Tang Dynasty is a dynasty in which poets came forth in large numbers, and it is also a dynasty that poets yearned for, and it is also a dynasty in which poets died most abnormally. For example, Wang Changling, the "Four Skillful Hands", was killed, and Liu Xiyi was crushed to death by an earthen bag. In the "Four Masters of Early Tang Dynasty", Wang Bo fell into the sea and died. Lu died because he didn't want to be tortured by the disease and disappeared. There are many legends about being killed, committing suicide, escaping, etc. Only Yang Jiong died of official death, which is a fair death, and so on. Of course, the death of the poet Li Bai is also one of them.
Li Bai's life is legendary. As we all know, Li Bai's ancestral home was in Ji Cheng, Longxi (now near Tianshui City, Gansu Province), and he moved to Central Asia at the end of Sui Dynasty. He was born in Broken Leaf City (now Kyrgyzstan National Monument City) in Central Asia. At the age of five, he followed his father to Qinglian Township, Zhangming County, Mianzhou (now Jiangyou County, Sichuan Province). However, it's a little puzzling for Old Uncle Tang to say that he is from Shandong. He claimed to recite Liu Jia (a Taoist classic) at the age of five, watch a hundred schools of thought contend at the age of ten, and be fifteen. At the age of twenty-five, he fought bravely for his country, resigned from his relatives and traveled far and wide (Pei Chang's History of Shang 'an), which was somewhat boastful, but it was enough to prove that he had received formal education since childhood. Some immortal poems left by him can also prove that he has traveled all over the famous mountains and rivers of the motherland. The experience of "reading thousands of books and taking Wan Li Road" laid a solid foundation for Li Bai's brilliant writing in the future, and also laid a deep imprint on his creation of a generation of romantic poetry style. Later, Li Bai lived in Anlu for ten years and became Anlu's son-in-law. In the following ten years, he went to Taiyuan in the north, Chang 'an in the west and Lujun in the east, met many celebrities and wrote many poems. It is said that when He Zhangzhi first arrived in Chang 'an, he was amazed as a "fallen fairy", saying that his poems could "make the gods cry" and made him famous in Beijing.
Li Bai's life is also a bumpy life. The imperial examination system, which began in the Sui Dynasty, developed to the Tang Dynasty and was quite perfect. Scholars who want to be "excellent officials" almost all have to pass the imperial examination to gain fame. In this way, feudal rulers also recruited a large number of talents. But Li Bai took the "shortcut to the south". Taoism flourished in the Tang Dynasty because Li respected the elderly as his ancestors. As a result, some people chasing fame and fortune entered the famous mountains one after another, dressed as Taoist priests or hermits, waiting for the emperor to see them. You can get a glimpse of the origin of the southern shortcut allusions. According to the New Tang Book Lu Zangyong Biography, if Lu Zangyong wanted to be an official, he disguised himself as a hermit and lived in Zhong Nanshan near Gyeonggi, hoping to be hired by the emperor. Later, he was called to be an official. Sima Chengzhen, a contemporary, also obtained official positions in the same way. On one occasion, Lu Zangyong pointed to Zhong Nanshan and said to Sima Chengzhen, "There are great benefits in this!" Cheng Zhen replied: "In my opinion, this is just a shortcut to being an official!" "Old Tang Book" said that Li Bai "at the beginning of Tianbao, the Taoist Wu Yun was hidden in the water. Then Xuanzong summoned you to the capital, recommended you to the DPRK, sent an envoy to summon you, and waited for you to be summoned to the Hanlin. " It is also said that in the first year of Tianbao (742), due to the recommendation of Princess Yu Zhen, Li Bai was called to visit the Hanlin in Beijing. But no matter who recommended it, it was because of Taoism, not because of his poetic talent, which was an inexplicable sadness for Li Bai. For the world, this is a great mockery. It was only then that Li Bai had no time to care about these things, and his excitement was still beyond words. "Going out and laughing in the sky, is our generation Artemisia?" He thinks he can show his great desire to "help the world" from now on. In fact, Li Bai entered the DPRK because of Taoism, which was really a helpless move. Because he wrote a letter during the period of "drinking for ten years and living in peace", he asked to introduce the famous Han Chaozong at that time. This is a famous book with Han Jingzhou. Because Han Dynasty Sect is a long history of Jingzhou, it is called Han Jingzhou. In order to get Han's introduction, Li Bai, who was aloof, even boasted, saying something disgusting like "I wish I knew Han Jingzhou". But somehow, my wish came to nothing. When Li Bai was recommended, he was 40 years old, and two-thirds of his poetry and wine years had passed.
