Liu Changqing, a native of the Tang Dynasty, composed a seven-character poem called "Passing Jia Yi's House in Changsha", which not only expresses sympathy for Jia Yi's experience, but also expresses pity for his own experience:
It has been three years since he was banished to the official position, and he has been here for a long time. Only the guests of Chu will be left feeling sad.
After the autumn grass leaves alone to find someone, the sun sets in the cold forest sky.
There is a way in Chinese, but kindness is weak. How can you know that the Xiang River is ruthless?
Where the lonely mountains and rivers are swaying, why should I take pity on you to the end of the world?
Jia Yi is from Luoyang. Luoyang's peonies are unique in the world, and Luoyang's talents are also unique in the world, with Jia Yi being an outstanding representative. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Jia Yi was the leader among talents and the most famous peony scholar. Today, more than two thousand years later, Jia Yi is still a great talent among talents and a prodigious writer among writers. Later generations praised Jia Yi so highly, not only because of his talent, but also because of his experiences. What happened to Jia Yi is the epitome of what happened to a great talent.
Jia Yi, who was only eighteen years old, was famous in Luoyang for reciting "Poems" and "Books" and writing articles. Everyone knew "On the Passage of Qin". Wu Gong, the governor of Henan Province, heard that Jia Yi was very talented, so he recruited Jia Yi as his disciple and loved him very much. Jia Yi spent several good years in Wu Gong's office to show off his talent. However, the life of a genius is destined to become more and more difficult unless the genius degenerates into mediocrity.
Promoting the Han Dynasty and benefiting the people was Liu Hengfa's ambition. Just after he ascended the throne, Liu Heng heard that the politics of Henan was clear and the people were prosperous, so he promoted Duke Wu to the rank of Tingwei. Wu Gong cherished talents and recommended Jia Yi, and Liu Heng conferred the title of doctor on Jia Yi.
Therefore, Jia Yi entered the imperial court in his early twenties. From then on, whenever the affairs of the DPRK and China were discussed, others were always silent, but Jia Yi talked endlessly. Every word of Jia Yi's words was sharp and pointed, often expressing the opinions that the courtiers wanted to say but could not express, including the dull Zhou Bo and the brave and foolhardy Guan Ying. Jia Yi was so talented that Liu Heng greatly appreciated him. More than a year later, he was promoted to Taizhong doctor as an exception.
After being promoted exceptionally, Jia Yi was very happy and silently determined to show his talents. At first, Jia Yi just discussed politics in the court. Now, he wants to do practical things and reform internal affairs. Jia Yi believes that it has been more than 20 years since the Han Dynasty established its capital. Over the past 20 years, the government has been harmonious and the situation has been stable. It is time to create its own style.
Jia Yi was proficient in "Poems" and "Books", and he understood Confucian rules such as courtiers' clothing, rituals and music. Based on the "Five Virtues", Jia Yi calculated and formulated: the Han Dynasty should advocate yellow, use five as the number, and change the titles of officials accordingly.
Changing one person is small and easy, but changing an entire country is not only extremely cumbersome but also expensive. Liu Heng was a frugal man. He was reluctant to change the clothes of everyone in the palace, so naturally he didn't want to bother changing these insignificant things. Therefore, Liu Heng did not approve Jia Yi's proposal. It is indeed a good thing that Liu Heng is frugal, but his kindness to the people is only a small favor. He does not extend or expand this kindness. In this matter, he obviously does not take a long-term view.
This suggestion didn't work, so Jia Yi proposed another one - changing the national laws and allowing the princes to return to their feudal countries for retirement. Returning the old minister to his fiefdom can reduce Chang'an's expenses and expel the heroes he doesn't like. Why wouldn't Liu Heng do it? So Liu Heng asked Zhou Bo to take the lead in returning to the feudal country.
Returning to the fiefdom to retire is equivalent to retirement. There was no such rule in the Han Dynasty. Jia Yi was promoted out of the norm, and the veterans were already aggrieved. Now that Jia Yi wants to expel them, how can they swallow this sigh of relief. Zhou Bo, Guan Ying, Feng Jing and other veterans plotted and waited for opportunities to retaliate.
