Hangzhou Canal Literature-(Full Two Volumes)

Author: Wang Guoping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The biography of Nuo La by Yang Weizhen records that Huihe and Ershi Nuo La, at the age of nineteen, was diligent, meticulous, and good at serving her master. When her master passed away in a certain prefecture and was taken by another family, Nuo La vowed never to leave the master's household and instead served the master's widow with great care. The mistress had secrets, and never entrusted them to her attendants except to Nuo La. In the autumn of Zhengzhang year, bandits arrived in Hangzhou, looting the treasury of officials and civilians. Huihe and Ershi's family was robbed of their goods but failed to obtain them, and instead, the mistress was bound to a pillar and her neck was held to the blade. All the maids fled over the walls, but only Nuo La covered the mistress with her body, offering to die in her place. She also pleaded with the bandits, saying, "You have benefited from our goods, but how can you benefit from killing? All the keys to our treasures are in my hands, and the mistress does not know. I will reveal all the hidden treasures to you, just spare the mistress's life." The bandits agreed to release the mistress, and Nuo La then revealed all the pearls, jade, and precious artifacts scattered in the hall. The bandits, having captured the goods, intended to dishonor the mistress, but Nuo La held a knife to her own throat, saying, "My master is a high official and has sworn not to disgrace another family, let alone someone of a different kind!" The bandits, moved by her integrity, left. Later, she knelt and bowed to the mistress, saying, "Abandoning the master's goods to save the master's life was a temporary measure. As the keeper of the keys, I lost the goods but preserved my life, which is unjust. I beg to die from this day forward." She then committed suicide. Yang Weizhen said: When the Red Turban bandits attacked Hangzhou, officials often abandoned their posts and fled. Others, however, curry favor with the bandits, disregarding their reputation and integrity. Nuo La, a mere female slave, served her master throughout her life, even to the point of taking her own life upon failing her duty. Was she not demonstrating loyalty and recognizing the greater good! Alas, if a man acted as she did, would he not be fulfilling the duties of a loyal subject! Therefore, I wrote her biography, much like the "History of the Five Dynasties" recorded Wang Ning's wife. Alas.
The Longevity Temple, located east of my residence in a cow-calling distance, has a hermitage called Cao Yuan. It has few rooms and is surrounded by fine trees, reflecting in a clear pond, making it quite suitable for summer seating. It is inscribed with the signboard "Ancient Longevity Temple." According to the "Changshu Lin'an Gazetteer," the Longevity Temple was built in the fourth year of the Xiande era of the Zhou Dynasty by the Wu-Yue King. In the 19th year of the Shaoxing era, it was decreed to serve as the sacrificial hall of the Nine Palaces. Later, it was rebuilt during the Zhiyuan era. In the Ximing era of the Hongwu era, an edict ordered the nationwide cleanup of Buddhism, and it was merged with the Chao Ming Temple and eventually abandoned. In the fortieth year of the Wanli era, it was converted into a small hermitage, still retaining the name "Ancient Longevity" to preserve its legacy. Fan Shihu Chengda's poem "In Response to Yin Shaoji's Inspection of the Nine Palaces Sacrificial Hall" reads: "Hastily rode three miles, together we shared a meal. Officials still prepared the tea, while you brought the poetic realm. A sliver of moon peeked near the bed, a chilly wind swept the seat. The crows refused to leave, for parting was too hard." This perfectly describes this place. Recently, Qin Duiyan Songling's poem "Visiting Hangzhou and Staying at Cao Yuan Hermitage, Gifting to Monk Jixiang" goes: "A small dwelling beside the temple, meditation cuts all thoughts. After hardship on the road, retirement comes easily. Buddha's flame reflects on the pond, tea smoke blends with bamboo branches. Words so deep, one forgets coming and going, a cot with hair as white as silk." This poem is excellent, but the monks of the hermitage wrote it on a board to show visitors, yet it is not included in Qin's "Collection of Cangxian Mountain Person."
Master Zhang Yingjun Qingzi Zhang Yingjun, styled Qingzi and also known as Xiangqi, was known as Xiniu. From a young age, he was extraordinary and read extensively. He excelled in poetry. As a student of the Imperial Academy, he gained fame in Jinling, earning praise from the and the scholar Chen Jiyru. In the late Ming Dynasty, he lived in seclusion, earning a living as a doctor. He was skilled in healing, even reviving the dead, and people sought him out eagerly. He built a home in the east city, and his poetic style became clearer, more solitary, and sharp, filled with self-contained wisdom. Outside the Xiling school, he could stand on his own. Every New Year's Eve, Master Zhang would urge his children, saying, "Our family has enough to live on, and we have no need to beg for charity. Not only do we shame our conscience, but we also fall below ordinary people." He once recounted his ancestor Longdeng, who was poor, owning only a single cotton robe. On New Year's Eve, if he encountered someone in need, he would give it away. The virtue of his family could inspire others to curb greed and restore refinement. He wrote four collections: "White Below," "Lake Above," "Peng," and "Late Years." "Peng" records his works from the east city.
Ren Gong was not summoned by imperial decree.