(Zhang Sanfeng stills)
So, what kind of person is Zhang Sanfeng in history? Why did the Ming emperor look for him?
1. Where was Zhang Sanfeng born?
There are always different opinions about Zhang Sanfeng's birthplace. In addition to the Ming Dynasty, he was from Yizhou, Liaodong, and there were various opinions among the people. Some people say that he is from Baoji, Shaanxi, while others say that he is from Pingyang, Zhejiang.
Recently, newly discovered evidence shows that Zhang Sanfeng was born in heping town, Shaowu City, Fujian Province, where Zhang Sanfeng's genealogy was discovered.
As can be seen from the genealogy, Zhang Sanfeng was originally named Zhang Zichong. Its ancestors moved here in the Southern Song Dynasty. The descendants of the local Zhang family confirmed that it has now gone through 34 generations.
Besides Zhang's genealogy, there are many local legends related to Zhang Sanfeng. It is said that the place where Zhang Sanfeng practices is called Wuyang Peak, and he often practices on a bare boulder at the top of the mountain. But also because of alchemy, dozens of meters around are barren.
On Wuyang Peak, there is a Taoist temple named Cui Yun Heng, which was the Dojo of Zhang Sanfeng in that year, and the incense is still strong. On the basis of the stone pillars in the main hall, experts also found that "the autumn moon stands in the season of the 1898 Movement". It shows that this Dojo was really built at the end of Yuan Dynasty.
There is a tea farm halfway up Wuyang Peak. The produced tea can be chewed with copper plates, and it is easy to soften the copper plates and break them into several pieces. Legend has it that this is because Zhang Sanfeng has enchanted this tea farm and has special functions.
2. What is the true image of Zhang Sanfeng in history?
The image of Zhang Sanfeng in Ming History is described as follows: "Tall and powerful, with turtle-shaped crane bones, big ears and round eyes, it will be as high as a halberd."
Zhang Sanfeng only wears cassock, coir and hat all the year round. Cold comes and summer goes, and it will never change. The hair is messy, the beard is as hard as a steel needle, and the unkempt face is called "Zhang slovenly".
Zhang Sanfeng has a big appetite, so he can eat a bucket for a meal. You can also go without food for days or months, and it's still no different from usual. He has an amazing memory, never forgets classics and is humorous by nature.
(founded Wu Tangmen)
3. Why did the emperor of Ming Dynasty go to great pains to find Zhang Sanfeng?
Zhang Sanfeng is the founder of Tai Ji Chuan method and Wudang Neijia boxing method. Inspired by various animal fights in nature, he "imitated nature" and created Wudang Neijia Boxing.
The Ming History called Zhang Sanfeng a Wudang martial artist. He once killed hundreds of thieves with his bare hands.
Zhang Sanfeng is not only good at martial arts, but also knows how to preserve one's health. When practicing Neijia Boxing, breathing and guidance can strengthen the body and prolong life.
At the same time, Zhang Sanfeng is also good at refining all kinds of Dan medicine. Taking Dan medicine while practicing martial arts can get twice the result with half the effort.
After a long period of practice, Zhang Sanfeng is as light as a swallow. When he climbs the mountain, he is flat on the ground, and he can jump from a few feet high without any damage. In the cold season, Zhang Sanfeng can sleep soundly in the snow only by wearing a thin coat. There are several towering old trees outside the Taoist Temple. Zhang Sanfeng often rests under the trees in the middle of the night, but "wild animals don't bite, birds don't fight".
The most amazing thing is that Zhang Sanfeng came back from the dead. According to the Ming History, when Zhang Sanfeng was practicing in Baoji Jintai Temple, he once "died after speaking, left a eulogy, Yang Tieshan and others were buried in coffins, and Sanfeng was resurrected".
In other words, he first predicted that he would die, and then sat on the Taoist temple hall, without any breath. When his disciple Yang Tieshan was preparing to bury him, Zhang Sanfeng suddenly woke up again.
It is precisely because of Zhang Sanfeng's well-known reputation that he knows both martial arts and longevity, which aroused the strong interest of Ming Chengzu. Everyone hopes to find Zhang Sanfeng, teach him how to live a long life, and make his imperial power permanent. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a craze for finding Zhang Sanfeng.
(Zhu stills)
4. Did the Ming Emperor find Zhang Sanfeng?
Zhu Yuanzhang sent a letter to Zhang Sanfeng twice, but failed. There was no trace of Zhang Sanfeng. Later, after Judy acceded to the throne, he was also interested in Zhang Sanfeng. He sent someone to find Zhang Sanfeng several times, but failed to find him.
So Judy sent Hu Guang, the minister, to look for Zhang Sanfeng full-time and gave a death order. If you can't find Zhang Sanfeng, you can come to him. This Hu Guang traveled all over Wudang and returned empty-handed.
Hu Guang thinks Judy must be given an answer. So I had to lie, saying that Zhang Sanfeng was immortal and the Tao soared.
Judy built a Taoist temple in Wudang Mountain, hoping to please Zhang Sanfeng and teach him how to become an immortal. It is said that this cost a lot of money, and dozens of Taoist temples and security halls were built before and after.
From Zhu Yuanzhang to Judy, the Ming emperors searched for Zhang Sanfeng for nearly 30 years. From historical records, such as Biography of Ming Chengzu Enming, we can also find many imperial edicts and decrees of two emperors seeking Zhang Sanfeng, which shows that this is true.
From then on, the emperors in the late Ming Dynasty became more and more obsessed with Zhang Sanfeng. Ming Yingzong gave Zhang Sanfeng a "subtle revelation of reality", Ming Xianzong named him "hide your strength and pursue your ambition", and Ming Shizong named him "a wonderful gentleman".
As for whether the Ming emperor continued to search for Zhang Sanfeng, it is unknown.
5. How old did Zhang Sanfeng live?
Zhang Sanfeng's date of birth and death is unknown in the history books. According to the genealogy of heping town in Shaowu City, Fujian Province, he was born in 1264, but left his birthplace at the age of 20 and traveled all over the world. So there is no exact record of his death in the genealogy.
Based on a lot of historical data, Zhang Sanfeng probably died around 1458, that is to say, Zhang Sanfeng was nearly 200 years old when he died.
However, people in ancient times, can live to this age, it seems that the credibility is not high.
(Reference:
"Ming History" and "Ming Chengzu Enming Record")