Liu Kezhuang

Liu Kezhuang

Liu Kezhuang (September 3, 1187 - March 3, 1269) was born in Putian County, Fujian Province. He is a bold and unconstrained poet of the Southern Song Dynasty and a poet of the Poetic School of the rivers and lakes.

In 1209, Liu Kezhuang became a general because of his father's position in the imperial court. Later, he successively served as the commander of Jing'an, the recorder of Zhenzhou, the magistrate of Jianyang County, the councilor of Shuai Si and the editor of Privy Council. In the sixth year of Chunyou (1246), Emperor LiZong of Song Dynasty, because of his long literary name, granted him the same Jinshi background. Later, he served as a secretary, a little supervisor, a minister of the Ministry of industry, and a magistrate of Jianning Prefecture. In the fifth year of JINGDING (1264), he became an official as a Bachelor of huanzhangge. Xianchun five years (1269), died at the age of 83, posthumous wending.

Liu Kezhuang's poems belong to the river lake poetry school. His works are rich in quantity and broad in content. He talks much about current affairs and reflects people's livelihood. In his early years, he studied the style of the late Tang Dynasty, and in his later years, he tended to Jiangxi poetry school. Ci was deeply influenced by Xin Qiji, and most of them were bold and unconstrained, with a tendency of prose and argumentation. His works are included in the complete works of Mr. Houcun.

(overview chart source)

Life of the characters

Early life

On July 29th, the fourteenth year of Chunxi reign of emperor Xiaozong of Song Dynasty (September 3, 1187), Liu Kezhuang was born in a aristocratic family, and his first name was Liu Zhuo. His grandfather Liu Su and father Liu mizheng all came from Jinshi. The influence and education of good family style made Liu Zhuo love reading since childhood, proficient in poetry of past dynasties, and showed his literary talent. He is gifted and intelligent. He recites more than ten thousand words every day. He does not draft a manuscript in his composition, but writes a good one as soon as he picks up his pen. He also studied with Lin Chengji, Lin Jianzi, Fang zeru and Ke mengde.

In the first year of emperor ningzong of Song Dynasty (1205), Liu Zhuo made up for Guozi Jiansheng with his first achievement in CI and Fu in Lin'an. At the same time, he was always at the top of Guozijian, which was the result of his family education when he was young. He also followed the famous Confucianist Zhen Dexiu and learned no less Confucian classics than he did in Guozijian, so he was a great writer at that time. His innate beauty, family origin and subjective efforts have made him famous for a long time.

A new official career

In the second year of Jiading of ningzong (1209), Liu Zhuo made up for Shi Lang, although he had no intention of imperial examination and devoted himself to poetry. However, the inheritance of his family enabled him to open his official career under the patronage of his ancestors and fathers. In the same year, Liu Zhuo changed his name to Liu Kezhuang at the request of his friend Hong Tianxi.

In the third year of Jiading (1210), Liu Kezhuang was transferred to the post of jing'anbo, and all the transport department envoys issued a proclamation to accept him as their staff. He has been involved in officialdom for the first time and won the praise of the local people.

In July 1213, Liu Mi died in Lin'an. Liu Kezhuang resigned and returned to his hometown, where he had been away for four years.

In the 10th year of Jiading (1217), Liu Kezhuang (whose parents died and served three years of mourning) finally joined the army. He was a county captain of Huai'an (now Marquis of Fujian Province) and a right manager of Fuzhou, Cao gaizhen (now Yizheng of Jiangsu Province). As soon as Liu Kezhuang arrived in Zhenzhou, the generals at the Jianghuai front were all eager to bring him to the bottom of the curtain when they heard about Liu Kezhuang's literary fame. Cui Yuzhi, the pacifier of huaidong at that time, was very happy to see Liu Kezhuang's arrival, and said to Liu Kezhuang, "I got two celebrities in Fujian, one is you, the other is Chen Zihua." Liu Kezhuang, Fang Xinru and Chen Zihua were also called "three Jun of Min".

