蘇東坡正月里下鄉(xiāng)察民情

司馬一民

王安石變法中的不少舉措，招致朝廷中許多人的反對。蘇軾、蘇轍兄弟也在其中，兩兄弟議論朝政得失直言不諱，得罪了王安石及“變法黨”。熙寧三年（1070），蘇轍被貶出京師為陳州學(xué)官，第二年熙寧四年（1071）四月，蘇軾也被貶出京師為杭州通判，十一月到任杭州。

熙寧六年（1073）正月，蘇軾（號東坡居士，世稱蘇東坡）奉命去富陽、新城、於潛“視政”。所謂“視政”，也就是巡查，看看下屬縣民生和官員吏治的情況，這是通判的分內(nèi)之事。沒有史料告訴我們當(dāng)時(shí)蘇東坡在富陽、新城、於潛巡查的情形，不過，好在蘇東坡有及時(shí)寫詩的習(xí)慣，他此行寫了多首詩紀(jì)事，我們可以略知蘇東坡此行的一二。

新城即新登。新登位于杭州市西南部，西南連接胥口鎮(zhèn)，與桐廬、臨安接壤，是杭州市富陽區(qū)西部的商貿(mào)中心。三國孫吳黃武五年（226）析富春部分縣地置新城縣，為新登建縣之始。五代十國時(shí)期后梁開平元年（907）為避太祖父朱誠諱，改新城為新登。北宋太平興國三年（978）復(fù)改富春為富陽，后一年又改新登為新城。南宋建炎三年（1129），以杭州為行在所，富陽、新城兩縣隸臨安府，后世縣轄屢有變更。

我們先來讀蘇東坡此行寫的第一首詩《往富陽、新城，李節(jié)推先行三日，留風(fēng)水洞見待》：

春山磔磔鳴春禽，此間不可無我吟。路長漫漫傍江浦，此間不可無君語。金鯽池邊不見君，追君直過定山村。路人皆言君未遠(yuǎn)，騎馬少年清且婉。風(fēng)巖水穴舊聞名，只隔山溪夜不行。溪橋曉溜浮梅萼，知君系馬巖花落。出城三日尚逶遲，妻孥怪罵歸何時(shí)。世上小兒夸急走，如君相待今安有？

李節(jié)推名佖，當(dāng)時(shí)為杭州節(jié)度推官。風(fēng)水洞，據(jù)《杭州圖經(jīng)》載，距錢塘舊治五十里，在楊村慈巖院。洞極大，流水不竭，清風(fēng)微出，故而名為風(fēng)水洞。蘇東坡奉命出巡富陽、新城，李佖比蘇東坡早出杭州城三日，在風(fēng)水洞等候蘇東坡，顯得對蘇東坡很恭敬，蘇東坡寫了此詩作謝。

全詩寫景寫行，讀來輕快，顯出蘇東坡的心情很好。最后兩句“世上小兒夸急走，如君相待今安有”，字面意思是，這世上小孩兒都以急速奔跑為好，現(xiàn)如今像您這樣早早地出城等待同伴的人哪里有啊。似乎在夸獎(jiǎng)李佖的穩(wěn)健。不過，這兩句詩日后卻成了蘇東坡“謗訕新政”的罪證之一，“世上小兒”是指那些推行新法的“新進(jìn)勇銳之士”。蘇東坡自己也在《烏臺(tái)詩案》說：“熙寧六年正月二十七日游風(fēng)水洞，有本州推官李佖知軾到來，在彼等候。軾到乃題詩于壁，其卒章不合云‘世上小兒夸疾走’，以譏世之小人多務(wù)急進(jìn)也?！笨梢娞K東坡雖然已經(jīng)離開了京師朝廷，還是忘不了那里的是是非非。不過，這不是他與王安石個(gè)人之間的恩怨，兩人忠君報(bào)國的出發(fā)點(diǎn)一致，只是政見不同罷了。

