Song Tu Shaanxi edition of the Zhengzuowei Tie by Yan Zhenqing

Author: Zhou Hongtu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Yan Zhenqing, styled Qingchen, whose name and style matched, reflecting the hope of his parents. His life seemed to follow this predetermined path of seeking truth and purity. He served as a minister in the courts of Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Shuosong, Emperor Daizong, and Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, ultimately sacrificing himself for the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing often signed his steles with "Yan Zhenqing of Langya" because his ancestral home was in Linyi, Shandong. His father, Yan Weizhen, passed the imperial examination in the first year of the Wutuo era (690) of Wu Zetian and was appointed as a military officer in Qizhou. He served as the Chief of Chang'an, the Imperial Literary Advisor to the Crown Prince, and was renowned for his calligraphy and clerical script. Like his father, Yan Zhenqing also experienced the bitterness of being orphaned at a young age and was personally mentored by his mother, Yin Shi. This twist of fate may have been the very stone that honed his talent. As he grew older, Yan Zhenqing, tempered by diligence and perseverance, had already become "a young man who loved Confucian studies, was respectful and filial, and stood on his own. Lacking paper and ink, he practiced calligraphy by sweeping yellow soil against walls, excelling in regular script and surpassing others in literary talent." (From the "Biography of Yan Lugu Gong" in the "Yan Lugu Gong Collection"). In the twenty-second year of the Kaiyuan era (734), at the age of twenty-six, Yan Zhenqing passed the imperial examination and was further selected for the special examination (a temporary examination for talented individuals with specialized skills), successfully embarking on his official career. He served as a Chaooran, a copyist in the Secretariat's Bureau of Composition, and the County Magistrate of Liquan. In the second year of the Tianbao era (743), he traveled to Luoyang to visit Zhang Xu. In the ninth year of the Tianbao era, Yan Zhenqing was promoted from a Censor to a Vice Censor-in-Chief, serving in the Caiyuan, one of the three subordinate courts of the Censorate. During this time, when the Censor Ji Wen, out of personal resentment, framed the Vice Censor-in-Chief Song Hun (son of the Prime Minister Song Jing) with fabricated charges, Yan Zhenqing bravely confronted him: "How can you, out of momentary anger, endanger the descendants of Song Jing?" The Prime Minister Yang Guozhong and his allies thus regarded Yan Zhenqing as an enemy and eventually transferred him out of the capital in the twelfth year of the Tianbao era, demoting him to the position of Magistrate of Pingyuan. This is how he came to be known as "Yan Pingyuan." Yan Zhenqing possessed a keen sensitivity in politics. When the rebellion of An Lushan first showed signs, he fortified the city, dug deep ditches, recruited strong young men, and stored grain, taking precautions. Yet, he daily feasted with guests, drinking wine and appearing unconcerned with affairs of state, to allay An Lushan's suspicions. Pingyuan was under An Lushan's jurisdiction, and he constantly spied on Yan Zhenqing, but eventually concluded that he was merely a scholar and ceased his suspicions. The comedic outcome was that in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era, An Lushan rebelled, and the entire region of Hebei fell, except for the well-prepared Pingyuan city. The military envoy Li Ping swiftly reported this to Emperor Xuanzong. As the emperor lamented, "Of the twenty-four prefectures in Hebei, not a single loyal minister is to be found!" Li Ping's swift report undoubtedly gave the emperor a boost. He looked around and said, half-sadly, half-praising, "I do not know how Yan Zhenqing is, but his actions are like this!" In the struggle against An Lushan, Yan Zhenqing displayed great courage. He rapidly expanded his army from three thousand to ten thousand, selecting capable commanders and generals, and some magistrates and deputy magistrates also joined with him. His cousin, Yan Gaoqing, the Magistrate of Changshan (located in present-day Zhengding, Hebei), also rebelled and fought against the rebels from behind An Lushan's lines. Seventeen prefectures in Hebei returned to the imperial court, leaving An Lushan with only six prefectures, including Fanyang and Lulong. Yan Zhenqing was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the coalition, leading two hundred thousand troops across Yan and Zhao, and his military might was immense. In the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era, he was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue and appointed as the Investigating and Suppression Commissioner of Hebei, assisting