Chapter 0 Prologue

Zhao Jiu (June 21, 1107 – November 9, 1187), posthumously known as Emperor Shizu of the Song Dynasty, was a renowned politician, military strategist, and man of letters in Chinese history. Also known as Gou, styled Deji, he was the tenth emperor of the Song Dynasty, the ninth son of Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, and the half-brother of Emperor Qinzong of Song, Zhao Huan, born to Empress Xianren, née Wei. Zhao Jiu was born in the first year of Daguan (1107). He was enfeoffed as Duke of Shu, successively serving as the military commissioner of Dingwu Army and Grand Commandant, before being promoted to Prince of Kang. During the Jingkang Incident (1127), after the Jin troops captured Emperors Huizong and Qinzong and took them north, Zhao Jiu, who was appointed Grand Marshal of the World's Armed Forces by Emperor Qinzong, ascended the throne in Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing, changed the era name to Jianyan, and rebuilt the Song Dynasty, historically known as The Filature of the Song.

After ascending the throne, Zhao Jiu vigorously promoted reforms, sweeping away the various malpractices that had plagued the Song Dynasty since its founding, pacifying the struggles between the old and new factions, measuring land and reforming the tax laws, greatly alleviating social contradictions. In military terms, after twenty years of war, he washed away the shame of Jingkang, recovered the ancient lands of Han and Tang, and established another great empire after Han and Tang.

Song Ci poetry and Tang poetry are known as the two peaks of Chinese culture, and Zhao Jiu's works are among the most glorious chapters. His works are mainly bold and unrestrained, but also contain elements of delicate restraint. They mostly express his political ambitions and military life, and reflect a deep sympathy for the suffering of the people. His writing style is magnificent, generous, and poignant, sweeping away the wealth and delicacy of the pre-Song literary world, creating and flourishing Jianyan literature, leaving a valuable spiritual legacy for future generations.

Studies of Zhao Jiu's poems often use the Jingkang Incident as a dividing line. As a son of a concubine of Emperor Huizong, his early works mostly focused on the wealthy life of leisure and love between men and women, with a beautiful and soft style and low literary value. After the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Jiu, whose country was broken and his family destroyed, personally experienced the hardships of the people during his exile, and his thinking underwent a great transformation, which prompted him to quickly grow into an excellent leader. His poems also "began to have a broader vision and deeper feelings." After that, although the situation was difficult, his patriotic belief in restoring the Central Plains never wavered, but he poured all his passion and concern and worries about the country's prosperity and the nation's destiny into his Ci poems, such as "Qing Yu An • Yuan Xi", "Yi Qin E • Yaoshan Pass", "Qing Ping Le • Helan Mountain", and "Shu Fen". The few years after his abdication were another peak period of his creation. During this period, Zhao Jiu toured the world, leaving behind many poems chanting the magnificent mountains and rivers of the motherland, as well as some reflections on life and concerns about the future, such as "Yong Yu Le • Jingkou Beiguting Huaigu" and "Lin Jiang Xian • Chibi".

One of Zhao Jiu's major contributions to the history of Ci poetry lies in the expansion of content and the broadening of themes. His extant hundred or so Ci poems write about politics, military affairs, philosophy, love, folk customs, daily life, and reading experiences. It can be said that everything that could be written into any other literary style at that time was written into Ci poetry by him, with a wider range than Su Shi's. With the changes in content, themes, and emotional tone, Zhao Jiu's Ci poems also have various changes in artistic style. Although his Ci poems are mainly known for their majestic and unrestrained style and strength, he is also very adept at writing Ci poems in the traditional graceful style. Both Zhao Jiu's Ci poetry and Su Shi's Ci poetry are known for their broad realm and cheerful and unrestrained emotions, but the difference is that Su Shi often experiences life with a broad mind and a transcendent view of time and space, and often expresses philosophical insights. Zhao Jiu's Ci poetry always embraces life with fervent emotions and lofty ideals, and more often expresses the heroism and heroic indignation of a hero. Therefore, the intensity of subjective emotions and the persistence of subjective ideas constitute a major feature of Zhao Jiu's Ci poetry. Later generations said: Emperor Shizu is a dragon among men and a dragon among Ci poetry.

