Literary History During the middle and late Qianlong period, poetry creation in Changzhou was at its peak. There were numerous famous writers and poets. The most famous among them were Hong Liangji, Huang Jingren, Sun Xingyan, Yang Lun, Zhao Huaiyu, Xu Shushou, The seven people of Lu Xingyuan were called the "Seven Sons of Piling" at that time. These seven gifted poets, with their extraordinary talents, vigorous momentum, and outstanding personalities, sang poems and wines, and dominated the literary field. They were famous in Jiangzuo. The academic circle has conducted quite in-depth research on their achievements in poetry, academics and other aspects, but there is still a lot to be done to explore the reasons for the formation of this regional literati group. Why did such a group of literati appear in the Changzhou area south of the Yangtze River in the middle of the Qianlong period? We believe that family factors are one of the important reasons that cannot be ignored.
The beauty of Yunxi River is in the county, and the surrounding streams are also home to famous families. A poem written by Hu Yuzhuang, a former scholar, said: "In the fifty-seven years of the dynasty, there were four princes and two champions." The four princes were Lu Gonggong of University Tenth, Duke Zhao Gongyi of Shangshu, Xu Gong (Yuan Dynasty), deputy imperial envoy, and Gong of the Ministry of Industry. The minister Zhou Gong Qingyuan, the second number one scholar was Mr. Lu Gong and his father-in-law Zhaohou Chixiong Zhao. Less than sixty years after Yuzhuang wrote his poem, there were three more ministers and a champion. The three Gongqings were the co-organizers, Liu Gong Yu Yi, Si Ye Zhuang Junkai, and Shi Lang Zhuang Gong Cun. The number one scholar was Pei Yin, the bachelor's brother of the Shi Lang. There are many other officials, attendants, and people who promote Wei Ke, which can be described as prosperous. (Hong Liangji's "Waijia Jiwen", "Gujinshuobu Series". The edition of the book cited below is the same, and the notes are not given one by one)
Among the above-mentioned top officials, Lu Gong is the fifth ancestor of Lu Xingyuan, and Zhao Gongyi Gongshen Qiao and Zhaohou Chixiongzhao were the great ancestors and great ancestors of Zhao Huaiyu, and Xu Yuangong was the great ancestor of Xu Shushou. In addition to the name of the family, Zhao Yi and Hong Liangji of the Zhao family, Jiang Ji of the Jiang family of Yang Lun's mother-in-law, and Zhuang Cunyu of the Zhuang family are all academic masters of the Qing Dynasty. It can be said that the family has a profound foundation. The academic accumulation provided good cultural conditions for the growth of Qizi. There are complex marriage relationships among these cultural prominent families, and the in-law relationships prompt them to echo and praise each other in cultural and academic activities, thus forming a regional cultural environment with distinctive family characteristics in this corner of Yunxi. The Seven Sons of Piling grew up in such a cultural environment.
The formation of the seven sons of Piling was a gradual process. First, Hong and Huang were equally famous, and then the three sons of Hong, Huang and Sun were added, and Zhao Huaiyu was added to make four people. Finally, in the 37th year of Qianlong's reign, Thirty-eight years later, it was officially designated as the Seventh Son. Bi Yuan's "Wu Hui Yingcai Collection" records: "(Hong Liangji) was as famous as Huang Zhongze in Jiangzuo in his early years, and was named 'Honghuang'." The "early years" here should refer to the thirty-second year of Qianlong's reign, Hong Liangji's "Shang Zhiji Fu" "Mr. Wuzi" records: "In the year of Wuzi, Dinghai, Mr. Shao held the lectureship at Longcheng Academy. Yu and Huang Jun received their careers, and Mr. Xiang called them the 'two heroes'." (Hong Liangji's "Shang Zhiji Fu", see Liu Dequan's "Hong Liangji" "Collection", 2001 edition of Zhonghua Book Company, cited below (no notes)) It can be seen that the earliest person to be praised by Hong and Huang Yan was Changshu Shao Qitao. Shao was a Jinshi in the seventh year of Qianlong's reign, and later lived in Ci Guan as a compiler and editor for ten years. Later, Zhu Jun opened the ceremony in Dangtu as an Anhui academic envoy, and there were many famous people gathered in the hall, including Hong and Huang. At that time, Zhu Jun wrote a letter to Qian Daxin, Cheng Jinfang and other literary celebrities, saying that "as soon as he arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, he got Hong and Huang, who were as talented as Longquan and Tai'a, and they were the enemies of thousands of people." His vigorous praise made Hong , Huang's reputation in Jiangnan literary field is growing day by day.
