Interesting stories about the Ming Emperor reciting poems and writing couplets

 

Interesting stories about the Ming Emperor reciting poems and writing couplets

 

Zhu Yuanzhang recited poems and scolded scholars on the first day of the year

 

After Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he liked to recite poems and write poems. However, he was wary of literati and even resented them. He often made trouble out of nothing and found faults in literati's articles, memorials or letters. It can range from dismissal from office to beheading in severe cases, or even implicate nine ethnic groups. Therefore, during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, especially in the later period, the "literary prison" in the court made all the old masters who usually chew words and words on guard.

It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang once angrily scolded Liu Bowen as "a guy with a lot of literature and no good stuff." His hatred of literati is said to have started since he was a child.

According to legend, after Zhu Yuanzhang was kicked out by his uncle, he wandered around begging for food.

The first day of that year was the first day of the first lunar month of the Spring Festival. Zhu Yuanzhang came to Shilongqiao Tavern in Jiuxian County (today's Nvshanhu Town) to beg for food. Several literary guys in Jiuxian Town gathered in a tavern to drink. There was also a scholar among them. They all looked a little drunk. They saw a little beggar coming to the door of the hotel. He was still bald. One of them wanted to show off his literary talent and took the opportunity to get it. Zhu Yuanzhang was happy and suggested: "Brothers, our drinking order will be around the beggar at the door. Each person will write a poem. If he can't do it, he will be punished with three drinks."

When the other literati heard this, they all shouted, "Okay, but each person can't think about it for more than half a pack of cigarettes."

So the person who made the suggestion thought for a moment and casually chanted:

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A bright moon hangs on the branches, and the long threads hang down to the ground.

A gust of evening wind blew over, and the shadows of the branches were slanted and exposed.

 

After chanting, several other people clapped together and shouted "Okay! Okay!"

They wrote poems in turn. The scholar next to him glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang for a few times. Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang's thick nose was about to reach his lips, he tapped his chopsticks to the table and chanted:

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Two white dragons flew out from the foot of the mountain and passed through the grass unknowingly.

As soon as I swam to the Yellow River, I returned to the Dragon Cave with a whoosh.

 

After chanting, he also made a deep sniffing motion, which made everyone burst into laughter. He nudged the next person and said, "It's your turn."

This person saw Zhu Yuanzhang wearing shabby clothes with lots of patches, a straw rope tied around his waist, and a tattered hat with no brim pinned to the straw rope. He was dragging a pair of tattered shoes and holding a dog-beating stick in his hand. He smiled, shook his head and chanted:

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A handsome man in brocade clothes and gold belt, traveling in the sea and in shoes, all over the world.

Leading a bay-red horse, he was by the river in the morning and in the south at dusk.

 

After he finished chanting, no one applauded. He stared wide-eyed and said, "Did I do a bad job? Or did you not pay attention?"

Someone asked: "What do you mean by the hat sea shoe river?"

The person who wrote the poem just now said: "Since ancient times, there has been a saying that the sea is boundless and the river has no bottom!"

After he explained this, everyone took a closer look at Zhu Yuanzhang wearing a shabby hat on his waist and a pair of shabby shoes on his feet. They laughed and clapped and said, "Okay! Okay!"

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he turned blue, thinking that if you don't give me anything, forget it. You are still showing off your literary talent and making fun of me. It's really not a thing. Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the group of guys and banged the dog stick on the ground to signal silence. When everyone looked at him with surprise, Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at the literati with the dog stick and said:

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A few crows were chirping, their mouths full of croaking.

Don't have fun today, tomorrow morning you will all be talking nonsense.

 

After Zhu Yuanzhang chanted "Bah", he spit out a mouthful of phlegm and said angrily: "One day I will conquer the world, and I will first want you sour guys to look good." After that, he turned around and left.

Several literati were speechless one by one. Unexpectedly, the little beggar scolded them by reciting poems casually. They only heard people in the tavern applauding.

Later, when Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor, he did not forget the humiliation that day. He looked for faults in the literati and killed them wherever they found their faults. This created a "literary prison" that shocked the government and the public. Many literati did not dare to recite poems correctly.

 

Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, examined Jie Jin in spring

 

Xie Jin, a talented scholar in the Ming Dynasty, was quick-thinking and extremely intelligent.

Legend has it that one day, Cao Shangshu invited Xie Jin to come to his residence to recite poems and asked him to compose a cockscomb poem on the spot.

Xie Jin said without thinking: "The cockscomb is originally dyed with rouge."

As soon as the first sentence came out, Cao Shangshu suddenly took out a white cockscomb flower from his sleeve and said: "It's not red, it's white."

Xie Jin calmly chanted: "Why are you wearing light makeup today? It's just because you are eager to announce the dawn at the fifth watch, so your hair is covered with frost."

After hearing this, Cao Shangshu could not help but nod his head in praise.

This matter reached the ears of Ming Chengzu Zhu Di. Xie Jin was a Hanlin scholar appointed by Zhu Di, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Di, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, also ordered him to edit the "Yongle Dadian". Xie Jin was able to serve the emperor.

Chengzu often asked him some difficult questions to test him.

During the Spring Festival of that year, Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, said: "My dear, one of my concubines gave birth to a child at night. Please write a poem for me."

Xie Jin immediately chanted: "My emperor sent down a golden dragon last night,"

Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, said: "She is a princess, not a prince."

Xie Jin immediately changed his chant: "Become Chang'e and go down to the ninth level."

Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, said: "It's a pity that he is dead."

Xie Jin hurriedly said: "I guess I can't keep him in this world."

Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, said: "I have ordered the eunuch to throw it into the Jinshui River."

Xie Jin then chanted: "Turn over and jump into the Crystal Palace."

Zhu Di, the founder of Ming Dynasty, laughed loudly after hearing this and said, "Aiqing is really a genius who adapts to changing circumstances!"