Zhao Jiu's Ci poetry has had a great influence in literary history due to its patriotic ideas in content and its innovative spirit in art. In later generations, whenever the country and the nation were in crisis, the spiritual power of Zhao Jiu's Ci poetry has been inspiring generations of Chinese people.

Poetry Appreciation:

Yong Yu Le • Jingkou Beiguting Huaigu

[Song Dynasty] Zhao Jiu

Across the ages, these mountains and rivers remain, but where to find Sun Zhongmou, the hero? Pavilions and terraces for singing and dancing, all the elegance swept away by wind and rain. Slanting sun, grassy trees, ordinary lanes, people say Jinu once lived here. Thinking back then, with golden spears and iron horses, he swallowed ten thousand miles like a tiger.

But Yuanjia rashly launched his northern expeditions, hoping to seal the wolf-dwelling mountain, only to win a hasty northern glance. Forty-three years, still remembering in my sight, the beacon fires along the Yangzhou Road. How can one bear to look back, beneath the shrine of Tuoba Tao, a scene of divine crows and village drums. Who will ask: Is Lian Po old, can he still eat?

Annotations:

(1) Sun Zhongmou: Sun Quan, the King of Wu in the Three Kingdoms period, styled Zhongmou, once established his capital in Jingkou. The founding emperor of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. The second son of Sun Jian, he followed his elder brother Sun Ce to pacify Jiangdong in his early years. In 200 AD, Sun Ce died young. The 18-year-old Sun Quan succeeded as the master of Jiangdong.

(2) Jinu: The childhood name of Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. Liu Yu (April 363 – June 422), styled Deyu, childhood name Jinu, was the founder of the Song Dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, historically known as Emperor Wu of Song. An outstanding politician, brilliant military strategist, and commander in Chinese history. Liu Yu twice led troops on northern expeditions, recovering Luoyang, Chang'an and other places.

(3) Yuanjia was the era name of Liu Yilong, the son of Liu Yu. Rashly: carelessly. Liu Yilong of the Southern Song Dynasty (not the Southern Song Dynasty) was fond of boasting and eager for quick success, and rashly launched a northern expedition, but was defeated by Tuoba Tao, the lord of the Northern Wei Dynasty, who went south with a cavalry group, reaching the north bank of the Yangtze River before returning. The elite soldiers and strong generals left by Liu Yu were all lost in one fell swoop.

(4) The "Huai Shang-Xia Cai Battle" that took place forty-three years ago (the second year of Jianyan) was the first victory of the young Zhao Jiu in the anti-Jin War with remnant soldiers after the Song Dynasty was on the verge of extinction after the Jingkang Incident. Yangzhou Road refers to the road leading to Yangzhou. The exiled Song court at that time was preparing to withdraw to Yangzhou, but finally decided to fight to the end when passing through Xia Cai, and finally won the victory.

(5) Lian Po: A famous general of the Zhao State during the Warring States period. The "Records of the Grand Historian • Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru" records that after Lian Po was dismissed, he ran to the Wei State. The King of Zhao wanted to use him again, and sent someone to see his physical condition. Guo Kai, Lian Po's enemy, bribed the envoy. The envoy saw Lian Po, who ate a dou of rice and ten catties of meat, and put on his armor and mounted his horse to show that he was still available. The envoy returned to report to the King of Zhao, saying: "Although General Lian Po is old, he is still good at eating, but when he sat with me, he defecated three times in a short time." The King of Zhao thought that Lian Po was old, so he did not use him.

Analysis:

In the forty-fourth year of Jianyan, Emperor Wu of Song, Zhao Jiu, inspected Jiangnan and arrived at Jingkou. Zhao Jiu had reached the twilight of his life at this time, but his successor was still undecided, and undercurrents were surging in the court because of this. Zhao Jiu felt depressed and wrote this Ci poem when he ascended Beigu Pavilion.

