Zhuang Ji (poet)

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This article is about the Han dynasty literary figure. For the Han dynasty era general with a similar name in English, see Zhang Ji (Han dynasty).
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhuang.

Zhuang Ji (

Chuci
collection of verse: although just because Zhuang Ji's work was prolifically published as being included in a popular and early anthology does not necessarily mean that he has been notable for his poetic excellence. None of his other works are known to have survived. Zhuang Ji's biography is also sparse, although he is known to have been born in Wu state and later found refuge in Liang state. Both Wu and Liang were then semi-independent states, regions of the Han dynasty, directly controlled by their local ruler, in these two cases members of the royal house of Han. Zhuang Ji pursued a literary career, from which he attained his fame, though he seems to have at least initially made a living attending his local ruler's court, though in what function is unknown. During Zhuang Ji's life, political turmoil and social upheaval greatly informed his contributions to literature, indeed this kind of state of affairs is very evident in "Ai shi ming". THEREFORE Zhuang Ji aspired to eventually join the central imperial court of Han to further his career or literary pursuits is unknown; however, it is known that he found patronage in two different regional state courts, in his native Wu, and later in Liang, then a center of literary activity. Zhuang Ji experienced turbulent and dangerous events which happened to occur in the places in which he dwelt, yet still found time and energy for a literary calling.

Biography

Little is known about the life of Zhuang Ji.

imperial examination system, and later becoming personally promoted by Wudi to be Palace Grandee (zhong dafu), Zhuang Zhu became one of Wu's favorite courtiers.[2]

Early life

Zhuang Ji was a native of Wu, now southern

Chuci
poetry anthology was named, and largely inspired by.

At the court of Liu Pi, prince of Wu

Main article:
Liu Pi, prince of Wu

Zhuang Ji eventually served at the court of Liu Pi, Prince of Wu (reigned 195 BCE - 154 BCE).[5] He served there with his two friends Zou Yang and Mei Sheng.[6] They presumably found some use for their literary skills, or perhaps they served as advisors of some sort; however, Zhuang Ji's patron in Wu, Liu Pi, has shown to history little interest in literature, and left no surviving works, in contrast with his second patron in Liang, who had quite the literary scene going on at his court.[7]

The beginning of troubles

Earthenware figures playing liubo, Han dynasty

Emperor Han Wendi was the father by his wife Wang Zhi to Liu Pi and to crown prince, heir apparent to the empire. According to Sima Qian, prince Pi's son Liu Xian and his brother crown prince Qi became involved in a game of liubo "chess", which ended in the crown prince killing his nephew, Liu Pi's son, with the game board (which were often made of stone or bronze). Wendi died in 157 BCE and Qi became the emperor now known as Han Jingdi. Out of revenge and growing distrust of his brother, the emperor, Pi started building up wealth and military strength in Wu state. Jingdi then fell under the influence of his warmongering, trouble-making, and unwavering advocate of the Legalist school of thought minister Chao Cuo. This was followed by an imperial campaign to at least reduce the strength if not eliminate the semi-independent regional princes of Wu, Liang, Chu, and so on, thus to consolidate power in the central imperium. Perceiving the threat, and already so inclined due to the emperor (as crown prince) having killed his son, in 154 BCE prince Pi convinced six other ruling princes of the royal blood to rebel against the Han emperor; however, some of the rulers such as Liu Wu of Liang remained loyal vassals to Jingdi. This was the beginning of what is known as the Rebellion of the Seven States, or the Vassals' Rebellion.

Later life

Zhuang Ji would go on to develop his literary career at the patronage of the Han emperor's younger brother, the literally-inclined Liu Wu, ruler of Liang. He would thus avoid the disaster which would soon befall his former patron, as a result of his rebellious actions. However, danger affected Liang also, as it ended up as target of attack by Liu Pi and allies.

At the court of Liu Wu, prince of Liang

Main article:
Liu Wu, prince of Liang

Zhuang, Zou, and Mei seem to have taken the opportunity to leave Wu at some point during the process of the developing troubles, perhaps in 157 BCE, before things got too perilous, and actual warfare broke out.[8] Furthermore, Zhuang Ji's companions Zou Yang and Mei Cheng had memorialized Liu Pi advising him to not revolt against the Han emperor, advice which was rejected.[9] The three went to Liang, where they obtained the patronage of Liu Wu, Prince of Liang, the Han emperor's younger brother,[10] and a great patron of the literary arts.

