Tao Hongjing's Health Preservation - Resignation from Official Position and Retirement

Hongjing was erudite and knowledgeable, having read over ten thousand volumes and being well-versed in all aspects of the six Classics, the philosophers, and their histories and biographies. At the age of 17, he was one of the four Outer Ming Friends of the Song Dynasty along with Jiang Xuewen, Chu Xuan and Liu Jun. When Emperor Gaozu of Qi was the prime minister, he served as the attendant to the princes. Apart from being invited by the court, most of the major matters of court ceremonies were determined by him. Although he was in a noble family, he lived alone in a room, shut himself away from external things, and devoted himself solely to reading. Day and night, he studied and copied the collection of talismans, diagrams and scriptures, and engaged in various ways of health preservation and food intake. Gradually, he reached the stage of exploring the mysterious and the subtle. Over the years, I gradually gained enlightenment and developed the aspiration to retreat and cultivate myself. In the tenth year of Yongming of the Qi Dynasty, on the day of Renshen, he decided to go out and retire. At first, he did not submit a memorial to Emperor Wu of Qi for his departure. He left without saying goodbye, hung his court robe at the Deer Market of Shenwu Gate, and walked out of the East Pavilion. Then he told his entourage, "Don't let others know," and went to bid farewell to his good friend Wang Yan. Wang Yan was well aware of his will and said to him, "The Emperor is very strict in governing affairs and does not allow his subjects to do anything strange. If you leave without saying goodbye like this, you may offend the imperial edict. If the emperor holds you accountable, you will not achieve your goal." Hongjing thought for a long time and replied, "I originally intended to fulfill my long-cherished wish, not for fame or fortune. What you said does make sense. You should speak your mind directly to the emperor." So Hongjing submitted a memorial to Chen Cheng, expressing his intention to retire from his official position. The gist of the table is that I have heard that there was a trend of health preservation both during the reign of Emperor Yao and in the Han Dynasty. I have been an official for a long time. How could I yearn for wealth and honor? What I have learned is not for profit and power. Therefore, I often long to return to nature, lead a rural life and appreciate the beauty of nature. I am about to leave the palace. Before I depart, I am filled with deep longing and can only submit a memorial to express my feelings. Emperor Wu of Qi, after reading Hongjing's memorial of official dismissal, was deeply moved. Not only did he issue an edict to approve Hongjing's request, but he also bestowed rewards upon him, including ten bolts of silk and twenty sticks of candles. Also, 勑 : I will give five jin of poria cocos and two dou of white honey as bait. Give him strong support for his health preservation and spiritual practice. So Hongjing set out into the mountains. Before he left, the nobles saw him off at the Zhenglu Pavilion. The tents were very generous and the chariots were marked on the road. People all said that it was an unprecedented grand event since the Song and Qi Dynasties, and both the court and the country were honored. Hongjing and his group stopped at Gouqu Mountain in Gourong to facilitate the construction of a museum in the mountains. Hongjing said that this mountain is the cave of Jintan, surrounded by a radius of 150 li. It is called the Sky of Huayang and was the residence of the Three Maoli in charge of life during the Han Dynasty, thus it was named Maoshan. Hongjing built a residence and lived in seclusion on this mountain, calling himself Huayang Seclusion. Therefore, people called him Tao Yinyu. From then on, Hongjing began his more than forty-year-long life of seclusion and spiritual practice. After Hongjing retired to seclusion, Shen Yue was appointed as the governor of Dongyang Prefecture at that time. Out of admiration for his aspirations and integrity, he wrote to him many times, inviting him to take up an official position. However, Shen Yue politely declined each time. Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, had a very close relationship with Hongjing in his early years. When Emperor Wu ascended the throne, the initial state title was still undetermined. Hongjing quoted various divination records, all of which formed the character "Liang", and submitted them to Emperor Wu, informing him that "Liang" was a lucky charm. Emperor Wu then established the state title of Liang. Later, Emperor Wu intended to invite Hongjing to serve in the imperial court. He personally wrote an edict to summon him and bestowed upon him a deerskin scarf. Despite repeated invitations, Hongjing ultimately refused. He then drew a picture of two oxen for Emperor Wu. In the picture, one ox was scattered among water plants, the other had a golden head, and someone was holding a rope and driving him away with a staff. Emperor Wu, upon seeing the picture, smiled and said, "This man has no desires. If he wants to imitate the turtle with its tail, how could there be any reason to do so?" So there was no longer any matter of appointing officials. However, whenever there was a major event in the state, they would all go to consult. Between the emperor and Hongjing, letters never ceased and were exchanged every month. Every time the emperor received his letter, he would burn incense and accept it with piety, showing an expression of utmost respect. Therefore, people at that time called him "the prime minister in the mountains".