On Ye Meng-De Of Song Dynasty

Ye Mengde(1077-1148), nicknamed Shaoyun, born in Changzhou of Suzhou (nowadays Suzhou), called himself Shilin hermit. The people then and thereafter called him Ye Shilin, while his pupils and his descendants respected him Mr. Shilin. Ye Mengde became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in the fourth year of Shaosheng (1097), and then was deputed as vice-county magistrate of Dantu. He was commissioned an official from lower rank to higher rank in many different places, such as Caizhou. Hangzhou and so on, little by little since the period of Huizong king. In the early period time of South Song Dynasty, he became the first official in the area of Jiankang and then Fuzhou once time. He was died in Huzhou in the eighteenth year of Shaoxin (1148) and was conferred the higher official position of Jian Jiao Shao Bao.Ye Mengde experienced five regimes of Shenzong, Zhezong, Huizong, Qinzong and Gaozong, and he was an official in four regimes of Zhezong, Huizong, Qingzong and Gaozong. He was born in an official family with culture and received good edification and education. Besides he liked to study and had perfect memory, as a result, he knew well about ancient books and records and he also wrote many works. Calculated from literatures existing, his works included in other works are more than fifty with several hundred volumes involved Jing. Shi, Zi, Ji, four styles.while only survived nineteen works with more than one hundred volumes. These works supplied fairly precious information for us to study the politics, history, literature and culture of Song Dynasty. So Ye Mengde was regarded as famous bibliophile, philologist, economist, moralist, litterateur, literature critic, and other so on.Ye Mengde had strong ideas to make outstanding achievements for country and pursued stern integrity and loyal character. He was very faithful and true to the king and loved civilians, besides he paid much attention to the culture of morality. However, an idea occurred to him to retreat for his rough political fate and the practical life in his middle age. An official or retreat were the two polars in his life ideality. He kept the balance of the two sides perfectly. He had a long political life and had abundanct political practices.Ye Mengde unfortunately involved the conflicts between the "new party" and the "old party" as a hanger-on of Cai Jing. There was a saying that he had joined the activity to persecute the good people in the period of Yuanyou. Many critics on Ye Mengde in history were mostly for it. In fact, according to the textual research by Fang Jianxin and other people, Ye Mengde could not join the activity because he was on his official tenure in Wuzhou when the affair happened. Referring to the records of many literatures, a conclusion could be drawn that Ye Mengde was a person with conscience and morality and stood a relative adiaphorous attitude in the party conflicts. He did not act evilly in collusion with Cai Jing, on the contrary, he dare to correct the mistakes made by Cai Jing and dare to challenge eunuch and malfeasant. Under the special historical background, Ye Mengde was in a quandary position for his special status and his balky character. While he did not make any extreme criticisms to the members of the "new" and "old" party seen from the records of many literatures. He had no fatal political smirch. This was the impersonal foundation to keep good relations with many members of the two parties and their descendants. To research this matter, would be benefit for us very much.Ye Mengde loved the six scriptures and once said he could not live without thesebooks everyday. He also had much interests in the works of Lao Zhuang and Buddha and made deep research on them with abundant understanding. The narrations of some stories about Buddhism ,Taoism and Confuciannism in his works had deep influence on the coming-up literators, especially, his explaining methods and the explaining practices contributed a lot to the development of Confucian school of philosophy.Ye Mengde had rich poetics thinking. His poetics thinking could be seen not only from Shi Lin Shi Hua, but also from many of his own works and writings survived in other people's works. He cited Chan Zong (a school of Buddhism)words to compare the poems of Du Fu straightly, which had fair important positioning in the poetics development in Song Dynasty. This book also was seen as a proof that he held out the the "new party", but after research, we consider this view wrong. He made some conclusions on the poem composition and appreciating theory which had very significant enlightening meaning to the offspring.Ye Mengde had collected so many books. He did deep research on the book editions, catalogs, engraving press and other so on, which had considerable influence on the Chinese philology history.According to the records of all kinds of literatures, the notes written by Ye Mengde had thirteen, while only five notes survived. His notes had high value on the history, literature, culture, even science and technology.Ye Mengde wrote many works. Although Shi Lin Zong Ji was lost, there were still a lot of his works survived involved many kinds of styles. Most of his poems and essays ,which had strong feelings,could reflect realistic life. He also paid much attention on the art cultivation to his works. The characteristics of his poems were big vigour and exquisite feelings, the humourous language and serious narration coexisting, while he thought much of borrowing history for his essays. A lot of his works had great momentum and much elegant color. His composition of ci-poetry also had some features with three kinds of styles. He played an important role in the development of ci-poetry style from Su Shi to Xin Qiji. Ye Mengde was an activewriter in the literary world of the period of the subrogation of the two Song Dynasties. Many other writers liked to get with him. He once presided the famous Xu Chang Poem Society with ten more members as the head. They spent much time in composing and published their works with fairly influences. In addition, Ye Mengde often communicated and exchanged the works with thirty to forty literators. Ye mengde had communicated with some literators of the Su family luckily. He had good reputation as the giant because his poems had a character similar to the poem character of the Su family.Ye Mengde had many hobbies, such as collecting books and inscriptions, building, having interests in medicine and vintage, etc. These hobbies gave a profile of the elegant fashion in Song Dynasty typically. He was good at calligraphy with good fame at that time. He collected many paintings and calligraphies, so he had much affection on the appreciation of paintings and calligraphies, and left many comments and works about it. Ye Mengde attracted much attention for his life style and many interesting episodes, which became the model of longing life and enjoying life.Ye Mengde was magnanimous. He not only admired the former worthy person but also led those who lag behind. He recommended many people in his whole life. At the same time, he had lots of pupils who came to learn from him for his profound knowledge. In the early period of Southern Song Dynasty, he had good fame of Shi Lin Feng Fang, Han Lin Feng Du.In general, Ye Mengde was an important politics and cultural celebrity in the period between Northern Song Dynasty and Southern Song Dynasty, who had great influence on the politics, literature and culture at that time. He was worthy of the appellation of Wen Xue Ju Bo and Wen Hua QiXiu at the special period.