I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 453: Official Feibai calligraphy: Read Du Fu's poems when awake, and recite Liu Ci when drunk
October 7th.

Following old practice, the government gave brocade jackets to all officials.

In the city of Bianjing, people were all wearing thick clothes.

Near dusk, a horse-drawn carriage sped towards the outside of the city. Inside the carriage were Tang Ze, Su Liang, Cao Guojiu Cao Yi, and Su Zimu.

Su Liang looked anxious, frowning, and urged the groom outside: "Hurry up! Faster!"

"Go faster while ensuring safety," Cao Yi added.

Tang Ze looked at Su Liang and said, "Don't worry, your fate is determined by heaven."

Su Zimu on the side also hugged Su Liang's arm tightly, trying to calm Su Liang's anxiety at the moment.

The carriage galloped along.

At nightfall, we finally arrived at our destination.

Hundreds of colleges.

As soon as Su Liang and his three companions got off the carriage, they saw Shen Kuo waiting at the door.

Su Liang looked at Shen Kuo, who immediately understood and said, "Not bad."

Hearing these two words, Su Liang couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

……

Two hours ago.

Su Liang received news from Cao Yi: Mr. Liu Qi is critically ill and may not survive the night.

So, he rushed over with Tang Ze and Su Zimu, who had a good relationship with Liu Yong.

Liu Yong's health has been poor since the beginning of the year.

When Su Liang visited him half a month ago, he claimed that his death was not far away and he had already chosen a coffin and shroud for himself.

……

After a while.

Shen Kuo brought Su Liang and three others to Liu Yong's bedroom.

Liu Yong's son Liu Li quickly stood up and bowed to the four people.

On the couch.

Seventy-year-old Liu Yong is in a coma.

"My father just fell into coma again. I'm afraid... he won't be able to survive the night!" Liu Li said with red eyes.

Su Liang asked, "Do all doctors say so? Do you still need another good doctor? I'll send someone to get one right away!"

Cao Yi put his hand on Su Liang's shoulder.

"I have asked for your help. Mr. Liu Qi is old and the medicine is useless!"

"Oh!" Su Liang sighed helplessly.

If he could invite a good doctor, Cao Yi could naturally also invite one.

at this time.

Liu Yong, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Is Jingming here?"

Hearing this, Su Liang, Tang Ze, Cao Yi, Su Zimu and others immediately hurried to the bedside.

Liu Yong, with gray hair and wrinkled face, looked at the crowd and murmured, "Uncle of the King, Brother Tang, Jingming, and you, Boy Mu, you are all here!"

A bright smile appeared on Liu Yong's face, which was very kind.

"It's great to meet you in this life!"

Liu Yong looked at Liu Li who was standing beside him and said, "Li'er, kowtow to the uncle and Jing Ming!"

Su Liang and Cao Yi were still confused.

Liu Li suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the two of them.

You need to know.

Liu Li was a Jinshi in the sixth year of the Qingli period. He was appointed as the Director of the Imperial Library. Not only was he an official, but he was also of the same generation as Su Liang and Cao Yi.

In this era when one did not have to kowtow when meeting the emperor, performing such a grand ceremony was obviously a bit strange.

"No, no!" Su Liang and Cao Yi hurriedly helped Liu Li up.

Liu Yong continued, "You two have given me a new life, and you deserve my son's kneeling!"

"I once thought that I could only be a lyricist in a music studio for the rest of my life, writing vulgar lyrics that were despised by scholars all over the world. It was you two who changed the way people in the world see me, and also changed my view of myself. I am very lucky to have met you two."

"After I die, I hope that the tombstone will not say Liu Yong, but Liu Sanbian. That Liu Sanbian is the real me!"

"Mr. Liu Qi, you won't die. You'll be fine tomorrow!" Su Liang held Liu Yong's hand and encouraged him.

Liu Yong had always been named Liu Sanbian until he passed the imperial examination in his old age, when he changed his name to Liu Yong, intending to break off all ties with the Liu Sanbian of the past and no longer be a lyricist in brothels.

His life ideal has always been to become an official, and writing lyrics for brothels was just a helpless act for him.

But later, he found that the people loved his words very much.

After he resigned from his official position, he felt that the self who wrote lyrics in brothels was the real him, the one with flesh and blood and happiness.

In particular, Su Liang's publicity of him made him see his value outside of his official career.

Therefore, he was willing to change back to his original name.

"The most fortunate thing in my old age is to get to know you all, to discuss business with the uncle, to play chess with Brother Tang, to talk about writing lyrics with Jingming, to chat about strange stories with little Shen Kuo, and to chat about delicious food with little Zi Mu."

"What a pity! What a pity that I will not have the chance to see the prosperity of our Song Dynasty. What a pity! What a pity!" Liu Yong suddenly raised his voice, then tilted his head and passed away peacefully.

"Dad!"

Liu Li knelt in front of the bed and burst into tears, and Su Zimu followed suit and started crying.

Afterwards, the Liu family members who were in the side hall also walked out and burst into tears.

