Liu Yong (Song dynasty)

The use of incisive narrations, plain images and other artistic expressions by Liu Yong has made a profound impact on Song Ci poetry in later ages.

[4] In the fifth year of the Reign of Emperor Xianping (1002), Liu Yong left his hometown planning to take the examination hosted by the Ministry of Rites (礼部) in the capital city Dongjing (now Kaifeng).

However, while on the way to Dongjing, he greatly enjoyed the life in flourishing cities like Hangzhou and Suzhou, so he decided to provisionally stay.

They judged and criticized Liu Yong and his inverse actions to Chinese conceptions of etiquette (Confucian culture), which also brought a negative impact on his later career.

[5][7] In 1003, Liu Yong wrote a poem named "Viewing Sea Tides" (望海潮·东南形胜) as a greeting letter to Sun He, a competent and well-known officer in Song Dynasty.

Between the years 1004 and 1007, Liu Yong wrote three poems in terms of recalling the memories he had while living in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Though Liu Yong was confident in his talent and ability for positioning in a high rank and successfully becoming an imperial court officer.

[9] But still holding hope for the next trial, Liu Yong wrote the poem "Like fish in water" (如鱼水·帝里疏散) after a period of time.

Liu Yong's actions of writing lyrics about qinglou and his frequent contact with Gejis had damaged his reputation, inducing his failure in examinations several times.

[citation needed] In 1029, Liu Yong came back to Bianjing, but left again feeling grieved that things were still flourishing in the Capital, but people changed.

The reason given was "no positive achievement yet",[3] meaning the reputation accumulated in earlier years was further affecting Liu Yong's career even though his talent and ability were approved.

Touched by the tough lives of the salt workers there, he wrote the poem "Song of Boiling Sea-water", which made a huge impact on society and earned him positivity as a "renowned officer (名宦)" by the people.

[13] In 1050, Liu Yong served as "Assistant Director of Military Colonies" (屯田员外郎),[14] which was the highest official position of his career.

The Siku Quanshu (Chinese: 四库全书 Synopsis of the Four Imperial Libraries) thus comments, "The Ci was originally a kind of seductive music, and Liu Yong's work was charming and intimately emotional, allowing people easy access to it, so though it is quite flawed by its vulgarity, there has been no end of people who have delighted in it.

(Feng ch'i wu 凤栖梧) For long I stand at the window in the gentle breeze Staring into infinity at spring melancholy Somberly growing on the horizon.

拟把疏狂图一醉⑺，对酒当歌，强乐还无味。衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊消得人憔悴。 Another common topic in Liu Yong's work was about his feelings in life, including his self-pity about his career and the agony of his loneliness.

The following lyric "Ho ch'ung t'ien 鹤冲天" expressed his resentment after failing the emperial examination and the spurning of merit and flame.

(Ho ch'ung t'ien 鹤冲天) On the golden announcement board, My name failed to head the list.

Happily someone there I know Worth paying a visit, To embrace red and green; In romantic affairs Finding a lifetime's pleasure.

Verdant spring is gone in a moment And I am ready to exchange An ephemeral name for a cup of wine and a soft song.

They depart with the sunrise and return at sunset; Carried on the back or by boat, with no rest ever, The wood they throw into the great furnace, blazing hot, Burning by day, flaming through the night, until heaped up high At last, is the snow they have made from the ocean's waves, From pools of brine to flying flakes of frost.

Now, weighed in at the official station, it brings a paltry price, And every borrowed string of cash must be repaid with ten.

Due to his rich life experiences with disillusionment in his career and living among ordinary people, his ci has diverse contents and themes.