In the 10th year of Jiading (1217), Li Yu, the Jianghuai institution envoy, hired Liu Kezhuang as the commander of the institution along the Yangtze River to be responsible for the drafting of military documents. He suggested that "the troops stationed at the border should be transferred and replaced by garrison troops, so as to consolidate the foundation of the country.". If the opinions were not adopted, the public opinion of the outside world would blame him, so Liu Kezhuang resigned and had to ask the palace to work.

In 1221, Hu Xun was appointed as the economic and strategic envoy of Guangxi, and Liu Kezhuang was appointed as his staff. He was appointed as the assistant of the economic secretary. His poems were enough to compile a collection.

During the 11 years from the 6th year of Jiading to the 17th year of Jiading (1224) when he was the magistrate of Jianyang County, most of Liu Kezhuang lived in Putian and sank into the grassroots.

First setback

In 1224, Emperor LiZong of Song Dynasty ascended the throne. After 11 years of leisure, Liu Kezhuang, 38, came back and became magistrate of Jianyang. During his tenure, he gave up the habit of poetry, learned to be an official, sympathized with the people's feelings, supervised the handling of cases left behind, started school and taught. He had a great reputation and was well-known in the imperial court for his political achievements. At the same time, he also met and taught Neo Confucianist Zhen Dexiu. At that time, Zhen Dexiu was dissatisfied with the abolition of Shi Miyuan's power, so he took the opportunity to return to his hometown Pucheng to write books and give lectures, sparing no effort to spread Neo Confucianism. Liu Kezhuang admired the name of zhendexiu. When he heard that he had resigned from office and returned to his hometown for leisure, he quickly joined zhendexiu. From then on, he vigorously promoted Neo Confucianism all his life.

In the third year of Baoqing (1227), Shi Miyuan initiated the "disaster of poetry in the river and lake", which was banned and banished. Liu Kezhuang, the leader of the poetry school in the rivers and lakes, is certainly "guilty of the crime". Because his poem "luomei" has a sentence: "Dongfeng fallacy takes charge of the power of flowers, but he does not advocate it." the censor Li Zhixiao and Liang Chengda falsely accuse them of slandering current affairs. Although Shi Miyuan has issued an arrest document to escort Liu Kezhuang from Jianyang county magistrate to Beijing. Fortunately, Zheng Qingzhi, the Privy Council official, signed a letter and was released, but Liu Kezhuang was idle for ten years.

In the second year of shaoding reign (1229), he was transferred to Chaozhou Tongtan. Soon after, he was impeached for the charge of "mocking, chanting, slandering and chatting". Before he left his post, he was removed from his post and changed to a palace official. So, at the age of 42, Liu Kezhuang returned to his hometown and began his six-year idle life. During this period, he traveled rivers and mountains, read folk books and experienced life.

Three comebacks

In October 1233, Shi Miyuan was seriously ill and promoted his confidant Zheng Qingzhi to the right prime minister. When Zheng Kezhuang was called to Beijing in December, he was sentenced to take up his post before he had time.

In the first month of the first year of Duanping (1234), Zhen Dexiu took up the post of Fuzhou magistrate and Fujian pacifier, and called Liu Kezhuang as the counsellor of the pacifier. In June of the same year, Zhen Dexiu was called to be the Minister of the Ministry of officials by the imperial court, and recommended Liu Kezhuang for the reason of "learning from ancient times and modern times, pursuing Sao and Ya". So Liu Kezhuang returned to Beijing as a general and served as a supervisor. In September, Liu Kezhuang returned to Lin'an and became the master of Zongzheng temple.

In June of the second year of Duanping (1235), Liu Kezhuang was appointed editor of Privy Council and Shi Youlang officer of the Ministry of officials. In July of the same year, Liu Kezhuang bluntly exposed Shi Miyuan's crime and advised LiZong: "suspecting the ineffectiveness of a gentleman and the talent of a villain is the reason for the disaster of Xuanhe and Jingkang. I hope your majesty can learn from it." Soon after, he was impeached by Wu Changyi and was in charge of the jade Bureau.