The first stanza describes the two heroes, Sun Quan and Liu Yu. After Sun Ce's death, the Sun Wu military group was crumbling with internal and external troubles. The 18-year-old Sun Quan quickly stabilized the hearts of the people and won the Battle of Chibi, eventually dividing the world into three parts. Liu Yu was determined to launch a northern expedition and successfully recovered Chang'an and Luoyang, which had been lost for a hundred years. Therefore, the author praised them in the conclusion of the first stanza.

The style of the second stanza changed abruptly. When the reader was still immersed in Liu Yu's heroic deeds, an unqualified successor caused his efforts to vanish like smoke. The author's eyes were full of the appearance of himself, twenty years old, fighting hard against the enemy on the Huai River forty-three years ago. But the life of a person is ultimately limited. Even Lian Po, who was still brave when he was old, was eventually abandoned by the King of Zhao. Without finding a suitable successor and comrade, how long could he persist?

Qing Yu An • Yuan Xi (1)

Song Zhao Jiu

The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers (2), scattering stars like rain (3). Precious horses and carved carriages fill the road with fragrance. The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the light of jade pots turns, all night the fish and dragons dance (4).

Moth ornaments, snow willow, golden threads (5), laughter and soft fragrance fade away. I searched for her in the crowd a thousand times. Suddenly turning my head, that person was there, in the dim light (6).

Annotations:

(1) Qing Yu An: The name of the Ci poem. Yuan Xi: The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, the Lantern Festival, and this night is called Yuan Xi or Yuan Ye.

(2) The "east wind" sentence: describes the many lanterns on the Lantern Festival night. A thousand trees of flowers means that there are as many lanterns as a thousand trees in bloom.

(3) Stars like rain: refers to fireworks falling like rain. Stars refer to fireworks, describing the fireworks all over the sky.

(4) Precious horses and carved carriages: luxurious carriages.

Phoenix flute: a beautiful name for the flute. Here it refers to the playing of musical instruments such as Sheng and Xiao.

Jade pot: a metaphor for the bright moon. It can also be interpreted as referring to a lantern.

Fish and dragon dance: refers to dancing with colorful lanterns in the shape of fish and dragons, like fish and dragons frolicking in the sea.

(5) Moth ornaments, snow willow, golden threads are all kinds of ornaments worn on the heads of ancient women. Here it refers to well-dressed women.

(6) Suddenly: suddenly. Dim: scattered and sparse.

Background of Creation:

In the early spring of the third year of Jianyan (1129 AD), the Jin army besieged the emperor in Nanyang, and Han Shizhong was trapped in Changshe. Du Chong, then the deputy commander of the Tokyo garrison, stationed his troops in Yanling, colluding with the enemy to avoid war. The emperor, together with Hu Yin, Lin Jingmo, and Wan Qixie, left Nanyang alone, secretly crossed the Mi River, and rode overnight to Yancheng. Claiming to be an envoy, he rushed into Du Chong's camp in the morning and seized his army. At that time, Du Chong had not yet risen. The emperor listed Du Chong's faults and personally beheaded him, making Yue Fei a general. The emperor personally led an expedition to Changshe, defeating it greatly and beheading the Wanhuhu (commander of ten thousand households) Pu Cha Hubalu. He sent Yue Fei south to block Wushu and Shizhong north to pursue Talan.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, the emperor returned to Bianjing. The remaining 200,000 soldiers and civilians shed tears: "I never thought that I would see the majesty of the Han officials again today." Then he entered the city and met the garrison commander Zong Ze. Ze was seriously ill, and the emperor held his hand and wept, revealing his sincerity and vowing to restore the two He regions. It was the Shangyuan Festival at that time, and Ze asked for poems and Ci poems, so he wrote "Qing Yu An" as a gift.