However, when Hong and Huang became famous in Dangtu, their identities were as guest guests, rather than as poets with regional significance in Piling Township. The first person to consciously promote Yanyu as a group of regional literati such as Hong, Huang, Sun, Yang and Zhao was Hong Liangji's uncle and Yang Lun's grandfather Jiang Hening. Jiang Hening, Enke Jinshi in the seventeenth year of Qianlong's reign, served as the imperial envoy of Huguangdao, and had friends with poets and winemakers such as Wang Chang and Jiang Shiquan. Fa Shishan said that his poems "can all be refined by craftsmanship and are extraordinary" (Fashi Shan, Zhang Yinpeng) , "Wumen Poetry and Talks" edited by Qiang Diyi, Phoenix Publishing House, 2005 edition). When He Ning was in his prime, he would not go out, and it was his duty to reward the younger generations. Lu Jiren once recorded:
The former ruler held a friend, and the people he saw were: Mr. Yang Tianzhuang (referring to Zhuang Cunyu) studied Confucian classics, Mr. Rong'an Jiang (referring to Jiang Hening) studied poetry, For a while, those who were behind were eager to follow. Mr. Zhuang's study was first passed down to Zhuang Zhenyi, and then passed down to Liu Shenfu and Song Yuting; Mr. Jiang's school was first passed down to Hong Zhicun, Huang Zhongze Shaoyin, Yang Xihe, and Zhao Weixin Sima, who succeeded Hong, Huang, Yang and Zhao. Those who have done so are countless to this day. Both gentlemen traveled in the woods and enjoyed a long life. Mr. Chiang gave up his official position very early, so his teachings were deeply and long-lasting. (Lu Jiren's "Preface to "Sibu Zhai Poetry Collection", see "Wujin Xiying Liu Family Genealogy")
Also, Hong Liangji's "Waijia Jiwen" says:
Shi Yu's uncle (referring to He Ning) had a false reputation in his life. In Renwu and Gui, there was no taboo about the day of Juli, so he paid special attention to the talents in it. Yu Nan was a child at that time and was not known to her husband yet. One day, Mr. Wang paid a visit to the Queen Mother in the South Tower. His uncle, Dali Ling and Jing Kaifeng were both there. Mr. Wang suddenly said, "There are five outstanding talents here. What do you want to know, brother?" 'Gai refers to Guan Shu Chang Qianzhen, Liu Shu Chang Zhongzhi, Qian Xiaolian Wei Qiao, Zhuang Ming Jingxin, Lu Shangshe Yue Ziye. ... Mr. Ji selected two more people among the boy scouts, namely Shi Xingxing of History and Literature and Dong Taishou Si, who said: "The talent can be as good as five people." ’ In the next five or six years, the Master began to pay great tribute to Yu, Huang Er Jingren, Sun Bing and Bei Xingyan, saying: ‘These three people can only be compared to the five people. ’ Yu Qiong was garrisoning far away and was not knowledgeable enough to be a deputy, but Sun and Huang were both talented enough to be passed down to the world. First of all, Liu Shilang Xingwei is always recommended as a knowledgeable person in the literature. However, most of the people Shilang knows are skilled in poetry and writing, and are not as far-sighted as Mr. Liu.