接下來我們讀《新城道中二首》：

其一

東風(fēng)知我欲山行，

吹斷檐間積雨聲。

嶺上晴云披絮帽，

樹頭初日掛銅鉦。

野桃含笑竹籬短，

溪柳自搖沙水清。

西崦人家應(yīng)最樂，

煮芹燒筍餉春耕。

其二

身世悠悠我此行，

溪邊委轡聽溪聲。

散材畏見搜林斧，

疲馬思聞卷旆鉦。

細(xì)雨足時(shí)茶戶喜，

亂山深處長官清。

人間岐路知多少，

試向桑田問耦耕。

這兩首詩的大致意思是這樣的——

其一：東風(fēng)知道我要去山里，吹停了連日不斷的雨。嶺上的云朵像戴著棉帽，旭日初升如同銅鉦掛在樹梢。低矮的竹籬旁桃花朝我點(diǎn)頭含笑，沙溪邊柳條像是對我輕舞。居住在西山一帶的人家很快樂，煮葵燒筍犒賞辛苦的春耕人。

其二：人生之路如同我現(xiàn)在行路，牽著馬慢悠悠行走在溪邊。朝廷上的黨爭，有用之材也怕搜林之斧，疲憊的戰(zhàn)馬希望聽到鳴金收兵。茶農(nóng)為細(xì)雨綿綿而高興，在這大山深處有我的好友做著清官。人間的歧路有多少？去問問田里耕作的農(nóng)民吧。

在去往新城途中，眼前明媚秀麗的春光和農(nóng)家的春耕景象，使蘇東坡心情舒暢。似乎連大自然都格外偏愛這位外鄉(xiāng)人，為他的出行，“吹斷檐間積雨聲”，野桃“含笑”點(diǎn)頭，“溪柳”翩翩起舞;“西崦人家”快樂耕作，細(xì)雨潤茶喜上眉梢，簡直就是桃花源里。

在《新城道中二首》的字里行間，我們看到了一位放飛心情的快樂的蘇東坡。

蘇東坡去富陽、新登“視政”以后，緊接著又去了於潛“視政”。雖然正史上沒有記載蘇東坡這次於潛“視政”的具體內(nèi)容，但是蘇東坡留下了三首詩，姑且算“視政”筆記吧。從中，我們可以知道蘇東坡在於潛的一些行蹤。

第一首詩告訴我們蘇東坡考察了於潛官員的政績。於潛縣令刁鑄與蘇東坡同一科考中進(jìn)士，稱為同年?？磥砜疾熘筇K東坡對這位同年的政績是滿意的，要不然，以蘇東坡的性格和為人，是不可能僅僅因?yàn)橥昃徒o予好評的。我們讀他寫的這首《於潛令刁同年野翁亭》，可以看出他對於潛縣令刁鑄的好評：

山翁不出山，溪翁長在溪（自注：前二令作二翁亭）。不如野翁來往溪山間，上友麋鹿下鳧鹥，問翁何所樂，三年不去煩推擠。翁言此間亦有樂，非絲非竹非蛾眉。山人醉后鐵冠落，溪女笑時(shí)銀櫛低。我來觀政問風(fēng)謠，皆云吠犬足生牦。但恐此翁一旦舍此去，長使山人索寞溪女啼（自注：天目山唐道士常冠鐵冠，于潛婦女皆插大銀櫛，長尺許，謂之蓬沓）。

這首詩，初看是蘇東坡為刁鑄建的野翁亭而寫，實(shí)際上蘊(yùn)含著對刁鑄政績的好評?！耙拔虂硗介g”“翁言此間亦有樂”，樂在哪里？“非絲非竹非蛾眉”，樂在安民。何以見得？蘇東坡自答：“我來觀政問風(fēng)謠，皆云吠犬足生牦?！币簿褪钦f，蘇東坡去民間走走，聽到了老百姓對縣令刁鑄的好評，他用一個(gè)典故來形容。《后漢書》記載，岑熙做魏郡太守時(shí)政清民安，連老百姓家看門狗也無所事事，腳底都長出了長毛。最后兩句“但恐此翁一旦舍此去，長使山人索寞溪女啼”的意思說，如果縣令刁鑄離任，道士們會(huì)感到很落寞，民婦會(huì)為此流淚。