———— "The Filature of the Song • The Basic Annals of Emperor Shizu"

Analysis:

The first half of this Ci poem mainly describes the scene of the Lantern Festival night in Tokyo before the Jingkang Incident, with lights all over the city and people reveling. The east wind has not yet urged the blooming of hundreds of flowers, but it has first released the fire trees and silver flowers of the Lantern Festival. It not only blows open the lanterns on the ground, but also blows down colorful stars like rain from the sky - the fireworks that are set off first soar into the clouds, and then fall from the sky, like a meteor shower. Then it writes about the human fairyland where carriages and horses, drums and music, lanterns and the moon shine together, and writes about the "Shehuo" folk performances where people sing and dance, and fish and dragons dance, which is extremely prosperous and lively. The dazzling "precious," "carved," "phoenix," and "jade" are all just to convey the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival and to describe the scenery. Perhaps the prosperity of that human paradise cannot be conveyed by pen and ink, but fortunately there are these beautiful words, which are just for help.

The second half focuses on people. The women wearing bright ornaments on their heads keep talking and laughing while walking. After they leave, the fragrance of their clothes still floats in the dark. These beauties are not the people the author cares about. Only he is searching for someone in the thousands of people—but he can't find them, and there is no hope anymore. Suddenly, his eyes light up, and in that corner of the remaining light, he clearly sees her! That's right, she was originally in this desolate place and has not left! The moment he discovers that person is the condensation and sublimation of life's spirit, and it is an inexplicable gratitude inscribed in his heart. Only at the end does the ingenuity of the poet's conception appear: the lantern, moon, fireworks, Sheng flute, social dance, and the Yuanxi revelry woven in the first stanza, and the dazzling teams of beautiful women in the second stanza are all just for that one person in mind, and if there is no this person, then everything has no meaning or interest.

Evaluation:

"Qing Yu An • Yuan Xi" has always been known as "the first Song Ci poem." In addition to the gorgeousness of the Ci poem itself, it is also because the emotions contained in the Ci poem surge like waves, impacting the reader's soul. And this emotion is also the difference between this Ci poem and Zhao Jiu's works before Jingkang, which are also full of gorgeous rhetoric.

First, from the surface interpretation of the Ci poem, many people believe that Zhao Jiu recalled the past events of Tokyo when he was still a wealthy prince and had an amazing encounter during a certain Shangyuan Festival. At the same time, he also wrote about the prosperity of Tokyo during the Shangyuan Festival and the luxurious life of Song Dynasty ladies. Later generations of literati mostly believed that just by relying on this level of white description of the scenery, it was enough to stand on the first level of Song Ci poetry.

Secondly, no matter how beautiful the scenery in the Ci poem is, it only exists in memory. Connected to the current situation in Tokyo, it is using the ultimate grand scene to highlight the ultimate sadness. The Song court, which had been in exile for three years, has just returned to the old capital, and only less than 200,000 people remain in Tokyo, which originally had nearly 1.5 million people. Also, it has not seen lanterns for several years. In contrast, the more unforgettable the story is, the more unforgettable the pain of national hatred and family feud is now.

The third level of meaning in the Ci poem is that the second stanza superficially writes about women, but actually writes about the relationship between the ruler and his ministers. Since Qu Yuan, the metaphor of bestowing favor on beauties has often been compared to the righteousness between the ruler and his ministers. Here, it alludes to Zong Ze, the garrison commander of Tokyo. When the Song court fled south, Zong Ze endured his illness to guard Tokyo, gathering refugees to appease the righteous army, and repeatedly wrote to Zhao Jiu, hoping that the court would return to Tokyo as soon as possible. However, Zhao Jiu at that time was focused on escaping and could not understand Zong Ze's painstaking efforts. He could not realize what kind of people the country needed to support it, but was instead confused by treacherous officials such as Kang Li and Huang Qianshan. When Zhao Jiu finally realized who was the pillar of the country, Zong Ze was already terminally ill and had little time left, just as the Ci poem describes: suddenly turning my head, that person was there, in the dim light.

