He Zhu (1052-1125), courtesy name Fanghui, self-proclaimed Qinghu Yilao, was a native of Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and lived in Weizhou (now Jixian, Henan). He was tall and had high eyes and a sullen face, and was known as He Guitou. He was a grandson of Empress Xiaohui and was appointed as the Right Palace Guard. During the Yuanyou period, he served as the Tongpan of Sizhou and Taipingzhou. In his later years, he retired to Suzhou and proofread books. He did not attach himself to the powerful and liked to discuss world affairs. He was good at poetry and prose, especially ci. The content and style of his ci were relatively rich and diverse, with the strengths of both bold and graceful schools. He was good at tempering language and integrating the sentences of his predecessors. He used rhymes very strictly, with a sense of rhythm and musical beauty. Some of his works depicting spring flowers and autumn moons have lofty artistic conception and rich and sad language, similar to Qin Guan and Yan Jidao. His works about patriotism and worry about the times are tragic and passionate, similar to Su Shi. Xin Qiji, a patriotic poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, and other ci writers continued his ci, which shows his influence.
贺铸(1052-1125)，字方回，自号庆湖遗老，山阴(今浙江绍兴)人，居卫州(今河南汲县)。长身耸目，面色铁青，人称贺鬼头。孝惠皇后族孙，授右班殿直，元佑中曾任泗州、太平州通判。晚年退居苏州，杜门校书。不附权贵，喜论天下事。能诗文，尤长于词。其词内容、风格较为丰富多样，兼有豪放、婉约二派之长，长于锤炼语言并善融化前人成句。用韵特严，富有节奏感和音乐美。部分描绘春花秋月之作，意境高旷，语言浓丽哀婉，近秦观、晏几道。其爱国忧时之作，悲壮激昂，又近苏轼。南宋爱国词人辛弃疾等对其词均有续作，足见其影响。
贺铸·《捣练子·夜如年》
斜月下，
北风前，
万杵千砧捣欲穿。
不为捣衣勤不睡，
破除今夜夜如年。
Song of Pounding Clothes
An Endless Night
He Zhu
Under the slanting moon
In northern wind alone,
My beetle pounds without a break on anvil stone.
I will not sleep but pound, not to wash for my dear
But to pass the endless night as long as a year.
