kvmb Chapter 162 Haha! I've met another big shot!
Chapter 162 Haha! I've met another big shot!
Zi'an gently leaned closer to Xiao Si and whispered in her ear:
“Xiao Si, look at the table across from us. That young man wearing a scholar’s hat is Qi Wuzhen. He’s also here tonight for the Yellow Crane Tower banquet.”
Little Si rolled its eyes and looked in the direction Zi An was pointing.
A refined man sat at the opposite table, exuding an extraordinary air about him. His brows revealed a serene and distant quality, and he seemed even more scholarly than described in the poems.
Little Si couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"Oh my, is it really him? He looks like a scholar or poet. Even his burp sounds so 'poetic'."
She fiddled with the wine glass in her hand, deliberately raising her voice to attract the attention of the handsome men:
"Did Wang Wei come to 'write a poem to send him off' again? If his story of 'resigning from office and going into seclusion' were written into a poem, it would definitely become a classic example of Tang Dynasty literati!"
Zi'an smiled and gently covered her mouth:
"Why don't you write him a piece called 'Resigning from Official Post and Poetry Circle' and see if he can admire your uncanny foresight!"
Little Si's eyes lit up, and she said, feigning seriousness:
"Why don't you come with me and ask him about the 'lofty' poetic realm, and see if you can write something like 'The Shadow of the Yellow Crane Tower'? Didn't you say he's better at 'understated poetry'?"
Zi'an covered her mouth and chuckled softly:
"You're quite creative, aren't you afraid of annoying this aloof scholar?"
Xiao Si patted his chest, looking confident and assured:
"Don't worry, I'm just going to use 'cuteness' to break down his literary barriers—look, he was originally 'lurking' in the long river of literary history, almost overlooked by me! But since he's here at the banquet today, he has to accept my challenge!"
Zi'an couldn't help but laugh out loud, turning to look at Qi Wuzhen at that table, her eyes filled with a hint of mockery:
"He's more composed than you think. Okay, let's wait and see how you 'challenge' him later."
Xiao Si didn't take it to heart. While picking up her wine glass, she glanced at the table opposite her, already plotting how to approach this seemingly "aloof" poet in a humorous and charming way.
She took a deep breath and sipped the red date and bean paste juice.
Xiao Si spoke frankly to Zi An.
She actually didn't know much about this Tang Dynasty poet named Qi Wuzhen.
Xiao Si frowned and said with a pout:
"This Qi Wuzhen was really an unremarkable Tang Dynasty scholar; his name almost made me dizzy."
"Although I always felt he sounded like a legendary figure from the martial arts world, something like 'Qi Wuzhen,' which immediately evoked the image of a mysterious master 'lurking' in the long river of time, with a name that even carried the connotation of a hidden dragon in the abyss."
Yu Zhanmo listened from the side and smiled slightly:
Haha, maybe you're overthinking it.
Qi Wuzhen is indeed a very low-key person, at least in your eyes. He's not destined to remain "hidden" forever; you've already noticed him.
Xiao Si nodded, then suddenly remembered that his knowledge of the poet was limited to—"Oh, so he was from Qianzhou (now Ganzhou, Jiangxi)."
Xiao Si said with a touch of self-deprecation:
"However, to be honest, this person is even more capable than I imagined."
Look, he was born in 692 and lived to 755. His network of friends, including poets, officials, and merchants, was so extensive it was dazzling.
“Yes,” Yu Zhanmo stroked his chin:
"However, I do admire one thing about him—he was able to pass the imperial examination and then resign and return to his hometown with a heart as broad as Li Qi's."
Despite the complexities of officialdom, he maintained his poetic lifestyle—that truly demonstrates great wisdom.
Little Si laughed heartily:
"You could learn a bit of 'lofty' magnanimity from him."
"Yes, he started as a minor official in Yishou County, then rose to the position of Right Remonstrator, and later became a Hanlin Academician! Finally, he became a Gentleman of the Palace, yet he didn't succumb to the cunning and scheming nature of officialdom."
Yu Zhanmo shook his head and smiled:
That's because he has bigger dreams. He's not like some people who just coast along in various official positions.
Don't forget that he later resigned from his official post and retired—to his manor in Jiangdong, living a peaceful and undisturbed life.
The little ox's eyes widened:
"He's no longer an official? That's just as profound as those 'literati retiring' stories you've told me about!"
Indeed, his poetic talent is truly remarkable.
Look at how well he got along with literati like Wang Wei, Li Qi, Zhang Jiuling, and Meng Haoran—he was practically a social butterfly in the literary world. Even the *New Book of Tang* specifically mentions his poetry collection—26 of his poems are included in the *Complete Tang Poems*, which isn't a small number!
“Yes,” Yu Zhanmo said thoughtfully, “His poetry style is fresh and unconventional, natural and unpretentious, and it is indeed somewhat similar to Wang Wei. Especially those works like ‘Spring Boating on Ruoye Creek’ and ‘Collection of Heroes of the Rivers and Mountains’ are truly serene and beautiful, making people yearn for them.”
Xiao Si couldn't help but purse her lips: "Such a high-class collection of poems must have been 'jointly recommended' by those literary bigwigs, right? She's really a 'cultural idol' who's been praised to the skies in the circle!"
Yu Zhanmo laughed heartily: "Talented people do get recognition. You have your chance too, Xiao Si, just wait until you reach that level!"
Xiao Si laughed and shook his head: "Sigh, if one day I could be like him, famous for my poetry and retired to become a big shot, I guess I would have to 'hide' for decades to avoid being 'hidden' by history—becoming another mystery in history."
In 726, he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, thus beginning his official career.
He first served as a minor official, Yishouwei, and then rose through the ranks to become a Right Remonstrator, and later entered the Jixian Academy as a Waiting-for-Age, then became a Proofreader, and finally became a Compiler.
However, later, the country descended into chaos, and the officialdom was in disarray. He decided to give up and resigned from his post to return to his estate in Jiangdong, his hometown. Wang Wei and other literati even wrote poems to send him off.
Qi Wuzhen's poetic talent left a significant mark on history.
Yu Zhanmo recalled that he remembered Qi Wuzhen; it was stored in his memory.
This guy had very close relationships with literary giants such as Wang Wei, Li Qi, Zhang Jiuling, Chu Guangxi, Meng Haoran, Lu Xiang, Gao Shi, and Wei Yingwu.
His poetry is fresh and unconventional, natural and unpretentious. Later critics felt that his style was quite similar to that of Wang Wei.
Qi Wuzhen was particularly adept at depicting tranquil and beautiful realms, as seen in works such as "Spring Boating on the Ruoye Creek" and "Collection of Heroes and Spirits of the Rivers and Mountains."
Wow, I learned something!