⬅️ 唐诗 Tang Poems
Gao Shi (高适，704-765 AD) was a poet of the high Tang Dynasty. His father was an advisory official. He followed his father to travel to different provinces when he was young. Gao Shi did not show much interest in poems before he turned 20. However, his talent charted him rise to fame as a poet.
Gao Shi worked as a secretary to the famous Tang general Geshu Han (哥舒翰) when the An-Shi Rebellion broke out in 755 AD. General Geshu was defeated in high mountains pass of Tong Pass (潼关) and captured by the rebellious army. Gao Shi managed to escape and ran to the west. On his way Gao Shi caught up to Emperor Xuanzong (玄宗) who was also on his flight to take refugee in Sichuan (四川). During his audience with the emperor, Gao Shi said the defeat of Tang's army was the generals' fault and the emperor's fleeing from capital city Chang'an was "not something to be ashamed". Emperor Xuanzong, who just survived a mutiny and was forced to have his favorite concubine Yang Guifei strangled, was very pleased by Gao Shi's comment. After the emperor reached Sichuan, he promoted Gao Shi to be the minister of advisory.
According to the Old Tang Book (旧唐书), Gao Shi liked waxing lyrical about strategy of the nation. But his ability was not a match to his words. Other ministers did not take his talk very seriously. After Emperor Xuanzong abdicated, Gao Shi was appointed to various positions, including the chief supervisor (御史大夫), military governor (节度使) and governor (刺史). In 762 AD, he was appointed as the military governor of Jiannan （剑南） and Xichuan （西川）, and also the mayor of Chengdu (成都) in modern Sichuan province. In the next year, troops of Tibetan Empire invaded Sichuan. Gao Shi organized several campaigns but failed. After he lost a couple of cities to Tibetan army, Gao Shi was recalled back to the capital city of Chang'an to be the deputy minister of justice. Yan Wu (严武), an able general, was sent to Sichuan as his replacement. Later Gao Shi was conferred marquess by the emperor. He only rode a light carriage to go to his fief and sealed all the fealty and returned them to the imperial court. The next year, in 765 AD, Gao Shi died. The Old Book of Tang used one sentence to summarize Gao Shi's life, "Among all poets of the Tang Dynasty, Gao Shi was the only one who became eminent ("有唐以来，诗之达者，唯适而已")."
