Ji Haogu
嵇好古
“Fond of Antiquity”
His Story
A literary gentleman of Jia Zheng’s circle, remembered for the qin. His name reads 好古, “fond of antiquity”, and the surname 嵇 is the surname of Ji Kang, the third-century recluse who called for his zither and played it once more before his execution. Ji Haogu is spoken of as a guest of some years back who used to play for Jia Zheng. The novel keeps him at exactly that distance: a name, an instrument, and a past tense.
In Xiang Li's Hands
White beard and hair blown sideways, one arm flung out, and across the shoulder a long dark slab carried the way a qin is carried. Below the waist the robe dissolves into wet black — she paints the ink itself moving. The oldest face here, and the only one walking.
The Calligraphy
嵇好古 down the left side in three loose characters, a plain guest’s name with 好古 left to do its own work.
Connections
- Jia Zheng 贾政 — whose study he attended and for whom he played.
- Cheng Rixing 程日兴 — fellow literary gentleman of the same household.
Others of the same kind · literary gentleman (清客) / hanger-on Zhan Guang 詹光 · Shan Pinren 单聘仁 · Cheng Rixing 程日兴 · Hu Silai 胡斯来 · Wang Ertiao 王尔调 · Zhan Ziliang 詹子亮
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
