Bi Huiyi: The Complete Works

Author: Wu Chuanbin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: A realistic poet who pioneered a poetic style that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary; a smile that bewitches a hundred beauties. Approachable, easy to recite, renowned in foreign lands, celebrated across the seas. When prosperous, he cares about the people's livelihood; when in poverty, he cultivates his virtue alone—truly a classic scholar's elegance.
Content of the Book: For Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen, due to their low positions, opportunities to directly submit their views to the prime minister were rare. The long, idle life as a copy editor left both Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen feeling deeply weary. To avoid wasting their youthful years, they resigned from their positions as copy editors and made a promise to take part in the upcoming imperial examination for officials. During the Tang Dynasty, the zhikexue (imperial examination) was a special subject decreed by the emperor. Its examination date and content were determined by the emperor on the spot. The most important part of the exam was the cewen (policy questions), where the emperor would propose questions on major current political and social issues, and the candidates would propose solutions based on their understanding—this is what is known as ce (policy proposals).