When he finally realized who was the most important person to him, that person had already gone far away. This also led to the fourth layer of meaning in this Ci poem, namely the author's regret and guilt. At the beginning of his reign, Zhao Jiu had once lost his belief in resisting the Jin. Within three months, Li Gang was dismissed from his position as prime minister, Zong Ze was abandoned in Tokyo, the defenses of Hebei were completely dismantled, and the court was also preparing to flee to Yangzhou. Although Zhao Jiu eventually changed his mind and insisted on resisting the Jin, his previous actions had already deeply hurt the feelings of Zong Ze and other anti-Jin soldiers and civilians. Therefore, this Ci poem is also an admission of his mistakes to Zong Ze, and a vow to Zong Ze that he will restore the two He regions in this life. At that time, Wan Qixie, who was known for his integrity, also praised: "Seeing this Ci poem, I know that Commander Zong will let go of all the past and go away happily." Zong Ze also agreed with Zhao Jiu's transformation before his death, believing that he would become a great emperor.

The final layer of artistic conception in the Ci poem is full of hope for the future. Although the "beauty" only appeared in the dim light, would Zhao Jiu and the Song Dynasty, who had regained their strength, still watch her go far away? The situation of resisting the Jin has improved, and the hope of victory has already appeared. Next, Zhao Jiu will move forward together with his country towards the dream of making the Song Dynasty great again. Their goal must be achieved, and their goal will definitely be achieved.

"Qing Yu An" not only has superb skills, gorgeous words, and abundant prosperity, but also has the pain of national subjugation and family destruction, the self-reflection and growth of a great emperor, the understanding and recognition between the ruler and his ministers, and even more, firm belief and hope. The emotions contained in the short sixty-six-character Ci poem are as rich and profound as the Qiantang River tide, which pushes forward layer by layer, making people feel excited. Therefore, it has been respected and praised for thousands of years, and has finally won the reputation of "the first Song Ci poem" and "the first Ci poem in the world."

Shan Po Yang • Huaigu at Tongguan (1)

Song Zhao Jiu

Peaks and ridges gather like crowds, waves surge like anger, mountains and rivers, inside and outside, the Tongguan Road (2). Looking west to the capital, my heart hesitates (3).

Saddened by the places Qin and Han passed through, ten thousand palaces and pavilions have all turned to dust (4). Prosperity, the people suffer; destruction, the people suffer (5).

Annotations:

(1) Shan Po Yang: The name of the Ci poem. Emperor Shizu of the Song Dynasty was proficient in music, and this is a new tune created by Zhao Jiu himself.

(2) Peaks and ridges gather like crowds: describes the gathering of peaks and overlapping mountains. Gather: to gather; to surround.

Waves surge like anger: describes the surging waves of the Yellow River. Anger: refers to the surging waves.

"Mountains and rivers" sentence: outside are mountains, inside is the river, describing the dangerous terrain around Tongguan. Specifically, it refers to the Yellow River outside Tongguan and Mount Hua inside. Inside and outside: that is, inside and outside.

(3) Western capital: refers to Chang'an (now Xi'an, Shaanxi). This is a general reference to the capitals built near Chang'an since the Qin and Han dynasties. The Qin and Western Han dynasties established their capitals in Chang'an, and the Eastern Han dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, so Luoyang is called the eastern capital and Chang'an is called the western capital.

Hesitate: to hesitate, to wander, to be heavy-hearted, here it describes the surging thoughts, full of emotion, falling into contemplation, indicating that the heart is not calm.

(4) Saddened: things that make people sad. The places Qin and Han passed through: The Qin capital Xianyang and the Western Han capital Chang'an were both located west of Tongguan in Shaanxi Province. The places Qin and Han passed through: the places they passed through. Refers to the ruins of the Qin and Han capitals.

(5) Prosperity and destruction: refers to the rise and fall of dynasties.

Background of Creation:

In the early summer of the third year of Jianyan, Zhao Jiu had just ended his three-year exile and returned to the old capital not long ago. Zhao Jiu, who had experienced the hardships of the people at zero distance, discussed and criticized a controversial sentence by Wen Yanbo, the prime minister during the time of Emperor Shenzong of Song, with Duke Lü Haowen: "Your Majesty governs the world with the scholar-officials, not with the people," and believed that "the Son of Heaven should govern the world with the people." Two days later, he entrusted Lü Haowen to give this Ci poem to Hu Yin, then the Guanxi Zhizhi (pacification commissioner).

