Wang Xizhi in his later years

Author: Wang Tiancang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: On the eighth day of the third lunar month in the year 356 AD, it was a time when spring was blooming and the breeze was gentle, with trees and branches budding anew. Wang Xizhi entrusted his fourth son, Wang Caozhi, to stay at home. He, along with his wife, Ci Shi, took their eldest daughter, Wang Yingying (eighteen years old), their seventh son, Wang Xuanzhi (thirteen years old, intelligent and eager to learn), and about a dozen maids and servants, leaving from Jinting in Sheng County and heading straight for Tiantai, passing through Zhuangtian Pass, the intersection of Jinting and Fenghua Wanxianglin. Wang Xizhi wore a pair of green dragon twin swords at his waist, dressed in a Taoist robe, and wore a felt hat, leading the way. Behind him walked a pretty girl, holding a thin horse with a yellow mane. She was none other than Wang Xizhi’s adopted daughter, Wang Yingying. The woman riding on the horse, dressed in a silk robe, was Wang Xizhi’s wife, Ci Shi. The group passed through dense forests, crossed the ghostly rocks of Zhuangtian Pass, climbed the pass, and entered the territory of Fenghua. The mountain path was rugged. Wang Xizhi walked quickly, and by the time he reached Zhuangtian Pass, his wife, daughter, and maids had fallen far behind. Only his son, Wang Xuanzhi, and a few attendants followed him.
Seeing that his wife and daughter were lagging behind, Wang Xizhi instructed his attendants to rest and wait. He stood at the top of the pass, his shirt open, surveying all directions. The sky was a boundless blue, and the spring sun was bright and charming. A mountain breeze swept past, causing wild grass and flowers to swirl. The misty clouds drifted, and wild geese spread their wings. Gazing into the distance, he saw towering mountains, lush forests, and tall bamboos stretching as far as the eye could reach. A winding stream twisted around the green bends of the hills, and the peaks resembled dragons emerging from the water—what a natural beauty! How could such a scene not fill one with exhilaration and inspiration? Wang Xizhi’s poetic spirit surged, and he improvised a verse:
“Wild geese spread their wings across the sky,
A majestic shadow in the vast blue;
Our souls return to the mountains and wilds,
The great eagle knows my heart well.”
As he was lost in the beauty before him, he heard a swish and a waah—a large goose fell from the sky and landed on the rugged rocks at his feet. Wang Xuanzhi, who stood beside his father, immediately dropped his bundle and leaped down the rocks, grabbing the struggling goose from the branches and shouting, “Dad, look!” Truly, the world is full of wonders.
Wang Xuanzhi drew an arrow from the goose’s body, his face filled with astonishment. “Don’t you find it strange? The arrow didn’t even injure the goose, but it got tangled in its wings. It seems it was meant to live after all!”
Meanwhile, several strong men burst out from the woods. The leader wore a white cloth wrapped around his head, a tiger-skin vest, and long boots, holding a strong bow and shouting, “Drop it! Give it back!” Clearly, the goose had been shot by these men. However, Wang Xizhi and the others did not know who they were and, while marveling at the goose’s miraculous flight despite being shot, paid no heed to the shouts.
Wang Xizhi took the goose from his son’s hands and said, “A lone goose separated from its flock—how pitiful! Let’s set it free.” With that, he threw the goose into the air with all his might. The goose flew out of Wang Xizhi’s hands, circling a few times as if understanding human kindness, then soared into the sky.
P4-5