Wang Wei Collection with Annotations (Complete 4 Volumes)

Author: Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty), annotated by Chen Tiemin
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-08-01
Features: Wang Wei (701-761), Tang Dynasty poet and painter. His courtesy name was Mojie. His ancestral home was Qiqi in Taiyuan (now Qixian, Shanxi), but his father moved the family to Puzhou (now Yongji, Shanxi), making him a native of Puzhou. He served as the Right Vice Minister of State and was widely known as "Wang Youcheng." Wang Wei showed literary talent from a young age. In 721 (the ninth year of the Kaiyuan era), he passed the imperial examination and became the Assistant Director of the Imperial Music Bureau. Due to certain reasons, he was demoted to the post of Assistant Magistrate of Jizhou. Later, he returned to Chang'an. In 734 (the twenty-second year of the Kaiyuan era), Zhang Jiuling became the Grand Secretary. Wang Wei was promoted to the position of Right Supplement. At that time, he wrote the poem "Ode to Zhang Jiuling," praising Zhang Jiuling's political stance against factionalism and excessive bestowing of titles, reflecting his desire to make a mark. In 736 (the twenty-fourth year of the Kaiyuan era), Zhang Jiuling was dismissed as Prime Minister. The following year, he was demoted to the post of Magistrate of Jingzhou. Li Linfu became the Grand Secretary, marking the turning point when the politics of Emperor Xuanzong shifted from relative clarity to darkness. Wang Wei was deeply disappointed by Zhang Jiuling's dismissal and wrote in "To Zhang Jiuling in Jingzhou," "I would rather till the fields and gardens, tending to my old garden." This expressed his desire for seclusion. However, he did not leave the officialdom entirely. In 737 (the twenty-fifth year of the Kaiyuan era), he was sent as an envoy to the military camp of Cui Xiyi, the deputy envoy of the Hexi Circuit, and later served as the Director of the Southern Selection Office as a Court Attendant. During the Tianbao era, Wang Wei's official position gradually rose. Before the An Lushan Rebellion, he reached the rank of Daji (Chancellor's Assistant). He once said, "With few desires, I seek joy in nature, fearing to attract the burdens of the times" (from "To My Younger Brother, Daji Yuanwai"). On one hand, he felt weary and anxious about the officialdom, but on the other, he clung to his position and could not decisively leave. Thus, he drifted with the times, living a semi-official, semi-reclusive life for a long time. Originally a follower of Buddhism, his belief in Buddhism grew as his thoughts became increasingly pessimistic. In his youth, he lived in the mountains, and after middle age, he temporarily settled in Zongnanshan. Later, he acquired the Blue River Villa in Wangchuan from Song Zhiwen and spent his time there with his close friend Pei Di, composing poems and enjoying each other's company. In the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era (756), the An Lushan rebels captured Chang'an, and Emperor Xuanzong fled to Sichuan. Wang Wei was captured by the rebels. He took medicine to feign illness but was still sent to Luoyang and given a false post. After the two capitals were recovered, those who had held positions under the rebels were tried and punished according to their ranks. Wang Wei was spared severe punishment because his poem "At the Clear Pool" (Ningbipi), which expressed his longing for the Tang court, was praised by Emperor Shaozong. Additionally, his brother Wang Jin held a high-ranking position and pleaded to have his official post reduced to atone for Wang Wei's crimes. As a result, he was merely demoted to the position of Assistant Director of the Heir Apparent's Office. Later, he was gradually promoted again and eventually became the Right Vice Minister of State.