Analysis:

The whole Ci poem is divided into three layers: the first layer (the first three sentences) describes the majestic and dangerous situation of Tongguan. This layer describes the magnificent scenery of Tongguan, which is vivid and lifelike. The first sentence describes the layers of overlapping peaks. Tongguan is surrounded by layers of mountains. The word "gather" allows the reader to see the momentum of Mount Hua rushing, and the state of the mountains gathering; the mountains themselves are static, and "like gathering" turns static into dynamic. The word "gather" expresses the number and dynamism of the peaks and ridges. The second sentence describes the surging Yellow River. The word "anger" describes the surging waves of the Yellow River. The word "anger" also personifies the river, and the word "anger" injects the poet's full of sorrow and indignation generated by mourning the past and regretting the present. The third sentence describes that Tongguan is located in the narrow place surrounded by layers of mountains and cold currents of the Yellow River. So far, the majestic momentum of Tongguan can be seen. Such a dangerous place is a place that military strategists of all dynasties must contend for, which also leads to the emotion of the following text, and at the same time sets the sad tone of the whole article.

The second layer (the fourth to seventh sentences). The two sentences "Looking west to the capital" describe the author's infinite emotion when looking west at Chang'an. Chang'an, the capital of the famous Han and Tang empires in history, how many emperors who worked hard to govern the country have displayed their grand plans and established their achievements here; there have also been countless fatuous monarchs who abused their power and killed the people here, becoming sinners in history. How much blood and sweat have the common people shed on this land of Chang'an! This is the reason and content of the author's "heart hesitation"!

The two sentences "Saddened by the Qin and Han" describe that the Qin and Han dynasties have become historical relics. The countless palaces and pavilions of Qin Shihuang and Emperor Wu of Han have now disappeared and turned into dust. The once prosperous Qin and Han dynasties have been destroyed in the roar of the people, just like "ten thousand palaces and pavilions have all turned to dust." How many emotions are entrusted between the lines.

The third layer (the last four sentences) generally describes the author's painful emotions: the rise or fall of dynasties in the past has brought disasters and suffering to the people. This is a conclusion drawn by the author from the history of the rise and fall of emperors in the past. The three layers of meaning are closely linked, layer by layer, the thought becomes more and more clear, the emotion becomes more and more intense, and they form a whole naturally. The whole article hides emotion in the scenery, and there is scenery in the emotion, and the emotion and scenery are blended together.

Evaluation:

"Shan Po Yang • Huaigu at Tongguan" is also a representative work of Zhao Jiu. He fully demonstrated the author's political aspirations and great personality, so it has been admired by later generations for thousands of years.

The author adopts a method of deepening layer by layer, from writing scenery to recalling the past, and then to triggering discussions, perfectly combining the vast scenery, deep emotions, and refined discussions, making this short order have a strong appeal. The lines are full of a sense of historical vicissitudes and a sense of the times. It has the characteristics of recalling the past, and also has a different melancholy style.

In the two sentences "prosperity and destruction", the author, starting from his own experience, coldly pointed out that whether a dynasty is prosperous or destroyed, the living standards of the people are actually not much different. Behind the prosperous prosperity of the Great Song before Jingkang was the endless greed and extravagance of the rulers, so that large-scale people's uprisings were triggered even in the prosperous Jiangnan; and the flames of war after Jingkang burned the last bit of vitality of the people. The theme extracted by the author from the generalization of history is extremely clear and profound, and the questions raised are very important and sharp. It expresses the author's deep sympathy for the people. This ending is indeed tempered by thousands of hammers, one word weighs a thousand pounds, the tone is sharp and alert, and the meaning is rich and profound, which is a very incisive summary of the whole Ci poem.

