PFC Chapter 249 Lu Yu's Tea
Chapter 249 Lu Yu's Tea
Days like this passed by, and in 365 AD, Emperor Ai of Jin's health finally failed. He passed away, and his younger brother Sima Yi succeeded him as Emperor Fei of Jin. However, Emperor Fei of Jin did not escape the clutches of Huan Wen.
In 369 AD, Huan Wen was at the forefront of the Northern Expedition. He originally wanted to achieve some merit in this expedition and then legitimately ascend the throne as emperor, but he did not expect that he would return in defeat.
Although Huan Wen was over fifty and could not wait, in 372 AD, he deposed the emperor Sima Yi, the deposed emperor of Jin, on the grounds that Sima Yi was infertile, and established Sima Yu, who was also over fifty, as Emperor Jianwen of Jin. He wanted Emperor Jianwen of Jin to die early and then pass the throne to him.
Emperor Jianwen of Jin did not disappoint Huan Wen's expectations. He died of grief and anger eight months later. However, he did not give the throne to Huan Wen, but passed it to his son Sima Yao.
Huan Wen's ambition to become emperor was shattered, and he died of illness not long after. The power of government fell into the hands of Xie An, who was born in the Chenjun Xie family.
In 383 AD, Fu Jian, the emperor of the Former Qin Dynasty, who had unified the north, led an army of 60 to the south to unify the country. At this time, Xie An was in power in the court of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and the specific responsibility fell on his shoulders.
He sent Xie Xuan and others to lead 8 troops to the Fei River to confront the Former Qin. When the war started, Xie Xuan suggested that Fu Jian let the Former Qin army retreat, and he led the Jin army across the Fei River to confront the Former Qin army.
Fu Jian ordered a retreat, but he did not expect that this retreat would end badly. Zhu Xu, a traitor in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, shouted "The Qin army is defeated" behind the Former Qin army. The Jin army took advantage of the situation and attacked, causing the Former Qin army to lose its footing and be defeated.
Originally, the Jin army should have pursued the victory, but the court officials understood that if the Xie family headed by Xie An and Xie Xuan made great contributions, it would disrupt the balance of the court.
In 398 AD, Huan Wen's son Huan Xuan rebelled. The following year, Huan Xuan invaded Jiankang, deposed Sima Dezong, the Emperor of Jin, and proclaimed himself emperor, naming his country Chu. However, the following year, Huan Xuan was defeated by Liu Yu, a famous general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who was also an ambitious man.
He first restored Emperor An of Jin to the throne as a puppet, and then launched several northern expeditions to accumulate enough merit and prestige. At this time, Liu Yu could have directly proclaimed himself emperor, but there was a prophecy at the time: "After Changming, there will be two more emperors." "Changming" refers to Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, Sima Yao.
After his death, the Eastern Jin Dynasty would have two more emperors. At this time, there was only one emperor after "Changming". Liu Yu decided to respond to the prophecy himself.
He first killed Emperor An of Jin in 419 AD and supported Emperor An of Jin's younger brother, Emperor Gong of Jin Sima Dewen, to ascend the throne. Then, in 420 AD, he accepted the abdication of Emperor Gong of Jin and established the Liu Song Dynasty, thus marking the end of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
[From an abandoned baby to the Tea Saint Historical Facts Tea Saint Lu Yu]
He had a miserable life, was ugly, had a stutter, and was an abandoned child, but he experienced the warmth of the world. He was adopted by a monk, made many friends, and the calligrapher Yan Zhenqing also supported him and recommended him for calligraphy.
Although his career was not smooth, he wrote the world's first tea monograph "The Classic of Tea". He is Lu Yu, who was praised as the "Tea Fairy" and respected as the "Tea Saint" by later generations.
One day in 735 AD, Zhiji, a Zen master of Longgai Temple, found an abandoned baby under a stone bridge in the suburbs. With compassion, Zhiji took the child back to the temple to raise him, and even divined and named the child.
