The Study of Group Characteristics of the Scholars of “virtuous and outspoken” in the Third Year of Yuanhe

Abstract

In the third year of Yuanhe of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, eleven scholars including Niu Shengru, Huangfu Chik, Li Zongmin, Li Zhengfeng, Xu Xi, Jia Jin, Wang Qi, Guo Qiu, Yao Gun, Yu Wei, and Ji Hongzong were admitted to the examination of the “virtuous and outspoken”. From the perspective of history and literature, eleven scholars in that year were placed at the core and studied, which in essence belonged to a branch of Mr. Fu Xuancong's research paradigm of “Imperial Examination and Literature”. The imperial examination not only provided these scholars with opportunities to enter the imperial court, but also continued to influence their political life and literary creation. Influenced by the subjects, most of them served in the first half of their careers as officials who criticized and admonished, embodying the characteristics of “speaking out and remonstrating extremely”. Among them, some scholars participated in the party struggle, and some scholars intersected with a generation of famous minister Pei Du. The quality of “speaking frankly and remonstrating extremely” accompanied their official career, and the connection with the dignitaries of the current dynasty influenced their career experience and became the intersection of their political activities. The life dominated by politics prompted them to pay more attention to political essays and words and things in their creation. Private words were mostly reflected in the poetry creation with chanting scenery and recording trivial matters as the main theme, and the poems given as a reward were also evidence of their intersection with literary celebrities such as Bai Juyi. , Similar official experiences and close literary experiences eventually constituted the group characteristics of these scholars.