"Fifteen provinces in the southeast are rich in gold, and countless grievances belong to celebrities. The close associates of powerful families control everything, while talented people with folding fans occupy high positions. Afraid of hearing about literary inquisitions, they avoid their seats; writing books is all for making a living. Where are the five hundred men of Tian Heng? Could they all have returned and become marquises?"
This poem "Historical Eulogy" by Gong Zizhen was written during the late Qing Dynasty. Although we are not in the late Qing, nor in the Nationalist Government era, every time I read this poem, I always feel as if I am right there in the scene, feeling uneasy and unable to calm down. Is it an illusion, or something else? Who knows?
And recently, there's another thing that has made me, already dull-witted, even more perplexed.
The poem reflects on historical injustices, power dynamics, and the precarious position of intellectuals under oppressive regimes, which may resonate across different eras, evoking similar feelings of unease and uncertainty.