Tang Ze, Su Liang, Cao Yi and Shen Kuo all had red eyes. Since Liu Yong moved into the Hundred Schools Academy, they all regarded Liu Yong as a family member.

What they like most when they are under a lot of pressure is to listen to Liu Yong telling stories about his youth in the brothels and theaters.

Now, Liu Yong has passed away, and everyone is reluctant to let him go.

……

Early the next morning.

The news that Liu Yong had died of illness at Baijia Academy spread to every street and alley in the city through folk tabloids.

Many readers did not react much.

Because in their eyes, Liu Yong's poems are not worthy of being presented in a formal setting.

but.

The singing girls in the brothels, the musicians in the music schools, as well as the boatmen and trackers on the Bian River and other people who did heavy work were all very sad.

Some people burst into tears in the street after hearing the news.

The singing girls and musicians were sad because Liu Yong's poems supported them.

The boatmen, trackers and other people who did heavy work were sad because Liu Yong's poems cured their mental fatigue. When they finished their work every day, they would hum a few lines of Liu Yong's poems, which could relieve their fatigue as effectively as drinking half a pound of good wine.

They were all very grateful to Liu Yong.

soon.

All the brothels and music houses announced that they would suspend business for three days, as they were all preparing to go to the Hundred Schools to mourn Liu Yong.

After the singing girls and musicians took action, many people followed suit, and many common people also bought sacrificial items and rushed to the Hundred Schools Academy.

This kind of situation is the first time in the entire Song Dynasty.

Even when a prime minister died, there was no such huge commotion among the people.

……

In the afternoon, inside the Chui Gong Hall.

Su Liang strode into the hall, bowed to Zhao Zhen and said, "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you!"

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Liang and asked, "But about Liu Yong?"

Su Liang nodded seriously.

Before Su Liang could continue speaking, Zhao Zhen said, "If you want to ask for Liu Yong's qualification to stop attending court, forget it!"

"Liu Yong is different from Bi Sheng. Bi Sheng's movable type printing technology benefits the present and future generations, so the court can make an exception to mourn him. However, Liu Yong has already resigned from office to retire. It is not in accordance with etiquette to stop the court just based on some popular lyrics and songs. Even if I agree, the etiquette officials will have objections and will not allow it!"

"Your Majesty, I am not asking for a qualification to leave the court for him. I hope that Your Majesty can clear his name!"

"Correct the name?" Zhao Zhen looked puzzled.

Su Liang said: "Once, someone recommended Liu Yong to the emperor, and the emperor replied: Go and write lyrics. From then on, Liu Yong became the Liu Sanbian who wrote lyrics under the emperor's order."

"I think that Liu Yong's concentration on writing ci instead of entering the government would have been of great use to the world, but today's scholars still believe that people who write ci in brothels are not worthy of being on the stage."

"In the future, when the Song Dynasty reaches a prosperous era, the people will need more scholars who can influence them, rather than scholars who are high and mighty and write poems and essays just to show off their elegance and self-entertainment!"

"I hope that the emperor can write a sentence for Liu Yong to prove that the lyricists in the brothels are not useless and they can also bring joy to the people!" Zhao Zhen thought about it and shook his head, "No!"

"Liu Yong's poems are extremely frivolous and mostly erotic. I cannot lead a trend of erotic poems!"

"The official family..."

"Su Qing, I know you like Liu Ci, but personal preferences are different from state affairs, and I cannot go against my heart. There is no need to make this request again!"

Su Liang had no choice but to bow.

He knew before he came that the success rate of such a request was not high, but he still wanted to give it a try.

Then Su Liang retreated.

……

The next day, in front of Baijia Academy.

Many people mourned Liu Yong.

Cao Yi set up a mourning hall in front of the Baijia Academy for people to worship.

After seeing Liu Yong's remains, many singing girls burst into tears and were reluctant to leave for a long time.

Only they themselves know.

At the most difficult time in his life, he relied on Liu Yong's poems to find a way out for himself without losing his dignity.

This day.

Nearly 70% of the brothels and theaters on the streets of Bianjing City were closed.

The singing girls and opera performers stopped working to mourn Liu Yong, and some shop owners were unable to continue their business.

at the same time.

The epitaph written by Su Liang for Liu Yong, "Mourning Mr. Liu Qi", also became widely circulated in the streets and alleys of Bianjing City.

"Liu Gong transformed the old sound into a new one, forming his own style; he sang about the sorrow of parting and the mundane world, and it was truly the voice of the people."

"One Sing and Three Sighs, the ancestor of slow lyrics, without Mr. Liu Qi, our Song Dynasty would be less colorful."

"I wrote the lyrics in accordance with the emperor's order, describing the willows by the bank, the morning breeze and the waning moon, the peaceful atmosphere, and the knot in the hearts of talented men and beautiful women."

"People say: Wherever there is water to drink, people can sing Liu's poems. The style of Liu's poems is like the snacks for people to enjoy, which soothes their hearts and makes them happy."

