If you talk about the pivotal figures in the literary circle of the Northern Song Dynasty, the "Three Sus" are naturally a top-notch combination that cannot be avoided. His father, Su Xun, was self-taught, and left behind the classic persuasion story of "Su Laoquan, twenty-seven, who started to work hard and read books". The elder brother Su Shi is even more praised for his unbridled poetry and articles and optimistic and expansive attitude towards life. When it comes to his younger brother Su Zhe, perhaps what is widely circulated among netizens today is his daily life of "eating, sleeping, and fishing for his brother". Of course, the so-called "Haidilao" is just a fictional ridicule, but this pair of brothers "enter and exit, all are different, in the midst of adversity, friendship and love", is indeed a rare good story in ancient times.
Su Shi and Su Zhe in CCTV1 "The Legend of the Grandmaster: The Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". ** Screenshot of "The Legend of the Grandmaster: The Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties".
I don't know much about my son, and I am talented and clear
To this day, people still often joke that in the second year of Jiayou in the Northern Song Dynasty (1057), the tribute of the Ministry of Rites is a hell-level difficulty, because this is really a bright page in the history of the imperial examination. This year, Su Shi was twenty-two years old, and Su Zhe was just nineteen. In ancient China, the "Fifty Young Jinshi" was a veritable young talent.
As a pair of brothers, Su Shi and Su Zhe are often compared together. Zhang Lei, one of the four bachelors of Sumen, once commented that the two of them "have a long wave, and a young man is beautiful and a thousand exclusive", and another bachelor, Qin Guan, has a more vivid evaluation, he described Su Shi as "like the sun, moon and stars, the latitude and longitude of heaven and earth", and all beings in the world know that he is clever, and Su Zhe is "like vitality in chaos", and all things are unknown from it. In fact, regarding the character of the two brothers, his father Su Xun has already raised expectations in "The Second Son Says". Shi, referring to the crossbar in front of the ancient carriage, seems to have little practical use, but it is indispensable. Su Xun is worried that this eldest son does not pay attention to "appearance" and will not hide his edge. Ruts refer to the traces of the wheels, and no matter what the car is said or done, it is not about the ruts. Su Xun hopes that his relatively peaceful and indifferent youngest son can deal with good fortune and misfortune and spend his life in peace. It is said that "knowing the son is more than the father", Su Xun's explanation of the names of the two children has largely become a portrayal of their lives. However, the younger brother Su Zhe, who has always been considered quiet and concise, is actually a brother who is "precise in his discussions", and his "oceanic" words also have an edge that is difficult to hide.
Meishan Sansu Temple. Photography by Zhang Zhongping,** Picture Worm Creative.
After entering the Jinshi branch together, the two brothers made the same plan. The young Su Zhe bluntly said in the examination paper that Song Renzong was old, tired of political affairs, confused by women, and his words were to the point. Su Zhe himself was determined to be deposed, and the examiners were also disagreeing, and in the end, it was Song Renzong who decided not to abandon the talent because of his outspokenness, so Su Zhe was able to enter the wait, and his "outspoken" side has begun to appear.
Unfortunately, the two brothers did not last long under Renzong's rule. In the third year of Zhiping (1066), Su Xun died, and the two brothers immediately returned to their hometown to worry about it, and when they returned to the imperial court again, it was the second year of Xining of Song Shenzong (1069), Wang Anshi was in power, and Su Shi was sentenced to the court, and Su Zhe was attributed to the new department to set up three departments and regulations, and worked in the front line of changing the new law. Previously, Su Zhe had discussed the three major ills that dragged down the imperial court's finances at that time: redundant officials, redundant soldiers, and redundant expenses, and pointed out the most important "three redundancy" problems in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the political views of Su Shi and Su Zhe were different from Wang Anshi's new law, Su Shi had a "Tribute to the Parliamentary School" to oppose Wang Anshi's change of the imperial examination law, and Su Zhe raised objections to the Qingmiao Law.
The Qingmiao Law is one of the controversial measures taken by Wang Anshi, mainly to convert the grain reserves in the former Changping Law into capital, and lend to the people at an interest rate of 20% when the spring is not harvested, and then recover it after the summer and autumn harvest. Wang Anshi hopes that this can alleviate the situation of private usury and exploitation of the people on the one hand, and increase the financial revenue of the first party on the other hand. However, Su Zhe believed that it was feasible to improve the Changping Law made by Liu Yan in the Tang Dynasty, and that although the Qingmiao Law "used money to lend to the people", although it was not intended to make profits, in the process of implementation, the officials inevitably disregarded the law and discipline, and the people would inevitably use the loans in vain, and they might also be in arrears when they repaid the loans, so they would have to impose severe punishments and increase local affairs, which was not conducive to the people. In fact, the Qingmiao Law did have a series of problems in the subsequent implementation process, and it was repealed after the death of Song Shenzong in the eighth year of Yuanfeng (1085).
