Yen Chen-ching Bumpy Political Fates

Yan Zhenqing, a calligrapher of Tang Dynasty, has always been a key subject of investigation in calligraphy sector as the second peak in the history of Chinese calligraphy. The investigations have been made by scholars from the perspectives of the source of calligraphy, skills, style, and the trace and great achievement has been made. Yan Zhenqing experienced four emperors-Xuan Zong, Su Zong, Dai Zong, and De Zong, and suffered repeatedly from being ostracized by the eunuches and the prime ministers. His life is rich in political events and much of them needs more further study. Here in this article, based on the basis of former researcher's works, some of my own academic views are put forward with Yan Zhenqing in the cultural background of Yan Family at Langya and in the process of history.First, Yan Family, of which, Yan Zhenqing was born, was a unique family characterized by cultural scholars and carried forward relying on culture.Second, the culture of Yan Family at Langya traced back to Yan Hui. Through East Han Dynasty to Wei and Jin Dynasties, the family cultural style had gradually taken into shape with Confucian as the root, virtues advocated, and filial piety with benevolence regarded. The Yan Family had always taken its family culture as standard and sought official posts relying on the advantage of it. However, this family had also cultural limitations of conservatism, inflexibility and stagnancy to some extent. Because of such cultural edification, most persons from Yan Family were mostly loyal, honest and frank like Yan Zhenqing, which is one of the fundamental reasons for his official and political mishaps.And thirdly, in the Mid-Tang on the wane, when Yan Zhenqing lived, the tyranny of prime minister eunuchs brought about corruptive political situation and behavior, which is detrimental to Yan Zhenqing's ideal of reforming court system and discipline for the turn from declining tendency, which is the social political origin of Yan Zhenqing's tragic destiny.