Judging from the two sources quoted above, as late as the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong's reign, all the talents cultivated by He Ning included Hong, Huang, Yang, Zhao, and Sun. This group of five people has formed the basic framework of the Seven Sons of Piling. This group has an obvious familial flavor. In addition to the close relatives of Hong, Yang and the Jiang family, Zhao Huaiyu and Hong Liangji are middle cousins, and the Huang family and the Jiang family live next to each other. It can be said that the "first lineage" of Jiang Hening has obvious family characteristics. Furthermore, from the fact that Zhuang Cunyu "was first passed down to Zhuang Zhenyi, and then passed down to Liu Shenfu and Song Yuting", it can also be seen that the formation of the Changzhou literati group at that time was mostly based on family relationships.
Jiang Hening also actively extended honors to these descendants on different occasions. Hong Liangji's "Waijia Jiwen" records: "When Yu Ruoguan was in Guan Dynasty, he met with all his colleagues in the family to take classes in Yang's Tengguang Hall. There were more than 40 people there, and all the old people were there, and the imperial uncle commented on him. When it comes to writing, Yu is the first...and when someone talks about Xiang Yan, he praises Sun Xingyan and says: "He has a clear spirit, a brilliant talent, and a superb writing style. He can't do anything without the wind and the dew. He can really overthrow the wisdom and bravery of a lifetime." . There are many talented people in my hometown, and I should let this gentleman come out." (Postscript to "Yecheng Yiji Collection" by Gong Qing, see Sun Xingyan's "Collected Works of Mr. Sun Yuanru", four series editions) Yang Wensun said: "My teacher Yuanru is. The poems he wrote before he ascended to the throne... were probably written in the Six Dynasties between Changgu and Yuxi. For a time, he was known as a giant hand together with Hong Zhicun and Huang Zhongze. , see Sun Xingyan's "Collected Works of Mr. Sun Yuanru", four series edition) Wu Xiu's "Preface to "Collection of Liangdangxuan Poems"" records: "Jun (referring to Zhongze - author's note) and Tongli Sun observed Yuanru, Hong edited Liangji, Zhao Sima is as famous as Wei Xin, and is known as "Sun, Hong, Huang, and Zhao" (Wu Xiu's "Preface to Liangdangxuan Poetry Collection", see Huang Jingren's "Liangdangxuan Collection", Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1983 edition). The equivalence of these people's names is inseparable from He Ning's praise.
Also, the last sentence in the previously cited information is: "First of all, Liu Shilang Xingwei is always recommended as a knowledgeable person in the literature. However, most of the people Shilang knows are skilled in poetry and writing, and after all, they are not as good as Mr. It’s also far-sighted.” It’s quite thought-provoking. Judging from the "first biography" of Zhuang Cunyu, Jiang Hening, etc., Liu Xingwei should also have his own "first biography". A closer look at this sentence shows that the famous eunuchs who retreated to the countryside at that time should each have a group of juniors whom they commended. , form a team of their own, and have the meaning of being superior to each other. From this point of view, the cultural competition among Changzhou literati groups with cultural celebrities as their banner and their families as their background was an important factor in the formation and self-consciousness of the Seven Subgroups.
