The "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" refers to the Seven Sages of the Three Kingdoms Wei Dynasty (240-249), Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Shantao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Wang Rong and Ruan Xian. Because often in Shanyang County (now Hui County, Henan) under the bamboo forest, drinking, singing, wanton hearty, the world is called "seven sages", and later with the place name "bamboo forest" together.

The "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" are not only famous in literature, but also well-known as good drinkers.

His deeds are recorded in ancient documents, and they are also reflected in famous paintings and unearthed cultural relics.

In the tomb of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Xishanqiao, Nanjing City, a carved brick mural was found "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest", the figure on the picture has a wide-sleeved gown, the collar is open, sitting in the bamboo forest with his feet and chest, Ji Kang caress the qin, Ruan Xian plays the kite, Liu Ling holds the cup, Ruan Ji, Shantao, Wang Rong sit on the ground, put a wine glass in front of him, Xiang Xiu seems to be drunk, and sits on the ground in a depressed manner.

The "Seven Sages" painted by the Eastern Jin Dynasty painter Shi Daoshuo is also based on the theme of "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest".

Tang Changcan's "Portrait of the Seven Sages" vividly depicts the unique style of the seven sages.

In addition, the Shanghai Museum collects a Tang Dynasty painter Sun Wei's "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest", also known as "Gao Yi Tu", this picture is woven and colored, the picture has been mutilated, only four figures remain: the upper body **, the mountain Tao sitting on his knees, Wang Rong holding Ruyi and sitting barefoot, Liu Ling holding a wine glass and looking back at nausea, and Ruan Ji holding a dusty tail fan and sneering on his face, are all depicted into three points.

The "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" lived in the relatively dim era of the reign of the Jin Dynasty, and because they were dissatisfied with the rulers of the current dynasty, they often "drank and fell asleep" and "left the world", praising the doctrine of Lao Zhuang, and indulging in wine and talking. Just as Du Fu said, "Drink and talk about yourself, and play songs to break everything", in addition to borrowing wine to eliminate sorrows, the main purpose is to hide in the wine country and escape from the world.

Song Ye Mengde said, "Jin people talk a lot about drinking, but as for being drunk, they may not really care about wine." It is difficult to cover the time, but it is only thanks to wine, which can alienate the world. Since Chen Ping and Cao Shen, this strategy has been used...... It was passed on to Ji, Ruan, and Liu Ling's disciples, so they wanted to use it completely as a plan to protect their lives,...... The drinker may not drink violently, and the drunk may not be really drunk! ”

The "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" used alcohol to avoid political persecution and personnel disputes, and often made some grotesque and crazy actions.

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Here, two of them are specifically mentioned, one is Liu Ling.

Liu Ling (year of birth and death unknown, one theory believes that about 221-about 300 years), the word Bolun, a native of Peiguo (now Huaibei, Anhui), was a famous scholar in the Wei and Jin dynasties

Liu Ling is famous for her good drinking and booze. Its large amount of alcohol is unparalleled in the world, and it can be called the "drunken star" of ancient China. The legend of "Du Kang made wine and drunk Liu Ling" is widely spread among the people.

According to records, Liu Ling rarely speaks on weekdays, but drinks for pleasure. Liu Ling often took wine with him, and ordered someone to follow him with a shovel, and ordered, "If I am drunk to death, bury me on the spot." ”

Liu Ling's wife saw that he was crazy about drinking, and persuaded him hard, Liu Ling said to his wife: "It's okay for me to quit drinking, but I can't make up my mind, I can only quit with the power of ghosts and gods, you go and buy wine and meat to worship ghosts and gods!" ”

His wife was very happy to hear this, and immediately prepared wine and food, and asked Liu Ling to swear to the ghosts and gods. Beware of the woman's words. ”

After that, he took wine and meat and drank wildly, and in an instant, he was drunk like mud.

One day, his wife made a large vat of wine, and Liu Ling wanted to drink it again, and his wife said, "When the wine is ripe, let you get drunk." ”

The wine was ripe, his wife called Liu Ling to drink, Liu Ling excitedly opened the lid of the wine, the wine was fragrant, Liu Ling couldn't help but lean over and drink, his wife pushed him into the wine tank, then pressed the lid, and said angrily to Liu Ling in the tank: "This time you have enough to drink!" ”

Three days later, Liu Ling's wife heard the silence in the jar, hurriedly opened the cylinder head, and found that the wine in the jar had bottomed out, Liu Ling hung her head and sat on the lees, her wife thought Liu Ling was dead, so she was so anxious that she shouted loudly, who knew that Liu Ling slowly raised her head and said to her wife with a smile: "Didn't you promise me to let me get drunk?" Why do you want me to sit here now? ”

His wife laughed and laughed, knowing that she could not get him to quit drinking, so she had to let him get drunk day by day.