He was named Lu Yu after the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes, with the courtesy name Hongjian, implying that he would spread his wings and fly high and far like a wild goose.
Lu Yu grew up under the green lamp and ancient Buddha, and was forced by Zhiji to study Buddhist scriptures. Zhiji loved drinking tea, and every time he finished reading the Buddhist scriptures, he would teach the little monks how to make tea. Although Lu Yu had no interest in Buddhist scriptures, he was very obsessed with tea and learned every move very quickly.
Since then, Lu Yu developed a strong interest in tea and devoted himself to studying the art of tea making, even forgetting about chanting sutras and meditating. At the age of 12, he resolutely refused his master's request to become a monk and fled from Longgai Temple.
Lu Yu, who was living among the people, had no special skills and had to work in a troupe in Jingling City, playing the role of a clown. His not-so-outstanding appearance and stuttering problem actually became a plus.
In addition, he was smart and studious, not only could he play the role of a clown vividly, but he could also write his own scripts. Later, he also wrote a three-volume joke book called "Xu Lang".
Li Jiqing, the governor of Jinling, saw Lu Yu's outstanding performance at a party and admired his talent and ambition very much. He immediately gave him poetry and books and wrote a letter of recommendation, asking him to study with Master Zou who lived in seclusion in Huomen Mountain.
Five years later, Lu Yu graduated and went down the mountain, where he met Cui Guofu, who was demoted to the post of Sima of Jinling. The 5-year-old Cui Guofu and Lu Yu became close friends regardless of age difference, and they often went out together, tasting tea and water, and discussing poetry and essays.
Cui Guofu had a lot of insights into tea. Seeing that Lu Yu was so obsessed with tea, he suggested that he write a book about tea.
Therefore, Lu Yu followed the advice and set out on a journey to explore the mountains and rivers and study the principles of tea in 756 AD. Before leaving, his good friend Cui Guofu gave him a white donkey, a black ox and a book box with a Chinese locust tree.
Unfortunately, the An-Shi Rebellion broke out in 755 AD. During the eight years of war, Lu Yu followed the refugees fleeing the war and migrated southward, visiting the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huai River Basin, and Wushan in Sichuan.
Lu Yu traveled to all 32 states of the Tang Dynasty, visited tea growers, discussed tea matters, made specimens of various teas, and recorded a large number of anecdotes about tea.
Later, Lu Yu secluded himself for several years and finally wrote The Classic of Tea, which is known as the "Encyclopedia of Tea". The Classic of Tea is the first academic work on tea in China and the world.
The full text of 7000 words describes the methods of picking tea, making tea, using tea sets, cooking and drinking tea, as well as a complete guide to historical customs. In addition, Lu Yu also deeply explored the cultural connotation of drinking tea, elevating drinking tea from a daily habit to the level of art and aesthetics.
Therefore, "The Classic of Tea" is also known as one of the world's three major tea books along with Japan's "The Guide to Health Preservation through Drinking Tea" and the United States' "The Complete Book of Tea".
In 772 AD, Lu Yu's circle of friends expanded again. He met another important person in his life, Yan Zhenqing, a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty.
In this year, 63-year-old Yan Zhenqing was transferred to Huzhou as governor, and met 40-year-old Lu Yu. Yan Zhenqing was knowledgeable, virtuous, and admired by Lu Yu for his calligraphy and writing; Lu Yu was rigorous in his studies and proficient in tea art, which won Yan Zhenqing's admiration.
The two men admired each other, one an official and the other a commoner, and they formed another friendship regardless of age difference.
In the second year after Yan Zhenqing took office in Huzhou, he organized the compilation of Yunhai Jingyuan, a masterpiece that combines both characters and phonology, equivalent to a large dictionary today.
The book has 360 volumes, and more than 50 famous scholars were invited to participate in the writing. Lu Yu was also among the editorial board members, and his contribution value ranked among the top three on the list.
