In June of the 10th year of Yuanhe in Tang Xianzong (AD 8 15), Liu Zongyuan was demoted as an official in Liuzhou, and Zhiyuan died in Liuzhou on June 8th in 14 (AD 8 19). Although his time in Liuzhou was only four years, he did many good things for the people of Liuzhou, such as rebuilding Confucius Temple, setting up schools and academies, breaking the superstition of witches and gods, digging drinking wells, releasing slaves and aunts, and planting trees, which promoted the development of local civilization in Liuzhou and left a far-reaching impact in history. People in Liuzhou miss him very much, and they built a shrine for him, which has been dedicated to him for thousands of years. The legend about him is widely circulated.
"Dragon City Stone Carving" for Fumin and Exorcising Ghosts
Liu Hou Temple in Longcheng, now a replica of Longcheng Stone Carving ("Sword Monument"), is a broken stone monument more than one foot long and six inches high, engraved with "Dragon Willow, God Protection; Exorcise ghosts, draw swords, bless four people, nine ugliness. Yuan and twelve years. Liu Zongyuan. " According to legend, when this "Dragon City Stone Carving" was unearthed, there was a dagger next to it, so it was also called "Jian Ming". This is an inscription written by Liu Zongyuan to his subordinates Zhong Wei, Xie Ning, Ouyang Yi and others two years before his death. As soon as he waved his hand, the onlookers at the scene thought that the brushwork was vigorous and powerful, and the content was also a rare masterpiece expressing love for the people and cursing evil forces. It is suggested that in order to pass it on to the next generation, it is better to carve it on a stone. With the consent of Liu Zongyuan, he called a stonemason, carved this inscription into a monument and buried it underground with a dagger he was wearing. Thousands of years later, it was inadvertently excavated by a common people, but it was soon lost, leaving only rubbings. Because it is a sacred object that can be buried in the ground and carried with you to protect yourself, many businessmen who went to Beijing in the Qing Dynasty to take the southern examination and have been in business for many years will collect Longcheng stone rubbings with them during their travels for good luck.
Lost and Recovered "Lizi Monument"
Lizi Monument is an annual memorial song written by Han Yu, a famous writer in Tang Dynasty, for Liu Zongyuan, which is selected from Appreciating the Soul in Liuluochi Temple Monument. This inscription was inscribed on 12 17 (Jiading 10 in Song Dynasty), and it was called "lizi" because it had the word "lizi" at the beginning. Because the inscription is a masterpiece written by Han Yu and an excellent running script written by Su Dongpo, a famous calligrapher in the Song Dynasty, it praises Liu Zongyuan's excellent story. Therefore, it is called "Liu's tablet of perilla in Chinese poetry" and "Three Wonders Tablet". This monument now stands in the temple of Liu Hou, and we can see that it is broken and assembled. There is a story circulating in Liuzhou. In the Ming, Jia and Qing dynasties, the "Lizi Monument" was destroyed by war. Later, when building the outer city of Longcheng, a sergeant picked up half a "Lizi monument" to build a wall. However, every time it is built into the wall, the wall collapses. Later, it was discovered that it was part of the "Lizi Monument". The people present finally woke up and realized that building the wall was disrespectful to Liu Hou and was punished by the collapse. So we have to take this broken stone tablet back to Liu Hou Temple, and put it together with the "Lizi Stone Tablet" left in its original place, so that this precious cultural relic can be completely preserved.
