The Forbidden City was constructed by Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty after he seized the throne and relocated the capital. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the royal descendants scattered, living in hiding under assumed names.
In the auction market, paintings of birds and fish with "rolled eyes" are often labeled as works by "Bada Shanren" of the Qing Dynasty. For instance, the painting "Solitary Bird" sold for 62.72 million yuan (Image 1).
"Bada Shanren," originally named Zhu Tongluan, was a descendant of Zhu Quan, the sixteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was later renamed Zhu Da.
The four characters "Bada Shanren" resemble the words "crying and laughing."
From royalty to a fugitive, Zhu Da's dramatic life changes led to self-reproach and anger. Refusing to die, he mockingly cried and laughed at his own survival.
His younger brother, Zhu Daoming, signed his calligraphy and paintings as "Niu Shi Hui," written in cursive script resembling "I will not bow to the emperor," expressing his defiance against the Qing Dynasty (Image 2).
The brothers' pseudonyms start with "Ba" and "Niu," respectively, splitting the character "Zhu."
Their lives were tumultuous and long, filled with hardships that seemed to span multiple lifetimes. At the age of seventy-six, Zhu Da wrote:
"Time itself is long, but for the busy, it is shortened.
The world is wide, but for the humble, it is narrow.
Wind, flowers, snow, and moon are leisurely, but for the worried, they are burdensome.
Time changes, and one should remain unfazed by fortune or disgrace, leisurely watching the flowers bloom and fall in the courtyard.
Whether one leaves or stays, it should be without concern, following the heavens, as the snow drifts and the clouds float."