第二首詩告訴我們蘇東坡了解了於潛的風(fēng)土人情。蘇東坡的《於潛女》一方面顯示出他觀察民風(fēng)很仔細(xì)，另一方面顯示出他遣詞很傳神：

青裙縞袂於潛女，兩足如霜不穿屨。

觰沙鬢發(fā)絲穿杼，蓬沓障前走風(fēng)雨。老濞宮妝傳父祖，至今遺民悲故主。苕溪楊柳初飛絮，照溪畫眉渡溪去。逢郎樵歸相媚嫵，不信姬姜有齊魯。

在蘇東坡筆下，我們仿佛看到，微風(fēng)細(xì)雨中，江南女子在苕溪邊柳樹下輕盈地走來，青裙白衣飄飄。蘇東坡問，這些女子的神態(tài)服飾，難道不是從吳越王時(shí)期一代代傳下來的？於潛女子，她們夫婦相愛，安享漁樵之樂，看到這樣的人和這樣的美好生活，即使周文王治下的美女們也不能與於潛女子相比。

第三首詩告訴我們蘇東坡游覽了於潛的名勝古跡。正是由于這一次游覽，蘇東坡給我們留下了“寧可食無肉，不可使居無竹”的名句。

於潛縣南舊有寂照寺，於潛僧慧覺在寂照寺出家。蘇東坡一向喜歡結(jié)交佛家之人，到於潛順便去了寂照寺，慧覺相陪游寺。寂照寺內(nèi)有個(gè)綠筠軒，以竹點(diǎn)綴環(huán)境，十分幽雅，蘇東坡看了很喜歡，就寫下了這首《於潛僧綠筠軒》：

寧可食無肉，不可使居無竹。無肉令人瘦，無竹令人俗。人瘦尚可肥，士俗不可醫(yī)。旁人笑此言，似高還似癡。若對此君仍大嚼，世間那有揚(yáng)州鶴？

此君，用的是晉王徽之的典故。王徽之酷愛竹子，有一次他借住在一位朋友家里，見四周沒有竹子，當(dāng)即吩咐找人來種竹，他說：“何可一日無此君?！贝司傅木褪侵褡?。大嚼，也有典故，曹丕《與吳質(zhì)書》有語：“過屠門而大嚼，雖不得肉，貴且快意?！睋P(yáng)州鶴，用的是《殷蕓小說》故事，一群人相聚各談志向，有說想當(dāng)揚(yáng)州刺史，有說想發(fā)財(cái)，有說想騎鶴上天做神仙。還有一人說，要“腰纏十萬貫，騎鶴上揚(yáng)州”，升官、發(fā)財(cái)、成仙都想得到。

這首詩的大意為：寧可沒有肉吃，也不能讓居住的地方?jīng)]有竹子。沒有肉吃會(huì)讓人瘦削，如果看不到竹子就會(huì)讓人變得很俗氣。人如果瘦了還可變肥，人如果俗了就難以變清。旁人若果對此不理解，那么請想一想：既要欣賞高雅的竹子，又要大塊吃肉，這世上哪里會(huì)有“腰纏十萬貫，騎鶴上揚(yáng)州”，升官、發(fā)財(cái)、成仙都得到的好事呢？

Su Dongpo’s Inspection Tours When in Hangzhou

By Sima Yimin

When Wang Anshi （1021-1086）， the prominent Northern Song （960-1127） statesman， pushed through his New Policies — a series of reforms he initiated as the chancellor under Emperor Shenzong （1048-1085）， he courted much controversy as well as opposition. Among the many who voiced their objections were Su Shi （1037-1101）， aka Su Dongpo， and his brother Su Zhe （1039-1112）， for which they were both punished. The latter was banished to Chenzhou （present-day Huaiyang county in Henan province） in 1070， and a year later the former was sent to Hangzhou， demoted to serve as the controller-general （assistant prefect） in Hangzhou.

In the first lunar month of 1073， Su Dongpo was tasked with “shizheng” （literally “inspecting government”） in the counties of Fuyang， Xincheng and Yuqian. ?The so-called “shizheng” was a routine job for officials like Su， who would make regular inspection tours in local areas and review the local officials’ performance. No detailed records are available to show the details of Su’s inspection tour this time. Fortunately， Su kept the good habit of composing poems whenever and wherever he traveled. During this trip， he wrote quite a few， from which we may well glean information and piece together what transpired at the time.

