Su Shi and Su Zhe

Su Shi and Su Zhe: The Thousand-Year Love Affair of the First Chinese Literary Brother CP

I. A Miracle in the Imperial Examinations: Three Geniuses Shaking Bianjing

1.Archives of the Meishan Su Brothers:

2. The Historic Moment in the Second Year of Jiayou (1057)

• 1057 Imperial Examination:

◦ Chief examiner Ouyang Xiu mistakenly thought Su Shi’s paper was written by his disciple Zeng Gong and reluctantly gave it second place.

◦ Su Zhe passed the exam with his essay On the Utmost Loyalty and Benevolence in Punishments and Rewards.

• Emperor Renzong marveled: “Today, I have gained two prime ministers for my descendants!”

II. The Bond of Brothers amid Political Ups and Downs

1. The Life-and-Death Rescue in the Wutai Poetry Case (Interactive Timeline)

timeline  

    July 1079  : Su Shi was convicted for his poems  

    August-December  : Su Zhe submitted three earnest petitions, including *Memorial to the Throne for My Brother Shi’s Imprisonment*  

    January 1080  : Su Zhe voluntarily requested demotion to save his brother: “I wish to surrender all my official positions to atone for my brother’s crime.”  

     Final Judgment : Su Shi was banished to Huangzhou; Su Zhe to Yunzhou (present-day Gao’an, Jiangxi)  

2. Their Daily Banter and Affection

• Su Shi’s Tease:

“Ziyou is as thin as a bamboo, worn out from traveling roads” (Teasing Ziyou).

• Su Zhe’s Defense:

His brother’s bold style was “profound and placid, with a lingering charm” (Epitaph for Mr. Dongpo).

3. Ultimate Romance: Mid-Autumn Ci and Poems

• Su Shi’s Prelude to Water Melody: “May we live long and share the beauty of the moon afar” ( written during his longing for Su Zhe in Mizhou).

• Su Zhe’s Prelude to Water Melody: Mid-Autumn in Xuzhou: “The moon cruelly sets westward, never staying for man” (an underrated response).

III. Brothers Complementing Each Other on the Path to Greatness

1.Character Spectrum Comparison

2. Fateful Crossroads

• 1097 Farewell in Hainan:

◦ Su Shi banished to Danzhou (Hainan); Su Zhe to Leizhou (across the Qiongzhou Strait).

◦ The brothers spent their last night together in a dilapidated temple in Tengzhou, never to meet again.

• Final Words:

Su Shi lamented: “Only my brother Ziyou—from his second demotion until my return, we never saw each other again. This pain is unbearable.”

Epilogue:

These two brightest stars in Chinese literary history prove that the best brotherhood is letting each other shine brighter. Their story holds the key to understanding Chinese culture.