Song Dai Shan carves a copy of the "Zhenwei Sitting Posters": Yan Zhenqing

Author: Zhou Hongtu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Yan Zhenqing, styled Qingchen, whose name and style matched, reflecting the hope of his parents; his life also seemed to follow this predetermined path of seeking truth and purity. He served as a minister in the courts of Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Shuzong, Emperor Daizong, and Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, ultimately sacrificing himself for the Tang Dynasty. Yan Zhenqing often signed his inscriptions 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 Magistrate of Chang'an, the Imperial Literary Advisor to the Crown Prince, and was renowned for his skills in cursive and clerical scripts. 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 tempered his talent. As he grew older, Yan Zhenqing, honed by diligence and perseverance, had already become "a young man who loved Confucian studies, was respectful and filial, and achieved self-reliance. 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 Cangsan, a copyist in the Secretariat's Composition Bureau, 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, fabricated charges to frame the Vice Censor-in-Chief Song Hun (son of the Prime Minister Song Jing), Yan Zhenqing bravely stood up and confronted him: "How can you, in a fit of anger, endanger the descendants of Song Jing?" The Prime Minister Yang Guozhong and his faction 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 Prefect of Pingyuan. This is how he came to be known as "Yan Pingyuan." Yan Zhenqing possessed a keen sensitivity in politics, able to discern subtle signs of impending events. When An Lushan's rebellion first showed signs, Yan Zhenqing raised fortifications, dug deep ditches, gathered strong men, and stored grain to prepare for defense. Yet, he daily feasted with guests, drinking wine and appearing unconcerned with affairs of state, to allay An Lushan's suspicions. Pingyuan Prefecture 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 comical outcome came in the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era when An Lushan rebelled. The entire region of Hebei fell, except for Pingyuan, which was well-prepared. Li Ping, the military envoy, rushed to report 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 report undoubtedly gave him a surge of hope. He looked around and said, half-sighing, 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 quickly expanded his army from three thousand to ten thousand, selecting capable commanders and generals, and some prefects and chief historians also rallied their forces to him. His cousin, Yan Gaoqing, the Prefect of Changshan (located in modern Zhengding, Hebei), also rose in rebellion, fighting against the rebels from behind An Lushan's lines. Seventeen prefectures in Hebei joined the imperial forces, leaving An Lushan with only six prefectures, including Fanyang and Lulong. Yan Zhenqing was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, leading two hundred thousand troops across Yan and Zhao, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy. In the fifteenth year of the Tianbao era, he was promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue and appointed as the Investigating Commissioner of Hebei, assisting General Li Guangbi in suppressing the rebels. During this time, he led the armies of Pingyuan, Qinghe (capital in modern Nanxiong, Hebei), and Boping (ruins in modern western Shandong) in a fierce battle against the rebels, killing ten thousand enemies and capturing over a thousand, further enhancing his reputation. In 756, Li Heng, the son of Emperor Xuanzong, ascended the throne in Lingwu (modern Lingwu, Ningxia), becoming Emperor Shuzong. Yan Zhenqing was appointed as Minister of Works and Vice Censor-in-Chief, once again serving as the Investigating Commissioner of Hebei. Taking advantage of the transfer of Hebei troops under Emperor Shuzong's orders, An Lushan sent his subordinates Shi Ming and Yin Ziqi to launch a swift attack on Hebei, besieging Pingyuan. In October, Yan Zhenqing was forced to abandon the prefecture, cross the Yellow River, and endure countless hardships before arriving in Fengxiang in the second year of the Zhide era (757) to meet the Emperor, who appointed him as Minister of Justice and transferred him to the position of Vice Censor-in-Chief. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was in chaos, but Yan Zhenqing remained "strict and impartial as usual," speaking frankly and honestly, which earned him the enmity of others and led to his appointment as a prefect. He later served as Vice Minister of Justice and was later demoted to Chief Historian. 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 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 Duke of Lubei, earning the title "Yan Lugu Gong." However, he was once 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 Vice Minister of Personnel. Yan Zhenqing was a man of integrity, honest in office, and dedicated to helping the people. As a Censor, he was sent to Hebei and Longzhou when a case in Wuyuan (modern Linhe, Inner Mongolia) remained unresolved for a long time, and the region suffered from drought. As soon as Yan Zhenqing resolved the case, it rained. The people, grateful for his kindness, called this timely rain the "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 Duke of Lubei, already seventy-one, was still unwelcome to the Prime Ministers Yang Yan and Lu Qi due to his integrity. The most dramatic episode of Yan Zhenqing's life was his final struggle with Li Xili. Li Xili, the Military Commissioner of Huaixi, had long harbored rebellious intentions and seized the city of Runzhou (modern Linru, Henan) in the fourth year of the Jianzhong era. Lu Qi, seeking to settle a personal grudge, recommended sending Yan Zhenqing to persuade Li Xili, stating that Yan was "trusted by all," and that his presence would "settle the matter without the need for military action." When Yan Zhenqing arrived in Xuzhou (capital in modern Xuchang, Henan) to meet Li Xili, before he could even deliver the imperial decree, the rebel's generals cursed the Duke of Lubei and threatened him with over a thousand armed guards. Yet, Yan Zhenqing remained composed, and Li Xili had no choice but to dismiss his men and take him hostage. Li Xili used every means to threaten and coax him, even digging a pit in the courtyard of Yan Zhenqing's residence, vowing to bury him alive if he did not yield. But Yan Zhenqing remained steadfast and scolded him, smiling coldly and saying, "Why bother with all this? Just lend me a sword, and you will see!" Li Xili had his men pile wood in the courtyard, saying, "If you do not yield, I will burn you alive!" But Yan Zhenqing, unafraid, stood up and walked toward the fire, only to be stopped by his guards. Frustrated, Li Xili had Yan Zhenqing strangled in the Longxing Temple in Caizhou (modern 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 complex struggles of the court. He dedicated his entire loyalty to the Tang Dynasty, truly becoming a loyal and honest minister. The other half of his life was spent in the study, where he devoted himself to the arts, literature, and calligraphy, finding a tranquil realm. He also tirelessly climbed to the pinnacle of calligraphy, becoming one of the greatest calligraphers of his generation.