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recognition through martial employment as an officer or official's assistant simultaneously rose; by
rendering meritorious service on the frontier, often as clerks or secretaries to generals or other military
officials based beyond central China, those who had not advanced their position in society through
more conventional means could possibly attain their long sought success. This route to official
advancement led many literarily capable men to express a concern for the situation on the Tang
borders, which in verse was often articulated, though by no means exclusively, as an enthusiasm for
heading to the frontier with the hope of engaging in military work. 8
The Tang period witnessed numerous men of literary inclinations committing themselves to
military campaigns in far off northern regions. Aside from patriotic fervour, a Confucian concern for
implementing one's studies 9 as well as an attitude of self sacrifice 10 and sense of responsibility to take
up public office 11 were major motivating factors propelling poets and literati to the frontier. 12 From the
founding of the Tang, numerous prime ministers had risen through the political ranks at court by way of
victories they had acquired while serving in a military capacity on the country's frontier 13 . With martial
matters having gained in importance, a significant number of poetically gifted men also sought to
devote their talents to military efforts 14 by casting off strict scholarly pursuits in order to have their
abilities revealed before a politically relevant and influential audience who could bestow official
government positions, and consequently fame, as a reward for contributing to the defence of the
8 Hong Zan, Tangdai zhanzhenengshi yanjiu, pp. 39-41.
9 See the opening of the Analects (Lunyu 论 语 ): “The Master stated: Is it not a pleasure at times to put into practice what
one has learned?” 子 曰 : 学 而 时 习 之 , 不 亦 说 乎 . See Li Jie 李 捷 ed., Lunyu 论 语 (Hohhot: Yuanfang chufanshe 远 方
出 版 社 , 2007), p. 1.
10 See opening of chapter 19 of the Analects: “The scholar, seeing danger, will sacrifice his life” 士 见 危 致 命 . Ibid., p.
191.
11 “After completing his learning, the student should become an officer” 学 而 友 则 仕 . Ibid., p. 194.
12 Many thanks to Dr. Tsung-Cheng Lin for drawing my attention to the influence of Confucian thought on learned men as
an impetus fuelling their desire to serve on the frontier. See also Tsung-Cheng Lin, “Knight-Errantry: Tang Frontier
Poems” (Chapter 11), in Professor Zong-Qi Cai, ed. Stories of Chinese Poetic Culture: Earliest Times through the Tang
(New York: Columbia University Press), in press.
13 As revealed by the concept “ 出 将 入 相 ”(chu jiang ru xiang: be as good a general as a minister; possess military and
civil abilities). See Ren Wenjing 任 文 京 Tangdai biansaishi de wenhua chanshi 唐 代 边 塞 诗 的 文 化 阐 释 (Beijing:
Renmin chubanshe 人 民 出 版 社 , 2005), p. 13.
14 As summed up by the expression “ 投 笔 从 戎 ”(tou bi cong rong: cast aside the pen to join the army), Ibid., p. 13