Stone statue of Wang An. ** Portraits of Chinese Celebrities in Past Dynasties, edited by the Conservation Department of the Chinese History Museum, Strait Literature and Art Publishing House, 2003.
In view of the disagreement with the government, not long after he was in the Ordinance Department, Su Zhe was released from Beijing one step earlier than his brother and went to Chenzhou to become a school official. The following year, Su Shi was also released and sentenced to Hangzhou. He first went to Chenzhou to visit his younger brother, and then went to Yingzhou with his younger brother to visit Ouyang Xiu. As the former chief examiner, Ouyang Xiu can be said to be the Bole of the Su brothers, but now the two "Qianli Ponie" are released, and the "Bole" himself has just retired due to his opposition to the new law and his old age and decrepitude. After that, Su Shi went south to Hangzhou, and Su Zhe returned to Chenzhou, how did he know that this time the brothers parted for six years, which was the longest time that the two brothers were separated except for death.
In the sixth year of Xining (1073), Su Zhe was the secretary of Qizhou. After Su Shi's tenure in Hangzhou expired, he also hoped to change to a place closer to his younger brother, and was appointed governor of Mizhou the following year. In the ninth year of Xining (1076), Su Zhe returned to Beijing as the author of Zuolang, and at the end of the same year, Su Shi also left Mizhou. Su Zhe came from Beijing to greet him, and in February of the following year, the brothers finally reunited after a long absence. Subsequently, Su Zhe sent Su Shi to Xuzhou, and only after the Mid-Autumn Festival did he go to Nandu to serve as a judge. In the Mid-Autumn Festival of this year, the two brothers drank and admired the moon, during the banquet, Su Zhesi and his brother sent the word "Water Tune Song Head" to himself at this time last year, so he also filled in the "Water Tune Song Head" as a farewell, Su Shi used his words to be sad, and then filled in the words to comfort his younger brother. It's just that in the face of the upcoming parting, Kuangda Rusu Shi is finally reluctant to give up, "This life and this night are not good, where to see the bright moon next year" has become another good sentence of longing for relatives that has been recited for thousands of years.
Su Shi "Zhongshan Pine Mash Fu". Photography by Shadow Ranger, ** Picture Worm Creative.
Come back at a different time, and stay in the mountains with you
The Su brothers have not been separated for a long time this time, but they are very thrilling. In the second year of Yuanfeng (1079), Su Shi changed his knowledge to Huzhou (in Huzhou as Zhizhou), and the above table was thanked, but it was interpreted by Li Ding and others. As a result, Su Shi was arrested and sent to Taiwan prison in the name of "slandering the New Deal", which was the most famous Wutai poetry case in the history of the Northern Song Dynasty.
The elder brother was imprisoned, and his younger brother Su Zhe was naturally worried, but his official position was not obvious, and he offended the New Party early like Su Shi, so what he could do was actually very limited. Even so, he still wrote to the emperor for this matter, after all, his parents are gone, and in this world, he is "the only brother who must die". In the article, Su Zhe hopes to exchange his official position for his brother to avoid the death penalty, and his words are sincere and moving. But this letter did not enable him to "fish" his brother out as he wished, and Su Shi was finally rescued from prison by many parties. Not only Zhang Fangping, Fan Zhen and other old party friends, but even Wang Anli, the younger brother of Wang Anshi, the leader of the new party, spoke for him and advised Song Shenzong to "be the lord of generosity since ancient times, and do not sin people with words." Empress Renzong Cao was ill at that time, and also told Shenzong that when the Su brothers were in the same middle school in the past, Renzong once happily said, "I have two prime ministers for my descendants", and persuaded Shenzong not to neutralize with injustice. In the end, Su Shi, who had been imprisoned for more than 100 days, was exempted from capital punishment and served as the deputy envoy of the Huangzhou regiment, and Su Zhe was also imprisoned for the tax of salt and wine in Yunzhou for this matter, and he was not allowed to be transferred for five years.
Kaifeng Wutai (now Longting Park, Kaifeng, Henan). Photography Autumn Shadow with the Wind,** Picture Worm Creativity.