From a historical perspective, Zhao Jiu may be the most special of all emperors. There are many princes and grandsons who have fallen into the folk and tasted all the hardships at the time of national destruction, but he is the only one who has re-supported the country. It can be said that the experience of falling from the clouds has contributed to Zhao Jiu's transformation, and when he returned to the center of the stage again, he had become the only one in Chinese history who empathized with the lives of the people, and the only one who linked the pain of the people with himself. This seems to be a somewhat "unqualified" feudal ruler. Throughout history, there are many words of emperors and generals who love the people, and the most famous before that was Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty's saying "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." But this is still the ruler looking at the people with a condescending attitude, and its purpose is only to stabilize the rule. Only Zhao Jiu's two sentences of prosperity and destruction truly start from the perspective of the people, and fully express the pain of the people at the bottom. As Lu Xun said, the rise and fall of the country is only the difference between the era when the people want to be slaves but cannot and the era when they can be slaves temporarily. Fortunately, the people at that time met Zhao Jiu, and the troubled times were soon ended, and the people were able to live and work in peace. What is even more commendable is that Zhao Jiu did what he said. He raised fish and planted mulberry trees in the palace to support himself, and the expenses in the palace were also the lowest in all dynasties. Throughout the Northern Song Dynasty, the royal children needed to cultivate a small piece of land themselves, which made the previous emperors before the agricultural and mulberry activities evolved into the nature of etiquette have a certain understanding of the difficulty of farming, and were able to reasonably collect taxes.

"Shan Po Yang" is a new tune created by Zhao Jiu himself. Before Jingkang, Zhao Jiu was a son of a concubine of Emperor Huizong and had no political prospects. Because his biological mother came from a humble background, he himself was not valued by Emperor Huizong. Therefore, Zhao Jiu studied music, both to stay away from the court and not to be jealous of the then crown prince, the later Emperor Qinzong, and also to hope to gain the favor of Emperor Huizong, who was proficient in music, in order to improve his situation. However, the music learned for the sake of competing for favor eventually praised the people. Perhaps this is the difference between a great emperor and a monarch who destroyed the country.

Shizu of Song Dynasty Poetry Appreciation Four

"Mo Yu Er" (1)

Song Zhao Jiu

How many more winds and rains can I endure (2), spring is fleeting and returning. I always fear the early bloom when cherishing spring, not to mention the countless fallen petals. Spring, please stay, haven't you heard that the fragrant grass at the end of the world has no way back? (3) I resent spring's silence. I think only the diligent spiderwebs under the painted eaves tirelessly attract the flying catkins all day long (3).

The affairs of Changmen Palace (4), I thought the good times were delayed again. Those moth eyebrows have always been envied. Even if I bought Sima Xiangru's ode with a thousand gold, who would I tell this tender feeling (5)? Don't dance, don't you see that both Yuhuan and Feiyan are dust (6)! Loneliness is the worst! Stop leaning on the railing of the high building (7), the setting sun is setting, in the heartbroken place of misty willows.

[Annotations]

(1) Mo Yu Er: The name of the Ci poem.

(2) Endure: to withstand.

(3) I think only the diligent: I think only the spiderwebs under the eaves are still diligently attracting the flying catkins, keeping the spring scenery.

(4) Changmen: The name of a palace in the Han Dynasty. The Empress Wu of the Han Dynasty was imprisoned here after losing favor. Sima Xiangru's "Ode to Changmen" Preface: "Empress Chen of Emperor Wu, who was favored at the time, was quite jealous. She was separated in Changmen Palace, feeling melancholy and sad. She heard that Sima Xiangru, the Sima of Chengdu, Shu County, was the best at writing in the world. She offered a million gold to Sima Xiangru, and Wenjun took wine, using sorrowful words. Sima Xiangru wrote to enlighten the Lord, and Empress Chen regained favor."

(5) Tender: long and deep.

(6) You: refers to those who harm the country.

Yuhuan and Feiyan: Yang Yuhuan and Zhao Feiyan, both have the name of harming the country.

(7) Dangerous railing: the railing on a high building.

[Background of Creation]

This Ci poem was written in the spring of the first year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1126 AD), after the Jin army retreated from the first southern invasion.

At this time, the Southern Song Dynasty in crisis gained a chance to breathe, but the Southern Song court did not cherish it. Instead, the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong quarreled again, and there were constant disputes in the court. In one year, as many as twenty-six people ascended to the position of prime minister, but no one made effective anti-Jin arrangements. Zhao Jiu gained a certain reputation for volunteering to enter the Jin camp as a hostage and making great contributions, but he was therefore suspected even more by Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan and had to stay away from the court. At this time, Zhao Jiu watched the crisis become more and more serious, but he could not change it. He could not express his distress, so he created this "Mo Yu Er."

