In the figurative system of Chinese culture

flowers always occupy an important position. The writing of flowers always shows the mentality and aesthetic concept of scholars in a certain period

and reflects the cultural psychology of the whole society and the spirit of politics and religion of the country. Peony writing in the Northern Song Dynasty transcended the simple norm originally symbolizing royal dignity

and took expectation of the imperial power

thus signifying the sharing of happiness and peace among the emperor and the people and becoming the concrete manifestation of the spirit of politics and religion at that time. With Emperor Renzong’s vigorous government reform

the spirit of politics and religion had also changed. As an integral part of the then prosperous culture

peony's position in the mainstream discourse had been challenged and increasingly sidelined. During the Southern Song Dynasty

the growth and spread of Neo-Confucianism gave scholars the spiritual pursuit of self-seclusion and self-restraint. At that time

the commonly seen plum blossom in the south attracted increasing attention from the literati and officialdom because of its various characteristics. After profound influence of ideology and constant shaping of social culture

the image of plum blossom in literary writing was endowed with cultural connotations such as self-restraining solitude and pride in innocence

which not only conformed to the guard against the nomads as emphasized by the spirit of politics and religion in the Southern Song Dynasty and the spirit of reaching afar with heavy burdens advocated by the whole country

but also became the habitual expression of the literati and officialdom in their pursuit of ideals in morality and personality.