The establishment of imperial academy in the Tang Dynasty was just to train a group of people who could make a fuss, understand Confucian classics, be good at calligraphy, play chess and even be at the call of the emperor at any time. Li Bai is just an ordinary academician who was summoned. However, by virtue of his poetic talent of "100 poems about fighting wine", he still received special courtesy and was often praised by Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. But at this time, Li Longji is no longer Li Longji at the time of the "Kaiyuan Prosperity". The imperial concubine has long been infatuated with him, ignoring the failure of state affairs for a long time, and his power has long been in the hands of Yang and Gao Lishi. Li Longji received a letter to see him, which was nothing more than an excuse to express his love for jade, such as "the cloud wants clothes to look good". At this time, Li Bai was also depressed, and his self-righteous "advocating advanced animals" and "helping the world" had long since vanished. As a result, he was no longer satisfied with being a courtier, and drank in a restaurant with literary friends in Chang 'an all day, including the desperate fanatic He. Unwilling to obey the powerful, and being slandered by colleagues, he was "refunded" only after staying in the court for less than two years. One of the direct reasons that prompted him to go out to the DPRK was that "the drunkard's intention was not in the temple, so he led Gao Lishi to take off his boots" and other presumptuous moves. Later generations interpreted it as another legend. It is said that there was a country to challenge in the afternoon. Li Bai was the only one in the Tang Dynasty who could read the characters of this country (because he was born in Broken Leaf City and was proficient in foreign languages since childhood). So he played down a peg or two, had enough fun, let Yang put on his hat, Gao Lishi put on his boots, and Yang Guifei polished the ink for him. As a result, Li Bai wrote a thousand words, and with a wave of his hand, he showed the majesty of the Tang Dynasty, which attracted the whole country to bow down and dare not expect anything. It goes without saying that this was made up in good faith by some good people in order to highlight Li Bai's extraordinary ability, so we can only have a casual look. In fact, it is understandable for Li Bai to make the emperor's favorite take off his boots. Because although Li Bai served the emperor's old son all day long, he was still just a "scholar", Yang's brother and sister were overbearing, and the eunuch headed by Gao Lishi was authoritarian, and so on. Many officialdom is dark, which makes him want to leave early.
As a result, the literati's self-esteem and lofty virtues are increasingly exposed, and they do not hesitate to get carried away for a moment of pride.
After leaving Chang 'an, Li Bai "roamed the rivers and lakes and drank all day", and traveled all over Liang Song, Qilu, and Dongyue, Jinling and Xuancheng many times. After the Anshi Rebellion, he wanted to live in seclusion in Lushan Mountain, but he was invited by Wang Yong Lilin to join the shogunate. In the second year of Zhide (757), Li Lin disobeyed Su Zong's order to patrol the east and was defeated by Su Zong. Therefore, Li Bai was implicated in the crime, exiled Yelang, and was pardoned for going to Wushan. We can now assume that if Li Bai does not accept Li Lin's invitation, he will have a better ending, at least he can die. Li Bai's acceptance of Li Lin's invitation is enough to prove that his ambition of "saving the world" was not completely extinguished at that time, so that he still had the illusion of "talking and laughing is king and smoothing the sand" when he was listed as the queen of the ages. What is even more deplorable is that when Li Lin openly opposed Su Zong, Li Bai, as an aide, didn't see his true colors, and somehow fell into his fake ship, leaving a sad ending for future generations.
The death of Li Bai has always been controversial. Generally speaking, there are three ways to die: one is drunk, the other is sick, and the third is drowning. The first way to die is found in Old Tang Shu, which says that Li Bai "died of drunkenness in Xuancheng because of excessive drinking". Should be more credible. The second way to die can also be found in other official history or the textual research of experts and scholars, so it can't be believed. It is said that when Li Bai was in Dongzhen, Li Guangbi, he volunteered to kill the enemy regardless of his age of 6 1. He hoped to try his best to save the nation and survive in his later years, and returned home due to illness. He died in Dangtu County Magistrate and the most famous seal writer Li in the Tang Dynasty. The third law of death is more common in folklore, which is very romantic and conforms to the poet's character. Believe it or not, it is said that Li Bai was drinking on the Dangtu River and drowned because he jumped into the water drunk to catch the moon. But no matter which way you die, it is directly related to your participation in the rebellion and uprising in Lilin, Wang Yong. It is an indisputable fact that Li Bai exiled Yelang shortly after he was pardoned, ending his legendary and bumpy life. Looking at Li Bai's three ways to die, the author believes in Old Tang Shu. There are three reasons: first, because it is the official history compiled by later generations, if he is said to be "a martyr in his twilight years and full of courage" and "he died before he could conquer", it is impossible not to record it. Secondly, because Li Bai was addicted to alcohol all his life, he boasted that "the sober people in the old days forgot all the sages, and only the drinkers left their names" and "five flowers and golden flowers and golden autumn, and gave them to the boy for good wine". It is understandable and acceptable that people are old and weak and drink too much to die. Thirdly, he died in Xuancheng, Anhui, not Dangtu, because Li Bai had a special liking for Xuancheng all his life, and he mentioned it many times in his poems. And his preference for Xuancheng is only because Xie Tiao, whom he admired, was an official here.
In a word, we have reason to believe that "White is invincible", but Li Bai is only suitable to be a pure poet, not a sexual politician. Because the unrestrained and arrogant nature of the poet is not suitable for that kind of cheating officialdom. Throughout the previous sages and families, as long as the literati set foot in the officialdom, it seems doomed to have no good fruit to eat. Although some of them can pass the imperial examination and get a part-time job, officials often do humble and timid work. Tao Qian's unwillingness to bend over for five barrels of rice is the best proof. It is important to do it occasionally, but at this time, scholars are no longer literati. After officialdom, he has already transformed into an official. Why Jiang Yan is so talented is not because someone in the legend has taken back his wonderful pen and made flowers, but because he violated the law of "being poor and then succeeding". Li Bai wanted to realize his ambition of "saving the world" in officialdom all his life, but he didn't want to change his wild and unruly character. Therefore, he can only express his feelings through poetry, "drinking crazy songs and wasting his life", anesthetizing his soul with wine and ending his life. As Du Fu, a good friend who is eleven years younger than him, said, even if you can win "fame for a thousand years, fame for ten thousand years", it will only be "what's good, it will be gone when you die"!