徐坚

徐坚（659年—729年），字元固，湖州人，唐朝官员。

生平

徐孝德之孙，徐齐聃之子，唐太宗徐贤妃、唐高宗徐婕妤的侄子。幼年智力过人，沛王李贤闻其名，召见他，授纸为赋，更觉讶异，后举进士。圣历中，为东都留守判官，专主表奏，王方庆称为“掌纶诰之选”。杨再思说他：“此凤阁舍人样”。圣历二年（699年），与徐彦伯、刘知几、张说同修《三教珠英》。唐中宗时，为给事中。唐玄宗先天政变杀徐坚妻兄宰相岑羲等，徐坚因早辞机密官职得免。唐玄宗改丽正书院为集贤院，以徐坚充学士。十七年卒，追赠太子少保，谥曰文。著有《初学记》。

夫人故南阳郡夫人岑氏、后妻颍川郡夫人陈照（陈庄曾孙女），子徐峻、徐峤、徐崐等，徐崐为陈照亲生。

《太平广记》录——张说、徐坚同为集贤学士十余年，好尚颇同，情契相得。时诸学士凋落者众，说、坚二人存焉。说手疏诸人名，与坚同观之。坚谓说曰：“诸公昔年皆擅一时之美，敢问艺之先后？”说曰：“李峤、崔融、薛稷、宋之问之文，皆如良金美玉，无施不可。富嘉谟之文，如孤峰绝岸，壁立万仞，丛云郁兴，震雷俱发，诚可异乎？若施之于廊庙，则为骇矣。阎朝隐之文，则如丽色靓妆，衣之绮绣，燕歌赵舞，观者忘忧。然类之风雅，则为俳矣。”。坚又曰：“今之后进，文词孰贤？”说曰：“韩休之文，有如大羹玄酒，虽雅有典则，而薄于滋味。许景先之文，有如丰肌腻体，虽秾华可爱，而乏风骨。张九龄之文，有如轻缣素练，实济时用，而窘于边幅。王翰之文，有如琼林玉斝，虽烂然可珍，而多有玷缺。若能箴其所短，济其所长，亦一时之秀也。”

Xu Jian (Chinese: 徐堅; 659–729), also known as Xu Yuangu, was a literary figure from the Tang dynasty. He is the author of "the Great Hidden Biography" and "the Beginning of Learning Records".

Early life

According to The Old Book of the Tang Dynasty, Xu Jian was born into a family of officials in Changxing, Huzhou, in the fourth year of Xianqing (Ancient Chinese chronology) in the Tang dynasty. Xu Jian studied history and modern society.

Jian's father Xu Qidan was known for his literary attainments. His father was exiled to Qinzhou and died when Xu Jian was 14. He was the head of Qi Zhou prefecture. He died in 673 AD (the fourth year of Tang Xianheng), at the age of 43.

Xu Jian was raised by his grandmother Jiang. When Xu Jian was young, he met Li Xian (Empress Wu Zetian's sixth son) after he was summoned for an interview.

His grandfather Xu Xiao De was a minister in the Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty.

Career

In 699 AD (the second year of the Holy Calendar), Xu Jian wrote "Three Religions Zhuying" with Liu Zhi Ji, Xu Yan Bo, and Zhang Shuo. In 703 AD (the third year of Chang 'an), together with Liu Zhi Ji and Wu Jing, he wrote and revised "The History of the Tang Dynasty", forming 80 volumes of the book under Wu Zetian's edict.

Four years later, in 707 AD (the third year of Shen 'long), Xu Jian, Wu Jing, Liu Zhi Ji and others revised the "Zhe Tian Shi Lu".

In 712 AD, Tang Xuanzong ascended the throne, changed Lizheng college into Jixian college and made Xu Jian the president and Shang Shuo the vice president. Xu was crowned King of the East China Sea. Thirteen year later, in 725 AD (13-year Kai Yuan), he was named Doctor Guanglu.

Works

初学记 (the Beginning of Learning Records)

初学记. The book was composed of 30 volumes.

This book was divided into twenty-four parts, which include 赋, 诗, 颂, 讃, 箴, 铭, 论, 书, 祭文 and other different styles of poetry. In general, this is a collection of poems for learning poetry.

Xu's poetry

《相和歌辞·棹歌行》

棹女饰银钩，新妆下翠楼。 Rowing girl, wearing silver jewellery and new and beautiful makeup, is walking out of the house.

霜丝青桂楫，兰枻紫霞舟。 The quant is as clear as frost, and the hull was made of rosy wood.

水落金陵曙，风起洞庭秋。 The dawn is shining on the river in Jinling, and the breeze brings the autumn flavour of Dongting Lake.

扣船过曲浦，飞帆越回流。 She paddled the boat through tiny waves and past flowing water.

影入桃花浪，香飘杜若洲。 The boat's shadow was reflected on the peach-blossom water, and the scent of flowers filled the whole lake.

洲长殊未返，萧散云霞晚。 After a long time she did not come back, the horizon is purple sunset.

日下大江平，烟生归岸远。 The setting sun had disappeared into the lake, and smoke from cooking was rising from the shore.

岸远闻潮波，争途游戏多。 The shore could hear the waves of the distant quant and the beautiful singing of the girl.

因声赵津女，来听采菱歌。 People on the shore were drawn to hear her ethereal singing.

Legacy

Xu Jian used his philosophy to manage the Royal Academy and the Royal College. He expanded the education of the Tang dynasty during the reign of Xuanzong.

In literature, the Old Book of Tang and other works he edited form the core of the literature of the Tang Dynasty.