[Appreciation]

How many more winds and rains can I endure, spring is fleeting and returning. I always fear the early bloom when cherishing spring, not to mention the countless fallen petals. Spring, please stay, haven't you heard that the fragrant grass at the end of the world has no way back? It is really hateful that spring is so silent. It seems that the only diligent and affectionate thing is the spiderwebs between the carved beams and painted buildings, attracting the flying catkins all day long to keep the spring scenery.

Chen Ajiao in Changmen Palace hoped to be summoned again, but the agreed good times were delayed again and again. All because someone envied her for being too beautiful. Even if I bought Sima Xiangru's famous ode with a thousand gold, who would I tell this tender feeling? I advise you not to be complacent, haven't you seen that Yuhuan and Feiyan, who were popular for a while, have all turned to dust. Loneliness is the most tormenting! Stop climbing the high building and looking into the distance, the setting sun about to set is there, in the heartbreaking place of misty willows.

[Evaluation]

This Ci poem was written in the spring of the first year of Jianyan (1126). At that time, Zhao Jiu was 18 years old. After being a wealthy prince for many years, the crisis of the country's imminent demise prompted Zhao Jiu's thinking to change, and he began to consider the country's future. During the first siege of the Jin army, Zhao Jiu volunteered to enter the Jin camp as a hostage, and politely and restrainedly fought back against the Jin people's barbarism. Zhao Jiu's performance won the respect of the Jin people, but it also made the Southern Song Dynasty monarchs and ministers, who were bent on seeking peace, feel ashamed. Instead, the author was therefore squeezed out and attacked, and his ambition to support the crisis and save the country could not be realized, and his strategy of recovering the lost land was not adopted. The author saw the scenery and felt emotions, and used this Ci poem to express the distress that had been accumulated in his heart for a long time.

This Ci poem superficially writes about the distress of a woman who has lost favor, but in fact it expresses the author's worries about the country and his heavy mood of being repeatedly squeezed out. The Ci poem expresses strong dissatisfaction with the fatuousness and corruption of the Southern Song Dynasty court and the complacency of the surrender faction.

The first stanza uses "spring" as a metaphor for the great opportunity to resist the Jin, and writes about the complex emotions of cherishing spring, resenting spring, and retaining spring. The Ci poem begins with "How many more winds and rains can I endure." Superficially, it is for the spring flowers, but in fact it is worrying about how much more blows the Southern Song Dynasty in crisis can withstand. Originally, the balance of power between the Song and Jin was not without a chance to fight, but due to the fatuousness and corruption of the court and the rampant destruction of the surrender faction, the great opportunity to resist the Jin was lost in vain. There were several opportunities for war in the middle, but the results all failed due to the betrayal of the surrender faction. The great opportunity to resist the Jin and restore the country passed in an instant, and "spring is fleeting and returning" is an image of this situation. The great spring of resisting the Jin and restoring the country has vanished, how reluctant the author is to this great spring scenery! "I always fear the early bloom when cherishing spring." However, reality is ruthless: "Not to mention the countless fallen petals!" These two sentences rise and fall together, showing the contradiction between ideal and reality. "Fallen petals" is a symbol of the passing of spring. It symbolizes the decline of the country, and also implies the author's sigh of wasting time and accomplishing nothing in his career.

Faced with the disappearance of spring, the author did not sit still and wait for death. On the contrary, out of patriotic indignation, he shouted loudly: "Spring, please stay! Haven't you heard that the fragrant grass at the end of the world has no way back?" These two sentences clearly know that the return of spring is an irreversible law of nature, but they forcibly retain it. Superficially, it is writing about "cherishing spring," but in fact it is directly advising the court: only by persisting in resisting the Jin is the only way out, otherwise the "fragrant grass" in Tokyo city has only one way to wither. From "I resent spring's silence" to the end