Zhao XIangzi Enjoyed Drinking Wine 赵襄子饮酒

豫让刺杀赵襄子

In 376 BCE, the states of Han, Wei and Zhao deposed Duke Jing of Jin and divided the Jin territory between them. The Partition of Ji marked the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States Period. Zhao Xiangzi played an important role in the partition and is considered to be the founding of the state of Zhao. He was in power for 33 years (457 – 425 BC).

Here is a story about him.

King Xiang Zi of the state of Zhao had been enjoying his drink for five days and nights on end without getting drunk. He said to his servants, ‘I must be the greatest man in this State. I have been drinking for five days and nights, but I am not sick yet.’

You Mo replied, ‘You ought to take care of yourself. You are still two days and nights short of the record of Zhou, who drank seven days and nights. Now you have already reached five.’

King Xing Zi was scared, and he asked You Mo, ‘Will my state perish like that of Zhou?’ Mou You replied, ‘The same will not happen.’

‘Only two days less than Zhou, how could my state not be subjugated as he was?’ the King asked.

You Mo replied, ‘The fall of Jie and Zhou was attributed to Tang and Wu respectively. Nowadays there are only the Jies in power, and Your Majesty is like Zhou. Jie and Zhou exist simultaneously. How could they subjugate each other? However neither one is very far away from danger.’

Note: Jie and Xia were the despotic last rulers of the Xia and Shang Dynasties respectively. Tang and Wu defeated Jie and Xia respectively.

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公元前376年，韩、魏、赵把晋静公赶下台，三分晋土。三家分晋发生在春秋末年，战国之初。赵襄子在这件事中扮演了重要角色，可以说是赵国的开国君王。

以下是一个有关赵襄子的故事。

赵襄子饮酒，五日五夜不废酒。谓侍者曰：“我诚邦士也！夫饮酒五日五夜矣，而殊不病。”

优莫曰：“君勉之！不及纣二日耳。纣七日七夜，今君五日。”

襄子惧，谓优莫曰：“然则亡乎？”优莫曰：“不亡。”

襄子曰：“不及纣二日耳，不亡何待？”

优莫曰：“桀纣之亡也，遇汤武；今天下尽桀也，而君纣也。桀、纣并世，焉能相亡？然亦殆矣！”

Wong Bo Showed Off His Talent 王勃显能

Wang Bo 王勃

Wang Bo (ca. 648–675), courtesy name Zi'an, was a poet in the Tang Dynasty. He is one of the Four Literary Eminences in Early Tang. He opposed the spread of the Gong Ti Style of the Sui Dynasty, and advocated a style rich in emotions. His fame was boosted by the publishing of Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavilion, a poem which is widely recognised as one of the finest Tang Dynasty poems. The style of this poem greatly influenced later generations of poets. His poem, titled ‘Seeing Du Shaofu off to His Post in Shu Zhou’, is widely recognised as one of the masterpieces of poetry of the Tang Dynasty. The line in this poem, ‘A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near’, has become a famous and frequently quoted phrase throughout the ages. It has touched the hearts of ancient and modern people.

The story of his writing of the poem was told by Wang Dingpao in his book ‘Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty’ as follows:

When Wang Bo (648-675) wrote his masterpiece ‘Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavilion’, he was only fourteen years old. Knowing little about him, the governor Yan of Hongzhou did not recognise the lad’s talent. Although he had invited Wang to the celebration for rebuilding of the tower, has asked his son-in-law, a scholar called Meng, to write for the occasion a composition which in fact was prepared beforehand.

When all the guests had assembled for the event, they were invited (as a matter of courtesy) to prepare a composition, and only Wang accepted. Yan was furious. He rose, and told a servant to watch what Wang was writing and report to him immediately. The first sentence came to his ears: ‘This tower in the former capital, Nanchang, is now the new centre of Hongzhou.’ This was nothing special, he thought.

The second sentence arrived: ‘In the sky, fight above this place, are the stars Yi and Zhen; on the earth, this spot is connected with the famous mountains Heng and Lu.’ This couplet moved Yan to silent thought.

Then the following sentence soon reached his ears: ‘The evening clouds drift with a solitary goose in company, and the hue of the autumn river blends with that of the endless sky.’ On hearing this, Yan jumped up, shouting: ‘What a talent! This couplet will be remembered forever!’

Hurriedly he invited Wang Bo to have dinner together, and they had a wonderful time.

Text of Preface to the Prince of Teng's Pavillion 《滕王阁序》全文

王勃（大约648-675），字子安，是唐代诗人。他是初唐四杰之一。他反对宫体诗风的流行，推行感情丰富的风格。他的《滕王阁序》提高了他的声名。这首诗赋至今还为中学生所读。

五代王定保的《唐摭言》中叙述他写《滕王阁序》的故事：

Prince of Teng's Pavillion 滕王阁

王勃著《腾王阁序》，年十四，都督阎公不之信，勃虽在座，而阎公意属于婿孟学士为之，已宿构矣。

及以纸笔巡让宾客，勃不辞让。公大怒，拂衣而起，专令人伺其下笔。第一报云：‘豫章故郡，洪都新府。’ 公曰：‘亦是老生常谈。’

又报云：‘星分翼轸，地接衡庐。’公闻之，沉吟不语。

又云：‘落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色。’瞿然而起曰：‘此真天才，当垂不朽矣！’

遂亟请宴所，极欢而罢。