Participating in the compilation of "Yunhai Jingyuan" gave Lu Yu the opportunity to access a large number of official documents, archives and materials, providing a godsend opportunity to supplement and improve "The Classic of Tea".
Yan Zhenqing also raised funds on his own and built a pavilion for Lu Yu in the southeast of Miaoxi Temple.
The pavilion was completed in 773 and Yan Zhenqing presented it to Lu Yu. That day happened to be the year of Guiyou, the month of Guimao and the day of Guihai, so Lu Yu named the pavilion "Sangui Pavilion". Yan Zhenqing wrote a plaque for it and inscribed a poem "Inscribed on the word 'Mu' at Guiting on Mount Zhushan".
Two years later, Yan Zhenqing also helped Lu Yu build a house in Qingtang Village, Huzhou, which was elegantly named "Qingtang Villa". Because Huzhou was rich in mulberry and hemp, Lu Yu called himself "Sangzhu Weng".
In the Qingtang Villa, Lu Yu completed the revision of "The Classic of Tea" and officially published it in 780 AD.
Lu Yu had no father, no mother, no wife, and no children, but he had many friends and experienced the warmth of the world. He was well-versed in a wide range of fields and was not only a well-deserved tea expert, but also a talented poet, geographer, writer, and historian.
Many Tang Dynasty cultural classics such as "Complete Tang Poems" and "Tang Talents" include many of Lu Yu's works and his personal biography. Unfortunately, Lu Yu's works in other fields were overshadowed by the brilliance of "The Classic of Tea" and most of them have not been passed down.
——"My grandfather told me to turn up the volume (covering my face)"
——"The tea my grandpa brews has a taste called home!!"
——"To be honest, I first heard about Lu Yu in Jay Chou's song "Tea Brewed by Grandpa"."
——"Hey, I'm a descendant of Lu Yu."
[The man who won over Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman in Tainai, is an expert in reciting archaeology? A little historical knowledge about Li Qingzhao]
He was passionate about archaeological collection throughout his life, and married Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman in the world. He wrote "Jinshilu", one of the earliest archaeological works in China.
In times of crisis, he, who was an official of the imperial court at the time, abandoned his wife and fled alone. Even so, after his death, Li Qingzhao did not bear grudges and did everything she could to protect the bronze and stone cultural relics that the couple had devoted their lives to. He was Zhao Mingcheng, a Song Dynasty epigrapher and collector.
Zhao Mingcheng, courtesy name Defu, was born in 1081 in a family of officials and scholars in Zhucheng, Shandong. His father, Zhao Tingzhi, was Shang Shu You Pushe and Zhong Shu Shilang.
He could be considered a super second-generation official. He received a good education since childhood, reading scriptures and reciting history. In addition, he was smart and hardworking. After he became an adult, he was admitted to the Imperial College, which was the highest national institution of learning during the Song Dynasty. He was a truly highly educated talent.
In 1099, the 16-year-old talented Li Qingzhao shocked the literary world with her poem "Ru Meng Ling", and secretly captured Zhao Mingcheng's heart. On the Lantern Festival, Zhao Mingcheng went out with Li Qingzhao's cousin Li Jiong and saw the legendary Li Qingzhao while watching the lanterns at Xiangguo Temple.
Zhao Mingcheng, who was already a fan of Li Qingzhao, sighed after meeting this girl that "her writing is like her personality". After returning home, he couldn't stop falling in love with her and became sick with lovesickness.
At that time, Zhao Mingcheng was a popular husband. He wanted to marry Li Qingzhao. In order to convince his father, he made up a riddle: "The words and the words are combined, the words are taken off, and the grass is pulled out."
His father Zhao Tingzhi racked his brains for three days and three nights, and finally guessed his son's mind: the husband of this woman turned out to be a female poet. So Zhao Tingzhi immediately sent someone to Li Qingzhao's home to ask for marriage.