……

Su Liang is the top celebrity in the current Bianjing City.

His poem "Mourning Mr. Liu Qi" has made Liu Yong a master of lyric writing.

His recognition naturally attracted the attention of the whole city.

This was also the only scholar-official who spoke up for Liu Yong.

As soon as this article came out.

The people's mourning for Liu Yong became even more powerful.

Many people spontaneously mourned Liu Yong outside the city, and some even stood on the bow of the boat and sang Liu Yong's lyrics and music aloud.

For a time, half of the city of Bianliang was mourning Liu Yong.

The scholar-officials and scholars in the city of Bianjing were all puzzled, but also very envious.

In their eyes, Liu Yong's poems were used to relieve boredom during leisure and entertainment, and could not be spoken in the court at all.

Therefore, the lyrics are very vulgar and vulgar, and mostly involve talented men and beautiful women, and love affairs in the boudoir.

There are also scholars who like to read it.

But for the sake of face, most people would choose to read them secretly in private.

They didn't expect that Liu Yong's status in the hearts of many people was so high.

In this commercial age where actors are ruthless, mostly perform for the occasion, and money is everything.

The singing girls were in tears, but their feelings for Liu Yong were genuine.

Which man doesn’t envy!
Thousands of women mourned spontaneously, making many people feel that if they could receive such treatment, their life would be worth living.

Su Liang's eulogy also prompted some scholars to focus on Liu Yong's poems again and begin to interpret them.

Many people have given it new meanings.

Many scholars who mistakenly believed that Liu Yong and the Huajian poets were of the same school have changed their views. Although there are some flattering works among Liu Yong's poems, some of them are actually top-notch.

For a while.

In places where scholars gather, more people start discussing Liu's poems, and more people start praising Liu Yong.

……

The seventh day after Liu Yong’s death.

In the central lobby of Baijia Academy, there is a coffin.

There is a line of large characters written on the tablet in front: The tablet of Liu Sanbian is the first one to be examined.

This was erected by Liu Yong's son Liu Li.

According to Liu Yong's wishes, his name was changed to Liu Sanbian.

The seventh day is the day when the soul returns home.

Many singing girls once again spontaneously came to Baijia Academy to pay tribute to Liu Yong.

Su Liang, Cao Yi and others also came to the mourning hall.

According to Liu Yong's request before his death, Liu Li would bury him in a cemetery thirty miles west of Baijia Academy.

It was a cemetery that Cao Yi had specially chosen for the teachers and students of the Baijia Academy. Liu Yong had regarded the Baijia Academy as his home, so he was willing to be buried there.

……

At this moment, inside the Chuigong Palace.

Zhao Zhen sat in front of the imperial desk with a copy of Mr. Liu Qi's Poems in front of him.

In the past few days, the people were mourning Liu Yong and discussing his poems, which naturally reached Zhao Zhen's ears.

After reading Liu's poem, Zhao Zhen recalled Su Liang's words.

He paused and murmured, "Liu's poems may not become mainstream, but they can also be chanted by people all over the world. I will give you a copy of Feibai calligraphy!"

Then, Zhao Zhen picked up the pen and began to write in a flamboyant manner.

……

Two hours later, in Baijia Academy, hundreds of singing girls gathered in the courtyard in front of Liu Yong's funeral hall.

These singing girls, holding various musical instruments, were chanting Liu Yong's poems to send him off.

These people sang and cried at the same time, and their sadness was no less than that of Liu Yong's family.

at this time.

A group of eunuchs rushed into the courtyard.

The singing girls stopped singing, and Su Liang and others hurried out.

The leading eunuch shouted, "Liu Li, son of Liu Sanbian, accepts the order!"

Liu Li immediately stepped forward and bowed.

The eunuch said, "The emperor has given Liu Sanbian a special gift of flying white calligraphy to express his condolences!"

immediately.

The eunuch handed the framed Feibai calligraphy to Liu Li and left quickly.

After Liu Li opened it, he was very excited and shouted to the sky: "Liu Li thanks the government for the great grace on behalf of my father!"

Su Liang said: "Brother Wen Zhi, what did the official write? Read it quickly!"

Liu Li held Zhao Zhen's flying white calligraphy and straightened his chest.

"The government says: In a peaceful age, read more Du Fu's poems when you are awake, and recite Liu Ci when you are drunk."

Hear this.

Su Liang, Cao Yi and others all showed a relieved smile.

Du Fu's poems refer to the poems of Du Fu. Du Fu's poems talk about family, country and the world, so naturally we should read more of them.

And reciting poems about willows after drinking shows that it is also a form of entertainment in life.

The fact that the government compared Liu's poems with Du's was itself a great compliment to Liu Yong.

Liu Li looked at Liu Yong's coffin and murmured: Father, how great it would be if you could see this flying white calligraphy!

then.

Zhao Zhen's words "go and write lyrics" almost ended Liu Yong's official career, but now his words can be regarded as recognition of Liu Yong.

If Liu Yong could hear these words when he was alive, he would definitely be very happy.

(End of this chapter)