Jia Yi reformed internal affairs and was shrewd and capable. Liu Heng wanted to promote Jia Yi to the rank of public minister. Jia Yi was twenty-six years old at this time. Gongqing is the abbreviation of the Three Gongs and the Nine Qings. The three Gongs refer to the prime minister, the Taiwei, and the imperial censor. The Jiuqing refers to Taichang, Guangluxun, Weiwei, Taipu, Tingwei, Taihonglu, Zongzheng, Dasinong, and Shaofu. . Gongqing's salary was two thousand dan, and he was a high-ranking official in the Han Dynasty. After hearing this, the old ministers were all resentful. So Zhou Bo, Guan Ying and other old ministers jointly wrote a letter: "This Luoyang boy does not know the heights of the sky and the earth, and he only wants to exercise power. He will only do bad things." The sad echo of Lu Pheasant's power is still floating in the Han Dynasty. When it comes to power, no one from the Liu family Not surprised, let alone the weak Liu Heng.
Liu Heng knew the dangers of taking power and was afraid of it. From then on, Liu Heng gradually alienated Jia Yi, and finally moved to his left to serve Jia Yi as the Grand Tutor of Changsha.
All the way from Chang'an to Changsha, you have to pass through the Xiang River. The Xiang River is the place where Qu Yuan, a great poet who was concerned about his country and his people, drowned himself in the water. Jia Yi was sad all the way and had nowhere to vent his feelings. When he arrived at the shore where Qu Yuan drowned and died, he felt like meeting old friends and suddenly felt a sense of love, cherishment and comfort for each other.
Compared with Qu Yuan, Jia Yi seemed to be like a sad person coming to the sad place again, and his sadness became even more intense. Jia Yi was hurt both by his life experience and his talents, so he wrote a famous "Ode to Qu Yuan" that has gone down in the literary world.
After the "Ode in Memory of Qu Yuan" was finished, Qu Yuan and Jia Yi were inseparable. Who is Qu Yuan and who is Jia Yi? It seems like Jia Yi lived in the Warring States Period, and it seems like Qu Yuan lived in the Han Dynasty. It's like not knowing whether Zhuang Zhou is a butterfly or a butterfly is Zhuang Zhou. Liu Changqing, a later Tang Dynasty man, visited Jia Yi's former residence. He was also sentimental about the time. He compared himself with Jia Yi and wrote a poem "Passing Jia Yi's Residence in Changsha".
Jia Yi wrote a sad article, full of sorrow, which is unbearable to read. He only said one sentence: Slanderous ministers are in power, good people are demoted; there is no confidant in the world, and I feel depressed and uncomfortable. Jia Yi spent three years in Changsha, depressed and sad. The humidity in Changsha made it difficult for Jia Yi to relieve his sadness. He suffered from external disturbances and internal worries, and his health became worse day by day. One day three years later, a bird like an owl flew in and stood next to his seat. The ancients believed that the owl was unlucky, but Jia Yi felt sad and thought it was even more unlucky. When Jia Yi saw this bird, he felt that he would soon be dead. His melancholy was like the humidity in Changsha, getting thicker and thicker day by day. Jia Yi's sadness increased sharply, and he wrote a book about his sorrow, "Ode to the Birds". "Ode to the Birds" has sincere emotions and free and easy words, expressing the mentality of being frustrated, seeing through the world, and traveling with things. Jia Yi wandered with things in his poems, but in real life he could not see through the world. He was obsessed with using up what he had learned in his life and making achievements, which laid hidden worries for his death. Jia Yi is eager to make achievements, not for fame or profit, but only to display his talents and knowledge. Jia Yi is a talented person who is so infatuated that people feel pain for him.
A strange bird flew over, and Jia Yi performed a divination for himself. The inscription is: If a wild bird enters the house, the owner will leave. The master is going, but not to die, but to see Liu Heng.
