True Crime-Paranormal-Conspiracy Theories Stories Part V #Wattys2023

Crow Terrace Poetry Trial

The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial(or Crow Terrace Poetry Case, 烏臺詩案)was a trial on charges including treason and lèse majesté thatoccurred in the year 1079 of Song dynasty era in Chinese history. Thelegal action conducted against Su Shi ("Dong Po") bygovernment prosecutors has abiding interest in the case of governmentcensorship versus artistic freedom. "Crow Terrace"refers to the nickname of the Imperial Office of the Censorate (御史臺),which prosecuted the case, citing Sung Criminal Code, Article 122:"Denouncing the Imperial Chariot". The mostprominent figure of the dozens accused was the official and artist SuShi (1037 – 1101), whose works of poetry were produced in court asevidence against him.

The trial was a major landmark in thestruggle for free speech, in medieval China. The trial resulted in SuShi's conviction and exile, as well as the conviction of over thirtyother individuals, who faced varying punishments including fines andofficial reprimands. The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial had thesignificant effect of dampening subsequent creative expression andset a major negative precedent for freedom of speech, at least forthe remainder of Song Dynasty China. Besides the significance of theCrow Terrace Poetry Trial for Su Shi and poetry, it is also a ratherremarkably well-documented instance of a medieval Chinese literaryprosecution, with surviving copies of indictments, arguments, casedisposition; not to mention numerous of Su Shi's poems, which wereentered as evidence.

General background

The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial tookplace in 1079, the 2nd year of the Yuanfeng era (Yuán Fēng 元豐;"Primary Abundance") 1078–1085 of the Song dynasty.The disparate states of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periodhad been unified by the first Song ancestor, Zhao Kuangyin (EmperorTaizu of Song); and, the capital city established in Kaifeng. TheCrow Terrace Affair occurred during the reign of Emperor Shenzong ofSong, who was then emperor: he was born in 1048 and reigned from 1067to 1085.

Poetic background

As Alfreda Murck puts it: "Poetrypervaded the lives of educated scholars in the Song dynasty"(51). The poetic legacy was greatly derived from poetry of the Tangdynastic era. Especially important was the work of the Tang poet DuFu (Murck, 52-59). Du Fu (712 – 770) had a revival of interest inhis poetry during the Song dynastic era. One of Du Fu's poems was"Autumn Day in Kui Prefecture": written in and aboutthe exile experience in Kui Prefecture.

Su Shi's early life

Su Shi (1037 – 1101) also hassometimes been known as Dongpo. It was he who was put on trial in1079, in the Crow Terrace Poetry Affair. Su Shi "Dongpo"was already a prominent and popular poet, as well as being deeplyinvolved in the factional political of the time. Su Shi's careerbegan with particular promise. His father, Su Xun, was a knownscholar-official and his brother, Su Zhe, followed. The brotherspassed the imperial civil service tests in 1057 with honors (followedup in 1061 with specially-decreed examinations). Thus, Su Shi came tothe attention of emperor Renzong, who reigned from 1022 to 1063. Notonly that, but Su Shi obtained the patronage of prominent governmentofficial and renowned poet Ouyang Xiu. When Renzong died in 1063, hewas replaced by Yinzong, who ruled for 4 years till his death. Thenew emperor was the 19-year-old Shenzong, who was eager for a fulltreasury to fund his ambitions of re-conquest of the former Tangempire's northern territories, which had been incorporated intoneighboring, non-Chinese empires (Murck, 32).