Gu Yu, as the name suggests, means sowing Valley rain. In the season of grain rain, the rain will increase, which is greatly conducive to the growth of cereal crops. Then why did Gu Yu go to admire peonies? Let's get to know it with me.
Why should Gu Yu admire peonies
"The beauty of the country and the fragrance of the heaven are peerless, and the spring is late when the grain rain comes." Before and after Gu Yu, the peony is in full bloom, colorful and competing for excellence. Therefore, the peony is also called Gu Yu flower. It is the only flower named after the solar term.
There is a popular saying that "after three days of Gu Yu, you can see peonies in the garden". Appreciating peonies has become an important recreational activity in people's leisure.
Legend of the origin of Gu Yu's appreciation of peony flowers 1:
It is said that on a snowy day in the middle of winter, Wu Zetian drank wine and wrote a poem, and wrote an imperial edict with a drunken pen: "travel to the garden in the Ming Dynasty, rush to herald spring, and send flowers all night. Don't wait for the morning wind to blow." All flowers were frightened by this life and bloomed overnight. Only the peony could not resist the purpose. Wu Zetian became so angry that she demoted the peony to Luoyang. As soon as the strong and unyielding peony arrived in Luoyang, he held his head high and in full bloom. This angered Empress Wu, and ordered the peony to be burned. Who knows that although the peony branches were scorched, they bloomed even more in the next spring.
People have a preference for peonies, which are praised as "vigorous bone and rigid body" and "burnt bone peony". Peony has been cultivated in Luoyang for more than 1500 years. In the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu once compared the peonies in various parts of China and came to the conclusion that "the peony that came out of Luoyang is now the first in the world". Since then, the saying "Luoyang peony is the best in the world" has been handed down.
The origin of Gu Yu's appreciation of peony flowers legend 2:
According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, the Yellow River burst its banks and drowned countless soldiers and civilians. There was a young man named Gu Yu with excellent water quality. He pushed a large wooden box to swim. After sending his elderly mother to the city wall, he swam around and rescued more than a dozen villagers from the flood. At this time, Gu Yu was exhausted. Suddenly, he saw a peony sinking and floating in the flood, crimson flowers like a girl's face, and green leaves swinging on the water, as if waving for help.
So Gu Yu tried his best to save the peony. After saving peony, Gu Yu gives it to an old man beside him. The old man's name is boss Zhao. He is an expert in planting flowers. Boss Zhao took over the peony and promised to plant it in his peony garden to take good care of it.
Two years have passed. That spring, Gu Yu's mother was seriously ill. be completely bedridden. Gu Yu was worried and asked for medical treatment everywhere. He changed all the things he could sell in the house, but his condition still didn't get better. That day, Gu Yu borrowed two liang of silver from boss Zhao and was about to fill medicine for his mother. A young girl floated into the cottage. The woman was as beautiful as the fairy in the painting. She smiled and said, "are you Gu Yu?" Gu Yu nodded hurriedly. The girl said, "my name is Danfeng and I live in East Village.
I have been practicing medicine for generations and treating people's diseases. I heard that my aunt was in poor health, so I came here to deliver medicine. " Then he spread out the red scarf in his hand and put a suit of herbal medicine on the table. There was a faint fragrance in the straw house. Gu Yu didn't know what to do and hurriedly took out the silver and handed it over. Dan Feng said, "I don't accept money for the poor people's medical treatment." Then he went to the bed and looked down at the aunt and said sweetly; "Aunt, I'll decoct medicine for you. Take this medicine and your disease will be effective!" It's strange to say that after taking the medicine, my aunt suddenly felt refreshed and relaxed, and most of her illness went away. For three days in a row, Miss Danfeng came to deliver medicine to aunt.
Soon, Gu Yu's mother's body was stronger than before her illness, with fewer wrinkles on her face and black white hair on her head. She felt that she had endless strength. She saw that Gu Yu and Danfeng were very close. Don't mention how happy I am. I wish I had such a daughter-in-law! Who knows, since Gu Yu's mother got well, girl Danfeng never came again. Aunt waited every day and Gu Yu looked forward to it every day. Every day before dawn, the two women looked east at the gate, but they didn't see her coming.
So they had to go to the East Village to inquire, but they couldn't find her. On the way back, I passed boss Zhao's Baihua garden. Suddenly, I heard the sound of women laughing in the garden. I saw Dan Feng and several other women playing in the moonlight. Gu Yu hurriedly called her name, but found that there was no one in the garden.
Gu Yu squatted in the flowers and looked at a red peony shaking in front of him. Only then did he find that Danfeng was a peony flower. Since then, Gu Yu often went to Baihua garden to help boss Zhao manage peonies. Therefore, Gu Yu has an indissoluble bond with peony.