Liu Heng had no ambitions to open up new territories and expand his territory. He only wanted to preserve his ancestral heritage and provide food and clothing for the people of the world. Jia Yi was a dispensable person in Liu Heng's political career. Therefore, seeing the strong opposition from Zhou Bo and other veterans, he chose to sacrifice Jia Yi, a scholar, to stabilize the government.
Since ancient times, the situation in the officialdom has been "only seeing new people smiling, but not hearing old people crying." Jia Yi was demoted from the central government to the local government.
More than a year after the strange bird entered the house, Jia Yi was deeply worried. After more than a year of grief, Jia Yi has become haggard and full of sadness.
Suddenly one day, Liu Heng recruited him to Chang'an. This edict, like a spark of flame, actually rekindled Jia Yi's heart that had been reduced to ashes. Jia Yi hurried back to Chang'an, eager to be reused. At this time, Jia Yi was filled with sorrow and only had passion. Liu Heng, however, harbors the ambition of becoming an immortal and only seeks to become an immortal and enter Taoism.
Liu Heng met Jia Yi in the propaganda room. Liu Heng asked Jia Yi about ghosts and gods, and Jia Yi answered fluently. Unconsciously, the night was getting late, and Liu Heng was so drunk that he couldn't help but move his seat to approach Jia Yi. Liu Heng lamented, "I haven't seen Jia Yi for a long time. I thought I was better than him, but now I know that I am not as good as him." Jia Yi secretly asked, I am very talented and know everything, but I don’t know if I will be used.
Alas, Liu Heng did not ask Jia Yi how to govern and rejuvenate the country, but asked about ghosts and gods, which destined Jia Yi not to be reused. Li Shangyin, a later Tang Dynasty scholar, discussed this matter in his Jia Sheng:
The propaganda office seeks talents, visits and chases away guests, but Jia Sheng's talents are even more unmatched.
It's a pity that I sit down at the front table in the middle of the night and don't ask about the common people or the ghosts and gods.
Liu Heng didn't have the courage to appoint Jia Yi before, but now he doesn't want to. Jia Yi was not an important minister of Liu Heng, let alone a minister of the Han Dynasty. Jia Yi lived in an era when the monarch was weak, and the master's pond could not accommodate the dragon Jia Yi.
Later Liu Heng appointed Jia Yi as the Taifu of Liu Yi, King Huai of Liang. King Huai of Liang was Liu Heng's youngest son. Liu Heng loved him very much and hoped that he could learn more from Jia Yi.
Jia Yi mourned from Chang'an to Changsha and stayed in Changsha for several years. As soon as Liu Heng issued an edict, he came to Chang'an happily, but Liu Heng still gave him sadness. He was the Taifu in Changsha, and he was still the Taifu in Liang State. Liu Heng only liked Jia Yi as the Taifu who preached, taught, and solved doubts.
During the four years in Changsha, his petition offended Liu Heng's favorite Deng Tong. It stands to reason that when Liu Heng recruits Jia Yi back to Chang'an this time, he will not neglect Jia Yi so much. The reason for Jia Yi's neglect was Deng Tong. Jia Yi lives in a crack. The most essential thing is the crack between talents and the secular world, which is manifested in the crack caused by Zhou Bo, Deng Tong and others.
Deng Tong was a native of Nan'an, Shu County (now Leshan County, Sichuan), and he was a rowing man. Huang Toulang is a person wearing a yellow hat. He was favored by Liu Heng all because of Liu Heng's fairy dream.
Liu Heng once dreamed that he ascended to heaven, but he could not ascend. Someone pushed him to help him ascend to heaven. When Liu Heng turned around, he saw a yellow-headed man with his coat tied into a belt on his buttocks. Liu Heng was obsessed with the way of immortals. After waking up, he looked for this person in the Cangchi southwest of Weiyang Palace. Sure enough, he saw a person wearing the same clothes as he had seen in his dream. After asking, I found out that this person's name was Deng Tong. People who are obsessed with the way of immortals have rich associations. "Deng" means Deng, and Deng Tong means Deng Tong, which means that Liu Heng will become an immortal through Deng Tong. From then on the two became inseparable.