If Jiang Hening laid a solid foundation for the "Piling Seven Sons" to appear as a group in Changzhou literary circles, then it was Lu Xingyuan's uncle Qian who finally pushed this group to a higher level. Victoria City. Qian Weicheng, the number one scholar in the tenth year of Qianlong's reign, rose to the rank of minister of the Ministry of Justice. He was a famous court painter in the Qianlong Dynasty. His poems are "like celebrities sitting in the seats, with unique demeanor" (Hong Liangji's "Beijiang Poetry Talk", see "Hong Liangji Collection" edited by Liu Dequan) ) has "Chashan Collection" handed down from generation to generation. In the thirty-seventh year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in Weicheng, Ding's father returned home in worry. During his stay in worry, he also actively devoted himself to appreciating the younger students, especially Hong Liangji and other seven sons. Lu Pei's "Chronology of Mr. Hong Beijiang" records in the "Thirty-eighth Years of Qianlong": "At that time, Qian Wenmin, the Duke of Wei, was worried about the city. When he saw Mr. Hong's poems, he was so surprised that he visited him on foot." (Lv Pei's "Hong") "Chronology of Mr. Beijiang", see "Hong Liang Ji Ji" edited by Liu Dequan) Also, Lu Zhenbiao's "Xianggao Gong Xing Shu" records: "In that year (the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong's reign), my uncle Qian Wenmin Gong Ding Jinxuanli came to see the prince. In poetry and essays, he sighed that he was a genius and said: "In the future, his reputation will be great in the world, but his academic qualifications will not be mentioned." At that time, there were seven Chinese scholars such as Hong Zhicun, Zhao Weixin, Yang Xihe, Xu Shangzhi, Huang Zhongze, and Sun Yuanru. They are called the Seven Sons of Piling." ("Genealogy of the Lu Family in Piling", Guangxu Edition) It can be seen that in the first year after living in Weicheng, he quickly noticed these outstanding literary descendants. Not only the Lu family, but also the Jiang family of Hong Liangji and Yang Lun, and the Xu family of Xu Shushou were also related to the Qian family, so Qian Weicheng's awarding of underachievers also had a strong family flavor. However, Lu Zhenbiao said that the seven sons were all named in the thirty-seventh year, which is different from the records in Lu Pei's "Chronology of Mr. Hong Beijiang" and Zhang Shaonan's "Chronology of Mr. Sun Yuanru". Both chronicles were written in the thirty-nine year, and later writings also mostly used the three According to the theory of nineteen years, in reality, it should be that the title of "Seven Sons of Piling" came into being in the thirty-seventh year, and the noise only started in the thirty-ninth year.
Qian Weicheng not only admired the Seventh Son very much, but also used his influence as a former number one scholar and important minister to actively recommend awards for the Seventh Son. First of all, after Weicheng returned to his hometown, he began to compile and select "Poems of the Seven Sons of Piling". "Summary of the General Catalog of the Complete Collection of Siku" and "Summary of the Collection of Poems of Jiaojingtang" say: "Qian Weicheng compiled and engraven "Poems of the Seven Sons of Piling", which is one of the books." ("The General Catalog of the Complete Collection of the Siku") "Abstract (Manuscript)", Jinan Qilu Publishing House, 1996 edition) The compilation of "Poems of the Seven Sons of Piling" can be regarded as a sign of the formal formation of the Seven Sons as a group. Also, in the 39th year of Qianlong's reign, Hong Liangji went to Jiangyin to retake the Renchen annual examination. The "Chronology of Mr. Hongbeijiang" records: "First, Qian Wenmin Gong once sent Peng Ge to learn Yuan Rui from Yuxue, saying that Mr. Changli was resurrected, and Shige learned from it. "Mr. Yijiuzhi" (Lu Pei's "Chronology of Mr. Hong Beijiang", attached to Liu Dequan's "Hong Liangji Collection") The result of the supplementary examination was that Liangji won the first and third place. From then on, Liangji regarded himself as a disciple of the Qian family throughout his life. His gratitude for the reward will last forever. From this incident, we can also see that Qian Weicheng, who was once the number one scholar and cabinet minister, with his dual political and cultural advantages, praised the Seventh Son to a degree that was incomparable to Jiang Hening, who was only a fifth-rank official.
Bi Yuan's "Preface to the Collection of Jiaojingtang" says: "In recent times, Duke Qian Wenmin of Piling used his profound talents to promote later learning. At that time, extraordinary talents emerged in large numbers and were overwhelmed by criticism. Among them, the Seventh Son was the most outstanding, with amazing talents and outstanding talents. All teeth have the same name.
" (Bi Yuan's "Preface to Jiaojingtang Collection", see Xu Shushou's "Jiaojingtang Collection", printed in the fifth year of Jiaqing) It can be seen that it was under Qian Weicheng's strong recommendation that the Seventh Son became famous in the Jiangnan literary field as a group.