Liu Ling has a broad temperament and is not bound by etiquette, often gets drunk, strips off her clothes, and sways naked in the house while drinking.

One day, someone went to visit Liu Ling, and when he saw him like this, he couldn't stand it anymore and ridiculed him: "You are also a person in the religion, and it seems that such behavior is really unseemly." ”

When Liu Ling heard this, she rolled her eyes drunken and said, "I take heaven and earth as my house and my house as my clothes, why did you run into my pants?" ”

The guests were speechless.

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The other is Nguyen.

Ruan Ji, born in the fifteenth year of Han Jian'an (210), lost his father at the age of three, and was raised by his mother.

After his father's death, his family was poor, and Ruan was diligent in his studies and talented, and he was able to write articles at the age of eight and play the piano all day long. In his youth, he was tireless in learning and loved to study Confucian poetry and books, and at the same time, he also showed that he admired the wealth and prosperity of the ancient sages, and took the ancient sages with high morals and happiness and poverty as an example.

Ruan Ji also practiced martial arts at the same time as studying literature, and his "Yonghuai Poems" wrote: "Young people learn fencing, and their wonderful skills pass through Qucheng."

Ruan Ji was withdrawn and frivolous, and when he was about sixteen or seventeen years old, he once accompanied his uncle Ruan Xi to Dongjun to Chongzhou to assassinate Wang Chang (chǎ).

g) When meeting him, he "did not say a word all day long", and Wang Chang "thought he was unpredictable".

Ruan Ji has the ambition to help the world in politics, once climbed Guangwu City, watched the battlefields of Chu and Han Dynasty, and sighed "There is no hero when there is no hero, so that the erector becomes famous!"

Zhong Hui was Sima's confidant, and he asked Ruan Ji many times about his views on current affairs, and Ruan Ji was spared by drunkenness.

Sima Zhao himself also talked to him several times to test his political views, and he always dealt with the past with far-reaching speeches and incomprehensible words, so that Sima Zhao had to say "Ruan Sizong is extremely cautious."

It is said that in order to win over Ruan Zhi, Sima Zhao, Emperor Wen of Jin, proposed to Ruan Zhinu for his son Sima Yan, and wanted to marry Ruan Zhi, Ruan Zhi began to drink desperately every day in order to avoid this family business, and he was drunk every day, and he did not wake up for 60 days, every day, the person who was ordered to come to propose marriage could not open his mouth to him at all, and finally, he had to return to Sima Zhao, Sima Zhao said helplessly, "Alas, forget it, this drunk, let him go!" (For details, see "The Book of Jin • The Biography of Ruan")

Ruan Ji doesn't speak often, but he often uses his eyes as props and looks at people with "white eyes" and "blue eyes".

Treat those you hate, with white eyes; Treat those you like, with blue eyes.

It is said that after his mother died, Ji Kang's elder brother Ji Xi came to mourn, but because Ji Xi was an official in the court, that is, a person of etiquette in the eyes of Ruan Ji, he didn't care about the etiquette during the funeral, so he gave Ji Xi a big eye; Later, Ji Kang came with wine and a piano, and he was overjoyed, and immediately turned from white eyes to blue eyes.

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Ruan is a good wine, next to his house is the hotel, and the hostess is a young and beautiful daughter-in-law. Ruan Ji often went to eat and drink with Wang Rong, and when he was drunk, he lay down next to others and fell asleep as if nothing had happened, not avoiding suspicion at all.

The husband of that family didn't think he had done anything wrong.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, it was taken for granted that men and women were not close to each other, but Ruan Ji did not pay attention to it at all. Once, when his sister-in-law wanted to go back to her parents' house, Ruan Ji not only made a trip for her sister-in-law, but also specially sent her on the road.

In the face of the gossip and criticism of others, Ruan Ji said, "Is the etiquette law set up for my generation? ”

During Ruan Ji's funeral for his mother, he drank wine and ate meat at the banquet of King Wen of Jin (Sima Zhao).

He Zeng, the lieutenant of Si Li, was also present, and he said to King Wen, "You are ruling the country with filial piety, and Ruan Ji is attending your banquet during your mother's funeral, drinking wine and eating meat, and you should exile him to a remote place and educate him with righteous customs." ”

King Wen said, "The heir is so sad and depressed, you can't share his sorrows, why do you still say that?" Besides, if you are sick during the funeral, you can drink wine and eat meat, which is also in line with the funeral!"

Ruan Ji was still drinking wine and eating meat, looking calm.

When his mother died, he was playing chess with others, and his chess friends advised him to hurry home, but Ruan Ji insisted on finishing the game, and then drank and cried loudly, vomiting blood from his mouth, and almost fainted.