The Tang Dynasty was one of the dynasties in Chinese history that made the greatest contributions, had the strongest national strength, and lasted the longest. Below, the History Encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed article introduction.
He Zhizhang is a master of poetry and prose art in Chinese history. His poetry is fresh, elegant, and extraordinary, and enjoys the reputation of “poetic madness”. Masterpieces such as “Ode to Willow Trees” and “Return to My Hometown Book” are not only widely known and passed down through the ages, but also included in China’s compulsory Chinese language textbooks, becoming well-known quotes.
He Zhizhang, known as the happiest poet of the Tang Dynasty, became well-known as the top scholar at the age of 36. Having served as an official for fifty years, he has always been loved and admired by people. His career was smooth and steady, with no wind or waves, and he was highly respected by several emperors. Until retiring at the age of 86, He Zhizhang had never suffered the torment of demotion and exile like other poets. What kind of personality charm has kept He Zhizhang in a high position?
1、 Top scorer in the imperial examination
He Zhizhang was born in Zhejiang Province, and all the elders in his family were officials. With his innate intelligence and the material wealth and resources provided by his ancestors, he devoted himself to reading from a young age and gained a great reputation in poetry, literature, and composition.
During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, He Zhizhang, who was 36 years old, first became a high school jinshi and later rose to fame as the top scholar, becoming the first recorded top scholar in the history of Zhejiang Province and officially starting his fifty year career.
At that time, Lu Xiang had not yet become a prime minister, but he had a keen eye for people and recognized He Zhizhang’s talent early on. He recommended him to become a scholar in the four schools of the country, and later promoted him to become a professor in the National University during the Tang Dynasty, which can be regarded as a model of youth fame.
Not long after, through Zhang Shuo’s recommendation, He Zhizhang entered the Xiuyuan Academy of Lizheng Hall and participated in the compilation and revision of several works. Subsequently, he went on to become an official and was promoted, holding various positions such as the Minister of Rites, the Prince’s Attendant, and the Minister of Works. He was also appointed as a Bachelor of the Jixian Academy. Although there is not much actual power, the reputation is extremely high, almost equivalent to the current deputy ministerial level.
In the 26th year of the Kaiyuan era, He Zhizhang was appointed as the chief secretary and became a guest of the Crown Prince, with the rank of Silver Green Guanglu Dafu. Therefore, in the following decades, He Zhizhang was revered as the “He Supervisor” by everyone.
He Zhizhang is exceptionally talented, not only in poetry and literature, but also in calligraphy. At that time, the cursive script he wrote was widely circulated and praised by people as a treasure. He Zhizhang has a great love for alcohol. He often drinks with Li Bai and others, reciting poems and having fun while drinking. He has a fairy like demeanor and is known as one of the “Eight Immortals in Drunken Life”.
He has a bold, free spirited, and unrestrained personality, which is not only reflected in his poetry, songs, and calligraphy masterpieces, but also in his way of dealing with people. Throughout his life, He Zhizhang had a wide range of good relationships. When it comes to the talented and virtuous people around him, he spared no effort to help recommend them, cherishing their talents and earning a great reputation.
Even the famous poet Li Bai was recommended to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang by He Zhizhang. For this reason, Li Bai and He Zhizhang became lifelong friends and had a very close relationship. After He Zhizhang’s death, Li Bai also wrote poems to commemorate him. From those timeless poems and writings, it is enough to see the profound friendship between the two.
2、 Stable career path
The legend of He Zhizhang lies in his career, witnessing the end of the Wu Zetian era, experiencing the chaos and turmoil of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian, Emperor Ruizong Li Dan, and Princess Taiping’s rebellion, and witnessing the development and rise of Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji. In such a complex and ever-changing court situation, He Zhizhang’s career has never been affected and he has always held a high position and been respected.
It can be seen how important a person’s character is. He Zhizhang’s character was unanimously praised by literati at that time. He had been an official for fifty years and had never done any petty deeds. Not only did he not step on others to rise to power, but he also did his best to support talented people around him. Therefore, he was praised as a “talkative and charming person”.
At that time, there were people with good conduct, righteousness, and arrogance in the world, and anyone who heard the name “He Jian” would not repeatedly praise them. Many literati and scholars even wrote poems and essays to depict the elegant style of He Zhizhang, and talented people all over the world were eager to make friends with him.
He Zhizhang holds a high position, but never engages in corruption or bribery. His character is upright and honest, and his reputation is particularly good. When dealing with kings and officials, I always speak frankly and advise, never insincere flattery. When dealing with opponents, he will not play tricks behind their backs to make things difficult, but will use his own abilities to win openly and honestly. This may be the reason why he rose to fame.
3、 A peaceful end in old age
In 726, Li Longji’s younger brother suddenly passed away, and the court needed someone to lead the spirits and sing songs in front of the funeral procession to comfort the deceased and demonstrate royal prestige. He Zhizhang was serving in the Ministry of Rites at that time, so he naturally took on the role of selection.
The act of singing elegies by the Fu Ling Shu cannot be done by nobles or officials, and can only be done by finding suitable candidates from the public. Everyone knows that this is an excellent opportunity for ordinary families to enter the officialdom, so talented individuals from the public have come to pay their respects and tried their best to obtain this position.
At that time, in the imperial court, Li Linfu and other treacherous individuals had already been heavily employed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. The court was corrupt, the political situation was chaotic, and the foundation of the Tang Dynasty was declining. Li Longji is no longer the emperor who decisively killed and conquered during the founding period. He is surrounded by right and wrong people, which has blinded his eyes.
He Zhizhang has always had an upright image, which is a headache for those in the court who want to speculate. A treacherous minister wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of He Zhizhang, so rumors of He Zhizhang’s unfair selection of people spread to the emperor’s ears.
The emperor was misled and punished He Zhizhang without asking for reasons. At that time, He Zhizhang was already 80 years old and had devoted so many years of his heart and energy to the court. However, he was suspected of disloyalty by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and he was truly heartbroken.
He Zhizhang did not care about official position and salary. He only realized that Li Longji had begun to fall into depravity, indulging in women and pleasure every day, abusing treacherous ministers, and listening to slander. The decline of the Tang Dynasty was a foregone conclusion.
Therefore, He Zhizhang deeply felt that he was no longer able to uphold the principles of the court, so he had no choice but to turn a blind eye and apply for retirement and retreat to the Taoist sect. The emperor expressed his gratitude for the hard work of He Zhizhang over the past fifty years, personally hosted a banquet to see him off, and presented the poem “Sending He Zhizhang Back to the Four Brightness” to express regret and reluctance. Later, he also promoted He Zhizhang’s son.
Later, after He Zhizhang passed away, Emperor Suzong of Tang, Li Heng, ascended to the throne and posthumously awarded him the position of Minister of Rites to express his gratitude for his hard work and dedication to the Tang Dynasty throughout his life. He Zhizhang received a good ending, although he did not make any earth shattering achievements in his life, he still left a mark in history.
4、 Summary
He Zhizhang’s life may seem smooth and enviable, but in reality, it was all thanks to his own cultivation. From ancient times to the present, there have always been many virtuous and unworthy people. They may have been blinded by petty gains in front of them, or they may have no respect and abused their small power to act recklessly.
If everyone could, like He Zhizhang, plan their own policies in their positions, be self-sufficient when poor, and benefit the world when successful. If everyone could have the same great love and compassion for the people of the world as he did, not hesitate to show kindness, and always treat others with a pure heart, then what a beautiful and moving world this world would be. Not forgetting the original intention is the key to success. He Zhizhang’s peaceful and smooth life depended entirely on his own cultivation.