Now， let’s take a look at the first poem of Su’s tour， entitled “To Fuyang and Xincheng， Judge Li Started Three Days in Advance， Waiting for Me at the Fengshui Cave”.

In spring mountains spring birds are chirping，

It wouldn’t do without my poetry-humming.

Along the river it’s a journey long，

It wouldn’t do without you.

At a golden crucian carp pond， you are not found，

For Dingshan village my chase is bound.

Passers-by say not far you are，

A young man riding a horse with grace.

The cave of wind and water long has a good name，

A mountain stream and nighttime block me from enjoy its fame.

The next morning， plum petals float on water under bridge I see，

It must be you tying the horse to the plum tree.

Three days you have been out of town，

Chiding you， your wife and children already ask when you’ll be around.

Kids of the day brag about running fast，

Is there anyone still like you just as patient？

Judging from the poem， Su Dongpo was in a very good mood， with his description of the sceneries along the way and his quips. However， it was the last couplet， ostensibly stating that kids of the day were fond of running as fast as they could and praising Judge Li for his thoroughness in the preparatory work （traveling out of town three days ahead）， that became part of the evidence for his “crimes slandering the New Policies”.

In the Crow Terrace （nickname of the Imperial Office of the Censorate） Poetry Case in 1079， dozens of officials including Su Shi were charged with treason and offence against the emperor. Apparently， “kids of the day” （alternatively interpreted as “petty fellows”） was believed to be a barbed reference to those who were pushing for the reforms. Su admitted as much in his indictment： “… my line ‘Kids of the day brag about running fast，’ was a mockery of those who attempt to rush through all the new ideas.” Even far away from the imperial court， Su was still attached to the affairs of the capital. However， it should be noted that it was mostly a difference of opinions between Su and Wang Anshi than anything personal.

During his stay in Xincheng， Su came up with another two poems. In a modern rendering， the first poem roughly reads： The east wind knows I’m to the mountains， blowing and stopping days of raining. The clouds on the ridge seem to be wearing cotton hats， and the rising sun hanging on the treetops is like a bronze circular bell. The peach blossom by the low bamboo hedge nods and smiles at me， and the wicker by the sand stream dances to me. People living in the West Hills are very happy. They cook bamboo shoots for the hardworking spring plowmen. The second poem reads： The road of life is like the road I tread now， as I lead the horse to walk slowly by the stream. In the imperial court， even the men of talent fear the axe， and the tired war horses wish to hear the sound of gongs signaling retreat. Tea farmers are happy for the continuous drizzle， and in the depths of mountains many good friends of mine serve as upright officials. How many different ways are there in the world？ Better ask the farmers in the field.

Then Su Dongpo went on to Fuyang and Xincheng before arriving in Yuqian， where he composed another three poems. In Yuqian， Su met Diao Zhu， the county magistrate of Yu Qian， and praised his performance. As he said in one of the poems， “I ask the common people in Yuqian， and they say house dogs have grown long hairs under the feet.” Su’s focus was not only on government affairs; he also took notice of local people and customs.

A countrywoman in farm dress and skirt blue

Reveals her frost-white bare feet for she wears no shoe.

A silver hairpin passing through her tousled hair，

Like shuttle in a loom she wades in wind and rain.

Hers is the dress that ancient palace maids did wear： People cannot forget their former master’s reign.

Willow catkins begin to fly beside the brook

Which sees her pass across with her penciled eyebrows.

The woodman comes back， they exchange an amorous look

And won’t believe on earth there is a happier spouse.

In the above poem， “A countrywoman of Yuqian”， translated into English by renowned Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong （1921-2021）， Su depicted the happy life of locals through a countrywoman. It wouldn’t be fitting if Su hadn’t visited any places of interest or historic sites during his trips. In his stay in Yuqian， he went to Jizhao Temple — the name of the temple means “tranquility” （“Ji”） and “illumination” （“Zhao”）， where he uttered the famous line “Live without meat I can， live without the bamboo I can’t.”

Known as one of the “Four Gentlemen”， the bamboo has long been held in high regard in Chinese art and literature. For Su Dongpo， no provision of meat will make one lose a few pounds， which one could still manage to grow back. However， no bamboo in sight will leave one in poor taste， which will hardly， if not impossible， be reversible.