No More Learning

His enemies soon found an opportunity of silencing him. In 814 the Prime
Minister, Wu Yuan-h? ng, was assassinated in broad daylight by an agent
of the revolutionary leader Wu Yuan-chi. Po, in a memorial to the
Throne, pointed out the urgency of remedying the prevailing discontent.
He held at this time the post of assistant secretary to the Princes'
tutor. He should not have criticized the Prime Minister (for being
murdered! ) until the official Censors had spoken, for he held a Palace
appointment which did not carry with it the right of censorship.

His opponents also raked up another charge. His mother had met her death
by falling into a well while looking at flowers. Chu-i had written two
poems entitled "In Praise of Flowers" and "The New Well. " It was
claimed that by choosing such subjects he had infringed the laws of
Filial Piety.

He was banished to Kiukiang (then called Hsun-yang) with the rank of
Sub-Prefect. After three years he was given the Governorship of
Chung-chou, a remote place in Ssech'uan. On the way up the Yangtze he
met Yuan Ch? n after three years of separation.
They spent a few days
together at I-ch'ang, exploring the rock-caves of the neighbourhood.

Chung-chou is noted for its "many flowers and exotic trees," which were
a constant delight to its new Governor. In the winter of 819 he was
recalled to the capital and became a second-class Assistant Secretary.
About this time Yuan Ch? n also returned to the city.

In 821 the Emperor Mou Tsung came to the throne. His arbitrary
mis-government soon caused a fresh rising in the north-west. Chu-i
remonstrated in a series of memorials and was again removed from the
capital--this time to be Governor of the important town of Hangchow.
Yuan now held a judicial post at Ningpo and the two were occasionally
able to meet.

In 824 his Governorship expired and he lived (with the nominal rank of
Imperial Tutor) at the village of Li-tao-li, near Lo-yang. It was here
that he took into his household two girls, Fan-su and Man-tz? , whose
singing and dancing enlivened his retreat. He also brought with him from
Hangchow a famous "Indian rock," and two cranes of the celebrated
"Hua-t'ing" breed. Other amenities of his life at this time were a
recipe for making sweet wine, the gift of Ch'? n Hao-hsien; a harp-melody
taught him by Ts'ui Hsuan-liang; and a song called "Autumn Thoughts,"
brought by the concubine of a visitor from Ssech'uan.

In 825 he became Governor of Soochow.