Li Qingzhao was a talented woman of great talent, and her father, Li Gefei, was also an official of the imperial court. The two families were well matched, and both young people were at the age of marriage and were in love. So, in 1101, Zhao Mingcheng and the literary young woman Li Qingzhao got married.
After their marriage, the two started to show affection in various ways, often expressing their feelings through poems and supporting each other's hobbies. In addition to working as an official, Zhao Mingcheng, a famous collector of bronze and stone inscriptions, likes to study and appreciate antiques, cultural relics, calligraphy and paintings from past dynasties.
After marriage, he dragged Li Qingzhao into the collecting business. The couple had a very good relationship and enjoyed themselves very much.
Zhao Mingcheng helped Li Qingzhao, who was addicted to gambling, buy a lot of information to study gambling techniques. Li Qingzhao also strongly supported her husband's hobby of spending money, often going out with her husband to pawn clothes and then go to Daxiangguo Temple to find a few cultural relics she liked.
Zhao Mingcheng also bought some fruits and snacks, and they ate and drank together after returning home, enjoying the fun of life. As he played with more and more cultural relics, Zhao Mingcheng began to compile his experience of playing with them into a book called "Jinshilu".
Later, the left prime minister Cai Jing led the new party to retaliate against the old party. Li Qingzhao's father was dismissed from his post, and Zhao Mingcheng also lost his official position. The two had to return to their hometown in Qingzhou to live in seclusion.
However, they still lived a comfortable life of reciting poems and composing essays and appreciating cultural relics. It is said that when they had nothing to do, they loved reading. One of them would tell a story and ask the other person to answer which page and line the story was in. Whoever won would get a cup of tea.
Li Qingzhao had a good memory and could always drink the tea first. Zhao Mingcheng was not bad either. The two of them chased each other and drank tea as if they were drinking wine. Unexpectedly, they were so happy that they knocked over the teacups. They could only laugh and let the matter go. This is the famous story of "Throwing Tea and Gambling on Books".
Good times are always short-lived, and Zhao Mingcheng began his career as a civil servant serving in various places until the Jin army invaded on a large scale and a mutiny broke out in Jiangning City.
When Zhao Mingcheng, the prefect of Jiangning at the time, heard the news, he not only did not suppress the rebellion, but instead abandoned the people in the city and his wife Li Qingzhao and fled the city alone.
Zhao Mingcheng fled, lost his official hat, and was dismissed from office by the court. In 1129, Zhao Mingcheng fell ill and died on his way to take up his post alone at the age of .
The death of Zhao Mingcheng marked the beginning of Li Qingzhao's tragic life. In order to preserve these eye-catching gold and stone cultural relics, Li Qingzhao did everything she could, but things did not go as she wished. The cultural relics she and her husband collected were either destroyed in war or stolen.
Heartbroken, Li Qingzhao desperately grasped the life-saving straw in her life and married a man named Zhang Ruzhou. Unexpectedly, Zhang Ruzhou also coveted cultural relics. Li Qingzhao, who had met the wrong man, decisively divorced him at the risk of going to jail.
After being released from prison, she did not complain about herself, but began to carefully organize the couple's life's work "Jinshilu". She also wrote "Jinshilu Postscript", which tells the story of how the couple collected and organized bronze and stone artifacts and the content and writing process of "Jinshilu".
Although Zhao Mingcheng died early and was not as famous as his wife Li Qingzhao, his contribution to epigraphy is indelible.
If Ouyang Xiu was the founder of epigraphy studies, Zhao Mingcheng made epigraphy more mature, so epigraphy was later called "Ouyang-Zhao Studies".
——"Li Qingzhao seems to have composed a poem later, satirizing Zhao Mingcheng."
——"It's a pity that he is such a weakling, otherwise he really doesn't have any shortcomings. Until disaster strikes, you really won't find out that he has such a big shortcoming."
——"It seems his family is somewhat related to the royal family. People with the surname Zhao love to run away, even to exhaustion."