In the third year of Yuanfeng (1080), Su Zhe took a detour to send Su Shi's wife and children to Huangzhou on the way to his appointment. After this incident, the two brothers had countless words to tell each other, and in the end, the famous "E person" Su Shi couldn't stand it anymore, and took his younger brother to Wuchang Xishan together. This West Mountain is located in Ezhou City, Hubei Province, north of the Yangtze River, Su Shi often sailed south to play here when he lived in Huangzhou, and there are still various story versions of the "Dongpo Cake" created by the old gluttonous Su Shi here.
After saying goodbye to his brother, Su Zhe went to Yunzhou to take office. Compared with Su Shi, who was "not allowed to sign books", Su Zhe was entangled in general affairs when he first arrived in Yunzhou, sitting in the market during the day to sell salt, sell wine, and collect taxes, and he was exhausted when he returned to his residence at night. But even if he is trapped in mundane affairs every day, even if the direct reason for being demoted this time is indeed his brother's guilt, Su Zhe has never been resentful because of this, and still maintains a frequent correspondence and poetry exchange with his brother. With words as the sustenance of the soul, the two brothers accompanied each other through this period of rejoicing.
In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (1082), Su Zhe went to Huangzhou to visit his brother, and the two brothers went to Wuchang Xishan to play. To get to Xishan, you have to walk through a section of sheep intestine path densely planted with pines and cypresses to reach a small flat place, where there is a dilapidated pavilion, but unfortunately the ruins are narrow, it is difficult to accommodate everyone, and the surrounding trees are very thick and difficult to cut down. Every time Su Shi came here, he looked at these big trees all day long. Most of the trees were also seen to be really unbearable, and one of the trees took the initiative to "abdicate and make way for the virtuous" when the wind and rain were raging one day. At this time, Su Shi was happy, so he took this opportunity to add the place where the original tree grew to the pavilion site, which was the Jiuqu Pavilion. Looking at the happy Su Shi in front of him, remembering the scene of traveling with his brother when he was a teenager, at this moment, Su Zhe seemed to understand the mystery of his brother's optimism and expansiveness: "The joy of covering the world is endless, and the pleasure of being suitable", as long as you are worthy of the middle and the outside, then you can do whatever you want, and be at peace with what you encounter, why not?
Hangzhou Sudi Su Dongpo Memorial Hall. Photography Eggplant,** Picture Worm Creative.
Whoever speaks in the miasma, there is joy of reunion
In March of the eighth year of Yuanfeng (1085), Song Shenzong died, and Zhezong, who was only ten years old, succeeded to the throne, the empress dowager Gao listened to the government, and the ministers of the old party were reinstated, and the Su brothers were also able to return to the dynasty, ushering in the "highlight moment" of the eunuch career. In the early years of Yuan You, Su Shi progressively became a bachelor of Hanlin, a scholar of the system, and a part-time attendant, and Su Zhe was the right counselor, fully performing his duties as an advisor, and expressing his views on many matters in the DPRK and China. As for Lu Huiqing, who "crossed the river and demolished the bridge" in the New Party, Su Zhe was negligent and resolutely wanted to depose him from Beijing. However, Su Zhe also took into account the specific political practice of the merits of the new law, and advocated that it be retained. For example, Sima Guang decided to abolish the new law on conscription in which the people pay for it and the prefectures and counties hire people to serve, and to reinstate the previous law of errand service in which the people take turns to serve. Sima Guang also wanted to abolish the "Three Classics and New Meanings" in the imperial examination and other contents that belonged to the "Jinggong New School", and Su Zhe also admonished that the Jinshi next year's autumn examination was running out, and it was too hasty to revise the examination syllabus at this time, and everything could be as usual for the next year's scientific examination, but the Jingyi was not dedicated to Wang's new learning, and then slowly discussed the science and technology method of Yuan You's five years and later.
Sima Guang statue. ** Portraits of Chinese Celebrities in Past Dynasties, edited by the Conservation Department of the Chinese History Museum, Strait Literature and Art Publishing House, 2003.
In addition to the change of the old and the new, Su Zhe also actively offered suggestions and suggestions on other matters between the DPRK and China. In the second year of Yuanyou (1087), Western Xia frequently sent envoys into the country, hoping to restore Lanzhou, Wuqi and other places. Su Zhe advised that if it is not allowed at this time, if the border of Xixia troops is stationed in the future, the war will be together, and the war will be difficult to stop, and the emperor is young at this time, the queen mother listens to the government, and the army cannot completely bow down, and there is no one in the court to make a decision, so it is really not suitable to go to war. After that, the court and the central government discussed changing the Yellow River back to its original path, and Su Zhe advised that the Yellow River broke its embankment and diverted it, and the first emperor could not change it back. These words are somewhat yin and yang, but what they say does make sense. This kind of hatred for the new law is not regarded as hatred for the new law just because he is deposed by the new party, and it can also be seen that Su Zhe's quality of "a gentleman is not a party", but this quality will inevitably make him, like his brother, offend both the old and new factions.