Once, Liu Heng asked a fortune teller to read Deng Tong's face. The fortune teller said that Deng Tong would die of poverty. When Liu Heng heard this, he laughed and said, "As the king of a country, how could Deng Tong die of poverty?" Liu Heng was afraid that Deng Tong would really die of poverty, so he gave Deng Tong a copper mine in Sichuan and asked Deng Tong to make his own money. At that time, the imperial court allowed private money creation, and Liu Heng's doing so was equivalent to giving Deng Tong a money printing factory. Deng Tong lived up to Liu Heng's expectations, and the "Deng Qian" he created and the "Wu Qian" made by Wu King Liu Bi became famous all over the world.
Jia Yi knew that making money privately would lead to illegal and disciplinary behavior, and farmers would focus on business instead of business, which would lead to endless troubles. So Jia Yi wrote a letter banning private coinage. Not only did Liu Heng fail to adopt it, but he also provoked Deng Tong.
Jia Yi had a difficult life, and this time he fell into the cracks created by Deng Tong. Jia Yi is sad. He sadly lives in an uneasy and cowardly era. The Xiongnu invaded the border several times and plundered wantonly; the princes and kings became powerful and rebelled again and again. Liu Chang and Liu Xingju were examples. Jia Yi was so talented that he would not sit idly by. He wrote many letters to state his affairs, among which the "Public Security Policy" was particularly highly praised by future generations.
Jia Yi's poems and poems were well written, and his political commentaries preceded the creation of the Han Dynasty. Several political commentators in later generations benefited from Jia Yi. "Public Security Policy" is also called "Chen Zhengshi Shu". Jia Yi emphasized that "the princes are built more but their strength is less". He advocated weakening the power of princes and kings, resisting the Xiongnu, focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce, advocating etiquette and enlightenment, and teaching the princes. Jia Yi felt that the world of the Han Dynasty was not yet stable, and stability was just a facade. If the vassal states were not controlled, big trouble would happen in the future. From the examples of rebellion by Han Xin, Peng Yue, Lu Wan and others, Jia Yi concluded: the stronger the strength, the more they want to rebel. Jia Yi suggested that Liu Heng implement a feudal system for the vassal states and divide the large vassals into smaller vassals until they can rely on the protection of the imperial court.
Although Jia Yi gave Liu Heng a lot of advice, Liu Heng did not obey Jia Yi's words. Some Liu Heng adopted it, while others did not. The relationship between Jia Yi and Liu Heng is like that between a seller and a buyer. Jia Yi proposed to encourage suicide and encourage princes, kings or ministers to commit suicide. Liu Heng not only passed it, but also practiced it himself. Bo Zhao killed a Han envoy and was arrested and questioned. Bo Zhao is Liu Heng's uncle. He helped Liu Heng before Liu Heng ascended the throne. Liu Heng found this matter difficult. He neither wanted to accuse Bo Zhao of being ungrateful, nor did he want to pardon Bo Zhao easily. Just when Liu Heng was in trouble, Jia Yi's encouragement to commit suicide just pointed out a clear way.
It is a common practice in prison to eat a full meal before being interrogated and executed. Liu Heng sent a minister to visit Bo Zhao in prison and eat and drink well with him. The purpose of letting Bo Zhao eat and drink well is obvious. However, Bo Zhao did not commit suicide. Liu Heng led the courtiers to Bo Zhao's house in mourning clothes and mourned loudly. Bo Zhao had no choice but to commit suicide.
Jia Yi became a tutor and was not reused, so he could only sell his talents. Selling talents is not about using talents, nor is it about displaying talents. Selling talents depends on whether there is a buyer. However, there was only one rich man in Jia Yi's era: the frail emperor Liu Heng.
In the eleventh year of Emperor Wen's reign (169 BC), in the Xia Dynasty, King Huai of Liang, Liu Yi, fell from his horse and died. When Liu Yi died, Jia Yi felt that the teacher had failed in his management and "cried often".
More than a year later, Jia Yi died at the age of thirty-three. When Jia Yi died, it was the way people who were born in the cracks died: they died of sorrow and depression.
