经典英文绘本

颜真卿传｜Yan Zhenqing

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｜历史人物传记
  • In the year 709 a baby boy was born in Chang'an city
  • His father gave him the name Zhenqing hoping he would become an upright gentleman
  • No one knew that this child would become a calligraphic master revered for a thousand years
  • Even fewer knew he would become the most steadfast loyalist of the Tang Dynasty
  • At the age of three his father suddenly passed away
  • A widowed mother and her orphan son left without means of support
  • Mother Yin took on the heavy burden of raising her son alone
  • In the daytime she washed clothes and cooked for others to earn a living
  • At night she sat by the oil lamp teaching her son to read and write
  • Young Zhenqing was exceptionally diligent despite his tender age
  • He read the same books over and over again wrote page after page of characters
  • The neighbors often said this child would surely amount to something
  • At fourteen Yan Zhenqing was already writing excellent calligraphy
  • He heard that the renowned minister Zhang Xu was the greatest calligrapher in the land so he traveled far to seek his teaching
  • Zhang Xu looked at his characters in silence for a long time
  • Then he said something that Zhenqing would never forget
  • Calligraphy reflects the man a steady heart creates steady brushstrokes
  • Yan Zhenqing knelt before his teacher and bowed three times
  • From then on he practiced calligraphy in the day and studied the classics at night
  • Through summer heat and winter cold he never stopped
  • At twenty-two Yan Zhenqing passed the imperial examination
  • When the news arrived his mother wept with joy
  • She had waited for this day
  • The court appointed him as Liquan Sheriff and later promoted him to Censor
  • He traveled to Hehan and exposed injustices
  • On his first day in office heavy rain suddenly fell upon the land
  • The people said it was because Master Yan had arrived and the injustices were finally righted even Heaven was moved
  • This became known as the Censor's Rain
  • Later he was transferred to be the prefect of Pingyuan present-day Dezhou in Shandong
  • Shortly after taking office Yan Zhenqing discovered a terrifying secret
  • The military governor An Lushan in Fanyang was secretly building up his forces
  • On the surface An Lushan seemed simple but in reality he was extremely ambitious
  • The entire court was fooled by his act
  • Only Yan Zhenqing saw through his disguise
  • He began making secret preparations
  • Repairing the city walls deepening the moat recruiting strong men
  • In the daytime he would drink and make merry with guests as usual
  • At night he secretly trained soldiers and stored grain
  • When An Lushan heard that Yan Zhenqing was just a weak scholar he laughed aloud
  • He thought there was nothing to worry about
  • In the year 755 An Lushan finally rose in rebellion
  • A hundred and fifty thousand troops marched southward
  • The Tang armies were defeated again and again
  • Seventeen commanderies in Hebei fell completely
  • Families fled with their belongings everywhere was chaos
  • The entire north was shrouded in war and fire
  • Only Pingyuan city still flew its flag
  • Yan Zhenqing stood on the city tower gazing at the distant smoke of battle
  • He knew very well he only had slightly over ten thousand militiamen
  • While the rebels had a hundred and fifty thousand
  • The odds of victory were virtually nonexistent
  • But he could not retreat
  • Behind him lay the lives of hundreds of thousands of common people
  • He gathered all the soldiers and citizens in the city and spoke with passionate conviction
  • An Lushan is a traitor how can citizens of Tang submit to him
  • Those willing to defend the city with me follow me
  • The moment his voice fell the crowd below knelt in unison
  • We are willing to fight to the death with you
  • Yan Zhenqing's eyes grew moist
  • He made a decision
  • He brought his entire family of forty-six people to the battlefield
  • Wives children nephews servants
  • He told his family this battle is not for titles or fame
  • It is for a clear conscience
  • The battle began
  • The rebels attacked fiercely arrows fell like rain
  • Yan Zhenqing personally stood on the most dangerous northern wall
  • A stray arrow struck his arm
  • Blood soaked through his sleeve
  • He bandaged the wound and continued directing the defense
  • The soldiers were inspired by his courage fighting more and more fiercely
  • In the daytime Yan Zhenqing had soldiers beat drums and gongs on the tower bluffing and creating a show of force
  • At night he sent men to dig tunnels and set traps
  • The rebels were completely confused
  • They could not understand how a scholar could be so difficult to defeat
  • The war continued for months
...more
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经典英文绘本By 多吉绘本屋