the age of 24, he was promoted to Jinshi, Guanlintai Zhengzi, and later promoted to Youshiyi. He was outspoken and dared to admonish. When Wu Zetian was in power, she treated officials cruelly and killed innocent people indiscriminately. He was not afraid of persecution and repeatedly wrote letters to remonstrate.
Wu Zetian planned to dig up Shushan Mountain and pass through Yazhou Road to attack the Qiang people. He wrote a letter against it and advocated resting with the people. His outspoken opinions were often not accepted, and he was once imprisoned for being "against the Party" and opposing Wu Zetian.
In the second year of Chui Gong (686), he followed Zuo Buque Qiao Zhi's army to the Juyanhai and Zhangye River areas in the northwest. In the first year of Long Live Tongtian (696), Khitan Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong rebelled, and went out with the army of Jian'an King Wu Youyi.
Serving in the army twice gave him a deeper understanding of the frontier situation and the lives of the local people. In the first year of the Holy Calendar (698), my father retired from office and returned to his hometown. Soon after, his father died.
During the period of mourning, the powerful minister Wu Sansi instigated Duan Jianluozhi, the magistrate of Shehong County, to persecute him. He died unjustly in prison (Shen Yazhi's "Book of Zheng Shijun on Jiujiang").