vrcanaries Chapter 256 Top CP of the Tang Dynasty
Chapter 256 Top CP of the Tang Dynasty
"So later generations jokingly called Wang Lun Li Bai's biggest fan, because he bought a poem with money, hahaha!"
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty: Because I'm rich, I'm writing you a poem!
A romantic and talented scholar from the Tang Dynasty: Sigh, I also want a male admirer like that!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "Wang Lun really went all out!"
……
"However, speaking specifically of Li Bai, this renowned figure also has many interesting anecdotes. For example, everyone is very curious about what his love life was like?"
According to the Old Book of Tang, Li Bai had four wives in his life. His first wife was introduced to him by his friend Meng Haoran, but she passed away when Li Bai was 42 years old.
"Not long after, Li Bai married his second wife, Liu. However, their relationship was not good. It is said that Liu looked down on Li Bai and mocked him for only being able to write such poems."
"Later, he met another woman, a certain woman, but the good times didn't last long, and she also passed away. His last wife was a woman surnamed Zong, the granddaughter of Tang Chancellor Zong Chuke. When Li Bai was imprisoned and exiled to Yelang, she helped him many times."
A spoiled young master from the Tang Dynasty: Good, good, good! Your experience is far richer than mine!!!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty: I have a feeling he's a bit of a jinx to wives, hahaha!
"But some people are curious: given Li Bai's life experiences, he seemed to travel around a lot, so where did his money come from?!"
"The answer is quite simple. He has a poem that goes: 'When I was young, I didn't know the moon, and called it a white jade plate.' The question is, have you ever seen anything like a white jade plate in an ordinary household?"
A bystander in the Song Dynasty: ...Goodness, I thought he was broke!?
"Although there are various versions of his father's identity, most people would agree that Li Bai came from a relatively well-off family! Not everyone can claim that money lost can be regained!"
"In addition, he married into the families of former prime ministers twice, and was also a renowned poet in the Tang Dynasty's elite circles. He also had a generous and outgoing personality, which meant he could make friends wherever he went! So he probably didn't have to worry about travel and accommodation expenses anywhere!"
"Take Wang Lun for example. Later generations may not know all the emperors of the Tang Dynasty, but they will definitely know Wang Lun. He is a character that they must memorize from childhood!"
The optimist Su Dongpo: I get it! The more poems you write, the more later generations will memorize! It'll be hard to forget them!
Li Bai, a top figure in Chinese poetry: ...
Top-ranked fan Wang Lun: ?'?'?…It's all thanks to Brother Bai!!!
In another timeline, Li Bai had just arrived at the [Peach Blossom Pool] and [Wanli Tavern] mentioned by Wang Lun.
Although Miss Lin has told me that this place isn't as good as Wang Lun described, it's still not bad!
Haha! I'm going to stay here for a few days and drink to my heart's content!
Wang Lun (˙?˙??): Come to my place! All-inclusive (accommodation and meals included)! That's right!!!
……
The live broadcast continues.
"The relationship between Li Bai, Du Fu, and Meng Haoran is quite interesting. Du Fu greatly admired Li Bai, for example, in his poems such as 'Sending to Li Bai,' 'Dreaming of Li Bai,' and 'Remembering Li Bai on a Spring Day.'"
"However, Li Bai greatly admired Meng Haoran, and once wrote for him: 'I love Master Meng, whose elegance is known throughout the world.'"
"However, Meng Haoran and Wang Wei admired each other, but Wang Wei and Li Bai were strangers and had no contact with each other, even though they were both in Chang'an and had several mutual friends."
"But they just didn't have much interaction, so some people speculated that the two might not get along or have incompatible personalities."
"However, these individuals have been jokingly referred to by later generations as a love quadrangle among Tang Dynasty poets. But we must also commend Du Fu, who had only one wife, Lady Yang, throughout his life."
"In that era of polygamy, such people were extremely rare."
Li Bai, the pinnacle of Chinese poetry: ! ...
Du Fu, a huge fan of Li Bai: I feel a little embarrassed by such praise!
Meng Haoran of the Tang Dynasty: ...
Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty: (? ˙o˙)?…
……
"Since we've brought up Meng Haoran, let's talk about how he ultimately died because of his love of food."
Around 740 AD, Meng Haoran contracted a disease called carbuncle. This skin disease is characterized by pustules on the surface, local redness and swelling, and hard lumps that can be felt to the touch. In severe cases, it can even be fatal.
"But Meng Haoran's carbuncle was about to heal, and the doctor warned him not to eat any foods that could aggravate the condition, such as freshwater or seafood. Meng Haoran remembered this perfectly well at the time."
"But unexpectedly, Meng Haoran's good friend Wang Changling was granted a pardon and returned to Chang'an. When he passed through Xiangyang, Hubei, he thought of his good friend Meng Haoran, so he took the opportunity to visit him."
"As the host, Meng Haoran certainly had to make a gesture, so he prepared a lavish banquet to invite Wang Changling to dinner. Among the dishes served was a famous dish from Xiangyang, but the ingredients used were river delicacies."