In the sixth year of Yuanyou (1091), Su Shi knew that Hangzhou was still in the dynasty and was promoted to the secretary of the ministry. Subsequently, Su Zhe was also promoted to Shangshu Youcheng and became a real minister. In order to avoid suspicion, Su Shi changed to a bachelor of Hanlin. The two brothers are extremely popular ministers, and their parents who have passed away for many years have also been gifted, and the family lintel seems to be extremely glorious at this time, but the moon is full and lost, and behind the glory of the glory often hides a sudden disaster.
This time, after the two brothers were awarded **, in order to avoid suspicion, the two vied for resignation. Su Shi applied for supplementation many times so that his younger brother could stay in the court; Su Zhe resigned from the position of public minister in various ways, hoping to be the same official as his brother, and it was better to stay together. In the end, Su Shi went out of Yingzhou, and Su Zhe stayed in the court and became a squire. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and in September of the eighth year of Yuanyou (1093), Empress Seonin Gao died, Zhezong was in power, and the new party returned to power. In the following year, Su Zhe was accused of comparing the first emperor to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, so he was deposed, went out of Ruzhou, and later changed to Yuanzhou and Yunzhou; Su Shi, who knew Dingzhou at the time, was also degraded to Huizhou in the name of ridiculing the previous dynasty. After three years of residence, the two brothers continued to move to the left, Su Zhe was resettled in Huazhou and Leizhou, Su Shi was resettled in Qiongzhou, and Changhua Army was resettled.
Map of Lingnan in the Northern Song Dynasty. ** Historical Atlas of China
In May of the fourth year of Shaosheng (1097), the two brothers on the way to the south met in Tengzhou, and then walked together for a month to Suzhe and Suleizhou. In June, Su Shi was about to cross the sea to Danzhou. On the eve of parting, Su Shi couldn't sleep due to illness, and Su Zhe couldn't sleep all night. This eunuch has been up and down for half his life, he has been a father-in-law, and the old man who is close to his sixtieth birthday told his brother to drink less alcohol and take care of his body in the future. Maybe Su Zhe still has a lot to say to his brother, if he knows that this company is the last time the two brothers will see each other. It's just that the world is impermanent, and the talented people like the Su family brothers will not know which turn around, that is, goodbye.
In the third year of Yuan Fu (1100), Zhezong died, Huizong ascended the throne, and Su Shi finally crossed the sea from Hainan Island and returned to the north. In May of the following year, when Su Shi traveled to Zhenzhou, the miasma was great, and he was already very ill after arriving in Changzhou, and in July, Su Shi died here at the age of 66. The grief-stricken Su Zhe followed Su Shi's instructions before his death, wrote the last epitaph for his brother, teacher, and friend, and recorded his brother who he had known for more than 60 years in nearly 6,000 words. More than ten years later, in the second year of Zhenghe (1112), Su Zhe died at the age of 74 and was buried next to the tomb of his brother in Jiacheng, Ruzhou.
Sansu Tomb Sansu Garden Scenic Area, Jiaxian County, Henan, China. Photography Zhang Weihong,** Picture Worm Creative.
Although the words of "fishing for people" are just nonsense, between the ups and downs of the Huan Sea, there is always a person who always advances and retreats with him, which is already very rare in the world. Whether it is sleeping together in bed or facing each other across the sea, this blood-related relationship has never diminished a bit. Perhaps compared with his younger brother's official position to save himself from fire and water, this true love of sharing hardships is one of the sources of strength to support Su Shi to overcome difficulties again and again. Therefore, in the Yushitai full of crows, Su Shi, who was already preparing to arrange the funeral in prison, wrote this wish to his younger brother:
and Jun Shishi are brothers, and they are married to the cause of the next life.
References:
Bi Yuan, "Renewal of Capital and Governance of Tongjian", Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1957.
Su Zhe Collection, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 1990.
Song] Li Shou, "Continuation of the Governance of Tongjian", Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2004.
History of the Song Dynasty, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2011.
Wang Shuizhao, ed., The Collected Records of the Three Su Annals Written by the Song People, Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company, 2015.
Zeng Zaozhuang: "Su Zhe Annals", Chengdu: Bashu Publishing House, 2018.
Zeng Zaozhuang: "Su Zhe Commentary", Chengdu: Bashu Publishing House, 2018.
Zeng Zaozhuang: Su Shi's Commentary, Chengdu: Bashu Publishing House, 2018.
Ming Chenghua Ben Dongpo Seven Collections, Beijing: National Library Press, 2019.