General Li Guangbi in suppressing the rebels. During this period, he led the armies of Pingyuan, Qinghe (capital in present-day Nanxiong, Hebei), and Boping (ruins in present-day western Shandong) in a major battle against the rebels, killing ten thousand enemies and capturing over a thousand, further enhancing his reputation. In 756, Emperor Xuanzong's son, Li Heng, ascended the throne in Lingwu (southwest of present-day Lingwu, Ningxia), becoming Emperor Shuosong. Yan Zhenqing was appointed as Minister of Works and Vice Censor-in-Chief, and again appointed as the Investigating and Suppression Commissioner of Hebei. Taking advantage of Emperor Shuosong's transfer of Hebei troops, An Lushan sent his subordinates Shi Ming and Yin Ziqi to swiftly attack Hebei, besieging Pingyuan. In October, Yan Zhenqing was forced to abandon the city, cross the Yellow River, and endure numerous hardships before arriving in Fengxiang in the second year of the Zhide era (757) to meet the emperor. He was appointed as Minister of Justice and transferred to the position of Vice Censor-in-Chief. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was in chaos, but Yan Zhenqing "administered the law as usual," speaking bluntly and honestly, which led to his being targeted and appointed as a magistrate. He once entered the capital as Vice Minister of Justice but was later demoted to the position of Chief Secretary. In the first year of the Baoying era (762), at the age of fifty-four, Yan Zhenqing was recalled from Sichuan to the capital and appointed as Vice Minister of Revenue. The following year, he was transferred to the position of Vice Minister of Personnel, and later became the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. In the second year of the Guangde era (764), he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Lubei, earning the title "Yan Lugu Gong." However, he was again exiled from the capital in the second year of the Yongtai era (766) due to a conflict with the Prime Minister Yuan Zai. After Yuan Zai was executed, Yan Zhenqing returned to the capital as Minister of Personnel. Yan Zhenqing was upright and incorruptible, serving as an honest and benevolent official. As a Censor, he was sent to Hebei and Longzhou. In Yuyuan (now east of Linhe, Inner Mongolia), a long-standing unjust case was finally resolved by Yan Zhenqing, and coincidentally, rain began to fall. The people, grateful for his kindness, called this timely rain "Censor's Rain." During his tenure as a local official in Pengzhou and Fuzhou, he was also praised for his relief efforts and irrigation projects. In the first year of the Jianzhong era (780), the aged Marquis of Lubei was seventy-one. This highly respected elder of the Tang court, due to his integrity, was still intolerable to the Prime Ministers Yang Yan and Lu Qi. The most dramatic episode of Yan Zhenqing's life in his later years was his struggle with Li Xili. The Huaxi Military Commissioner Li Xili had long harbored rebellious intentions and captured Runzhou (now Linru, Henan) in the fourth year of the Jianzhong era. Lu Qi, seeking to settle a personal grudge, recommended sending Yan Zhenqing to persuade him, stating that Yan Zhenqing was "trusted by all," and that his presence would "pacify the region without the need for military action." When Yan Zhenqing met Li Xili in Xuzhou (capital in present-day Xuchang, Henan), before he could deliver the imperial decree, the rebel's generals insulted the Marquis of Lugu Gong, and over a thousand of his personal guards,， drew their swords to threaten him. Yet, Yan Zhenqing remained unflinching, and Li Xili had no choice but to dismiss his men and take Yan Zhenqing as a hostage. Li Xili used every means to coerce and entice him, even digging a pit in the courtyard of Yan Zhenqing's residence, threatening to bury him alive to force his submission. Yan Zhenqing remained steadfast and scolded him severely, smiling coldly and saying, "Why bother with all this trouble? Just lend me a sword, and you will see the quick result!" Li Xili had his men pile wood in the courtyard, saying, "If you refuse to yield, you will be burned to death!" Yan Zhenqing showed no fear and walked straight into the fire, only to be stopped by his guards. Li Xili, helpless, had Yan Zhenqing strangled to death in Longxing Temple in Cizhou (now Ruyang, Henan) in August of the first year of the Zhenyuan era (785). Yan Zhenqing's life was half spent on the battlefield and in the intricate struggles of the court. He devoted his entire loyalty to the Tang Dynasty, truly becoming a loyal and incorruptible minister. The other half of his life was spent in the study, where he devoted himself to art, literature, and calligraphy, finding a tranquil realm. He also relentlessly pursued the pinnacle of calligraphy, becoming one of the greatest calligraphers of his generation.