Devolve to the grassroots

Since the third year of Duanping (1236) of Song Dynasty, Liu Kezhuang has served as the magistrate of Zhangzhou, the magistrate of Yuanzhou, the magistrate of Changping in Jiangxi, the magistrate of Changping in Guangdong, the transshipment envoy of Guangdong, the official Minister of YouLang palace, the governor of Changping in Jiangdong, the governor of Zhihua Pavilion, etc. until the sixth year of Chunyou (1246) of Song Dynasty, he recalled Lin'an and became the Shaoqing of Taifu temple.

In the first year of Jiaxi (1237), Liu Kezhuang was appointed magistrate of Yuanzhou (now Yichun, Jiangxi). Jiang Xian, the censor, attacked Fang Dacong and Wang Mai when Liu Kezhuang was the editor of the Privy Council. He criticized the imperial court for improper handling of Zhao Hong, the former crown prince. Therefore, he gave the palace a free time. Fang and Wang were also demoted as "three sages".

In 1239, Li zongmian was the prime minister, and Liu Kezhuang was promoted to Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces. During his term of office, Liu Kezhuang was incorruptible and engaged in politics. "He refused to accept the gifts and coupons." He also bought 200 mu of farmland to support those who came to the south to serve as officials and returned home.

In 1240, Liu Kezhuang was appointed as the governor of Jiangdong. He visited people's sufferings, cleared away their grievances, and punished corrupt officials in Xinzhou and Nankang (now Shangrao and Nankang in Jiangxi Province).

In the first year of Chunyou (1241), Li zongmian died of illness. Soon after, Emperor LiZong of song ordered Liu Kezhuang to return to Lin'an to play music. However, he soon gave up because he was attacked by the imperial censor Jin Yuan, and again gave the palace a free time.

At the beginning of the third year of Chunyou's reign (1243), Liu Kezhuang once served as the official of shiyoulang in the Ministry of officials. Because of pudounan's attack, he was once again dismissed, and he was still at leisure. In the following year, he was appointed as Jiangdong's official officer in Changping (a prison). In November of the same year, Liu Kezhuang was appointed as the general of the prison and changed to the Chinese Pavilion.

Suffering again

In August of 1246, Liu Kezhuang, who was 60 years old, went to work as a general. He wrote three letters in succession, denouncing the failure of the imperial court and the wrong planning. He advised that he should follow his ancestors, so as to make the kind and the way of speaking common. At the same time, he begged his mother to return, but LiZong did not allow him to return. After LiZong praised him for his "long literary name and excellent historical knowledge", he was granted Jinshi background. For Liu Kezhuang, who was not born in Kedi, it can be said that he was old and successful. He had four memorials in a row. However, LiZong not only failed to perform, but also made him perform the four room documents and work above Zhao Ruteng, which made Liu Kezhuang even more uneasy. Because Zhao Ruteng was not only the son of the patriarchal clan, but also the Minister of the Ministry of rites. The "shangsifang documents" were responsible for drafting imperial edicts, publicizing orders, carrying out admonitions, and initiating reforms. Liu Kezhuang was flattered and immediately asked for exemption from the four room documents, but song LiZong still refused, so Liu Kezhuang took office.

At that time, when Shi Miyuan's nephew and former Prime Minister Shi Songzhi's father's death expired, song LiZong wanted to use him again, but he couldn't get rid of the public opinion. He personally ordered Liu Kezhuang to write Shi Songzhi's official letters, and Liu Kezhuang once impeached Shi Songzhi as "the prime minister, which is really a great evil to deceive the monarch, suppress the officials, and betray the power and the country." So he refused to make a patent for Shi. Liu Kezhuang

Chinese PinYin : Liu Ke Zhuang