Princes' Rebellion

Map depicting the Rebellion of the Seven States
Main article: Rebellion of the Seven States

in 154 BCE, under the influence of minister Chao Cuo, who came up with many excuses or reasons for doing so, emperor Jingdi ordered punishing reduction of many of the states, including carving out the commanderies (areas directly under imperial control) of Huiji and Yuzhang from the state territory of Wu, Zhuang Ji's home state. Jingdi lost his enthusiasm for his trouble-making minister Chao Cuo, after his minister Yuan Ang persuaded the emperor that Chao Cuo's claims of the vassal princes' disloyalty was overstated. Jing had minister Chao Cuo executed. However, events had already been set in motion.

Uprising

The seven rebel dynast princes then rose in armed rebellion, with the support of allied southern independent kingdoms of Donghai (modern

Suiyang
(睢陽). Presumably both patron and client were at court to suffer through the siege.

Response

The

Suiyang
. With their supply lines cut by general Zhou's subordinate Han Tuidang's efficient cavalry, the rebels fell back from their attack on Liang, deciding to attack general Zhou, at his by then well-fortified defensive base in Xiayi. In the event, the vassal prince's were easily defeated due to general Zhou's disciplined and effective preparations; indeed, Zhou initially refused even to be woken out of bed, upon the attack. The rebellion soon came to an end, after a fierce three months of fighting, with the defeat of the rebels.

Aftermath

Wang Zhi, mother of Han Wudi
.

The rebel princes generally came to a bad end: Zhuang Ji's former patron Liu Pi, ruler of Wu fled and was killed in flight by native

Wang Zhi was promoted to first lady, consolidating power against him at court. However, Liu Wu did not loose support of all the powerful court females. His mother, empress dowager Dou, still supported him, refusing to eat until he was cleared of charges. After an official investigation, the report back to emperor Jingdi was that Liu Wu had been found to have been involved, that "sparing the Prince of Liang would break the law of Han", yet, "killing him would deeply distress the Empress Dowager and upset the Emperor even more", counseling Jingdi to drop the issue. In discussion with the women, he blamed the murders solely upon Liu Wu's two courtiers, now dead and already lawfully punished. After returning from an unsuccessful trip to Chang'an
, Liu Wu died at home in Liang, in 144 BCE.

Literary patronage

Liu Wu, prince of Liang, became a famous patron, particularly notably of the

catties of gold and an equivalent amount of wealth in land. It is not known whether Zhuang Ji outlived his patron.[12]

Works

The archetypal sao poet, alone in the wilderness: Qu Yuan
Further information: Alas That My Lot Was Not Cast

Zhuang Ji is known as the writer of the

Li sao", Zhuang Ji is also credited with writing 24 pieces in the fu-style by the Book of Han.[14] Despite the mention of 24 fu in Hanshu, the only known surviving piece of Zhuang Ji is "Ai shi ming".[15] Critical reception for Zhuang Ji's "Ai shi ming" has often been less than enthusiastic, despite his contemporaries nicknaming him "the Master", and even going so far as to extensively recycle parts of it as their own work. David Hawkes says that the poem incorporates all of the elements of the sao style: introspective grief, the symbolic structure, parallelism as a poetic device, and even a very brief shamanic-style spirit journey. However Hawkes finds the "inspiration dead" and the effect "monotonous and oppressive". Another point which he notes is to oppose the modern take on the poem to that of Zhuang Ji's contemporaries, whose taste for the poem was enhanced by their ability to particularly identify the "objects of his scorn and hatred", which is no longer possible due to lack of detailed information surviving into modern times.[16] David Knechtes and Taiping Chan find that for the time in which it was written "Ai shi ming" has "eremitic sentiments" which were "rare in early Han" and that almost seem to be looking forward to Six Dynasties poetry.[17]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  2. ^ Chan and Lo, 48-49
  3. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  4. ^ Knechtes and Chan 2014, 2311
  5. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  6. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  7. ^ Chan and Lo, 43
  8. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  9. ^ Chan and Lo, 42
  10. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  11. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  12. ^ Hawkes 1985, 263
  13. ^ Hawkes 1985, 262
  14. ^ Chan and Lo, retrieved 14 October 2018, 43
  15. ^ Knechtes and Chan 2014, 2310
  16. ^ Hawkes 1985, 263
  17. ^ Knechtes and Chan 2014, 2311

References

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