Four Good Things Liu Zongyuan Did in Liuzhou
Liu Zongyuan devoted himself to reform in places closely related to people's lives. The most obvious achievements are mainly in the following aspects: releasing slaves, digging wells, setting up schools, reclaiming land, and so on. The first is to release the handmaiden. Liuzhou used to be a primitive and wild place. At that time, it followed a cruel custom. "If you take money from men and women and redeem it from time to time, you will become a handmaiden." Not paying back the money is equivalent to being a slave, and once you are a slave, you will be a slave for life. Liu Zongyuan issued a decree to "reform the rural law" so that people who become handmaiden can still pay. The law has formulated a set of measures to release handmaiden, stipulating that the person who becomes a handmaiden can convert his salary according to the working hours during his service to creditors. After the salary is paid off, I will immediately resume my freedom of life and go home to reunite with my relatives. This move was welcomed by the poor people and later extended to counties outside Liuzhou. Another important thing that Liu Zongyuan did in Liuzhou was to vigorously organize and develop cultural and educational undertakings. Liuzhou has been in a closed and backward environment because it is located in remote ethnic minority areas and far away from civilized and developed cities. Bad customs have long controlled people's minds and hearts. After Liu Zongyuan came to power, he founded many schools and adopted various methods to encourage children to study actively, which fundamentally improved the national quality. In addition to politics, Liu Zongyuan also patiently accepted young students' visits and coaxed them. In view of the local people's superstitious and backward customs, Liu Zongyuan prohibited Jianghu witch doctors from defrauding people. At the same time, promote medicine and train local doctors to serve the people. Liu Zongyuan is not only satisfied with the dissemination of knowledge, but also committed to changing old ideas and ways of thinking. He made Liuzhou, which never dared to drill wells, drill several wells in succession. Liuzhou people, who have lived on the sky for generations and grew up drinking rain and river water, have since drunk clean and sweet groundwater.
This is a great event in the life of Liuzhou people. The change of drinking water is a reflection of lifestyle changes, and it also drives the renewal of people's way of thinking. Then, Liu Zongyuan turned his attention to the problem of backward agriculture. There are many hills in the local area, and there are large areas of wasteland outside the city. Liu Zongyuan saw the hardships of people's lives and was determined to improve this situation. As an official, he called on and organized idle rural laborers to reclaim land, plant trees and vegetables, and encourage the development of production. Only when there is enough land can we produce enough food and vegetables, and people's lives can get rid of hunger and poverty. With the efforts of Liu Zongyuan, the cultivated land area in Liuzhou has greatly increased. Only one wasteland in Dayun Temple has planted 30,000 bamboo poles and 100 beds of vegetables. He made an immortal contribution to the transformation of one side's soil and water. In addition, Liu Cishi also attaches great importance to urban beautification. He attaches great importance to tree planting, and even if he is in poor health, he personally participates in tree planting activities. At that time, many willows were planted in the city and by the river. His concept of civilization also permeated into urban construction and planning. During his reign, Liu Zongyuan renovated many streets, built some temples and developed many natural landscapes. Well: It is said that Liuzhou could not find a well before Liu Zongyuan arrived in Liuzhou. Thousands of families, more than 10 thousand people, all the drinking water is with a small mouth and a big belly. It is extremely difficult to go up and down the narrow cliff road to fetch water from Liujiang. If the weather is dry and shallow, the distance to the river will be farther; In rainy season, roads are slippery and muddy, and it is even more dangerous to draw water. If you are not careful, the person who draws water will roll down the steep slope. If you are light, your hands and feet will be broken, and if you are heavy, you will die. After Liu Zongyuan arrived in Liuzhou, he observed people's feelings and decided to dig wells for residents to drink. He ordered his subordinate Jiang Yan to lead dozens of soldiers to dig the first well in the north of the city. After a period of intense construction day and night, the well water was drilled to a depth of 66 feet. At this time, the people of Liuzhou came to watch this miracle. Some of these people have never seen a well until they are seventy or eighty years old. They couldn't help cheering when they drank the clear well water. Before Liu Zongyuan dug a well, someone tried to dig it, but it all collapsed, saying that it hurt "Long Mai" and destroyed "Feng Shui". Therefore, they dare not continue to dig. Liu Zongyuan did not believe in "falsehood" and invested a lot of manpower and material resources. Finally, he succeeded in drilling a well and did a good thing that benefited the ages. Since then, there have been wells in Liuzhou. In the last four years of the rest of his life in Liuzhou, Liu Zongyuan, as a local official, devoted his life's talent and efforts to paving a road to civilized society for the local people. Liu Zongyuan's four years in Liuzhou, from his personal point of view, is the sighing end of his political career. But as a famous minister in Liuzhou history, his energy and contribution are memorable and cannot be forgotten. Liu Zongyuan is like a candle in the wind, burning himself tenaciously and illuminating a barren place with all his light.