"Whether Meng Haoran forgot or felt that he had to keep his old friend company, he and Wang Changling thoroughly enjoyed the river delicacies."
"However, not long after Wang Changling left, Meng Hao fell ill and died soon after at the age of 51."
A scion of a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty: You don't have any dietary restrictions! Would you really be willing to risk your life to accompany someone in this situation?
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty commented: "It's fun to eat it all, but everyone ends up in a mess!"
The optimist Su Dongpo: ...You still have to avoid certain foods!
Crown Prince Zhu Biao of the Ming Dynasty: Wait a minute! Why do these carbuncle symptoms sound so familiar?!
.........
"Later, Wang Changling also learned that his good friend Meng Haoran had died because of him. He was overcome with grief and stubbornly believed that he had killed his friend. He spent the rest of his life in regret."
"Until one day in 756 AD, when Wang Changling was passing through Bozhou, he was murdered by Lu Qiu Xiao, the scoundrel who was the governor of Haozhou. He was 59 years old."
Meng Haoran of the Tang Dynasty: Sigh! I didn't blame you!
Wang Changling of the Tang Dynasty: ??? ...Brother Haoran!
A skilled farmer in the Song Dynasty: What the heck! This official can kill people?!
An official from the Ming Dynasty said: "Back then, was there the An Lushan Rebellion? No one was in charge, so naturally the public order was bad!"
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty: Oh... a half-emperor throughout the ages!
A strong peasant girl from the Han Dynasty: Oh, it suddenly occurred to me, wouldn't the Tang Dynasty have one and a half emperors who were considered the greatest emperors of all time? Hahaha!
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: ??? …
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty
At this time, Meng Haoran prepared a lavish banquet for Wang Changling. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks and enjoy the meal, Wang Changling suddenly knocked the chopsticks out of his hand with lightning speed.
He looked disapproving and said, "Brother Haoran, the doctor said we need to avoid certain foods! Have you forgotten how you died in history?!"
Meng Haoran chuckled sheepishly, slapped his forehead, and said, "I was so happy I forgot! Alright, alright! You eat!"
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
Lin Ke sighed again, "Let's talk about Bai Juyi, who also lived during the Tang Dynasty."
"First of all, the Tang Dynasty was a constellation of brilliant poets, including the Immortal Poet Li Bai, the Sage Poet Du Fu... and the Demon Poet Bai Juyi."
"Besides Li Bai having little admirers, Bai Juyi also had some, and he was a bit crazy about it. This little admirer was named Ge Qing, who didn't have any particularly impressive status; he was just an ordinary citizen."
"Judging from their identities, these two people seem to have no connection, but these ordinary people are so obsessed with Bai Juyi's poems that they have even gone to the point of madness."
According to Duan Chengshi's "Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang, First Collection", Ge Qing was a ruthless man who actually tattooed Bai Juyi's poems all over his neck.
"Moreover, he could not only recite Bai Juyi's poems fluently, but also point out the poems tattooed on his body. There were more than thirty of them in total. Even if Yue Fei's mother came, she would have to admit: You are the real master!!!"
Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty: ...This is a bit too much for me!
Cheng Yaojin of the Tang Dynasty: Oh my god, this guy is really ruthless to himself!!!
A skilled farmer in the Song Dynasty: Isn't he afraid of getting hurt?!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty: To be honest, I can understand giving money and gifts to Wang Lun, but I really don't understand the tattooing!
A certain scholar-official from the Han Dynasty: I just want to know if he won't feel any pain after being stabbed! He must really love Bai Juyi!
The optimist Su Dongpo: (???；) I was greatly shocked but expressed my respect!
……
"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Ge Qing did something so utterly despicable that people around him jokingly called him Bai Sheren's walking poem painting."
"However, even with his madness, he never met his idol, Bai Juyi, in his entire life."
In another timeline, Bai Juyi heard Lin Ke sighing and looking regretful, thinking to himself: ?_?
But Bai Juyi's feelings at this moment must have been incredibly complex!
He's really struggling to keep up with this crazy fanboy!
What if we accidentally invite him to see the poems he tattooed? Two grown men feel incredibly awkward!
……
"However, as everyone knows, Bai Juyi had a very good friend, Yuan Zhen. The two of them could be called the top couple in the Tang Dynasty, and they wrote a great many poems and letters to each other."
"For example, Bai Juyi's poem 'Dreaming of Wei Zhi' written to Yuan Zhen, and Yuan Zhen's poem 'Responding to Bai Juyi's Frequent Dreams of Wei Zhi' written to Bai Juyi, both of these poems express feelings of longing."
"Therefore, the two of them were known as Yuan and Bai. They were not only close friends with the same ideals, but also confidants in literature and politics. They also took the imperial examinations together, were admitted together, and served as officials in the court together."
"If Du Fu's feelings for Li Bai were jokingly described as 'unrequited love,' then Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi's were mutual!"
Bai Juyi of the Tang Dynasty: ( ??????????? )
Yuan Zhen of the Tang Dynasty: (′??｀*)ノ
Du Fu/Li Bai: There's no need to use us as examples!
……