Zhang Xu, a great calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, himself mastered the secret of penmanship, but refused to pass it on.
This Zhang Xucheng was a zheng'er bajing who learned the penmanship, of course, he was also full of many stories at that time.
For example, when he performs calligraphy, it is called a scene.
First of all, get drunk, then throw your hat away, pick up a large pen and swing it, and then whisk away. That's simply a fairy among the gods. He was praised by Du Fu as one of the Eight Immortals in Drinking.
Sometimes it's a joke.
Once, Zhang Xu made a good poem, and then picked up a pen and wrote it down. Of course, it is good to write a good hand of grass, no, it is to write a good hand of cursive.
When he was done, he asked his nephew to write the poem. His nephew studied for half a day, and some of the words were still not understood. There was no way, so I had to ask Zhang Xu with it.
As a result, Zhang Xu watched for half a day, and he didn't know himself. He pointed at his nephew and said, "Why didn't you, the unlucky child, come and ask earlier?" I came to ask if I knew anymore, and now I don't know either. ”
After this matter was passed out, it became a joke for a while.
Despite this, Zhang Xu's brushwork was seriously inherited from Wang Xizhi.
Therefore, many people asked Zhang Xu for penmanship, but Zhang Xu was unwilling to pass it on at will.
Whenever someone asked him for brushwork, this Zhang Cheng xiang began to send calligraphy works to send others. In other words, I can give you a few calligraphy works, and as for the brushwork, you don't have to ask.
Originally, the penmanship was very mysterious, and it was only circulated among a few people. Let Zhang Xu do this, even more mysterious.
But there was one person who, through his sincerity, impressed Zhang Xu and learned the pen.
This person is Yan Zhenqing.
Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy beginner Chu Suiliang has already achieved something. After he dismissed the official Liquan, he went to Luoyang on purpose to visit Zhang Xu and ask for advice on penmanship.
At that time, Zhang Xu had been living in Pei Yan's home for a year. Pei Yan often pondered how to learn penmanship. As a result, Zhang Xu kept giving him calligraphy works, that is, he did not teach, only said that hard practice could be done.
At this time, Yan Zhenqing also came to Live in Pei Yan's house for a month, taking the opportunity to get along alone, asking Zhang Xu for advice on penmanship, and his words were very earnest and sincere.
Zhang Xu saw that there was no one left and right, and only then did he walk to a quiet small courtyard, and Yan Zhenqing followed closely.
Zhang Xu sat down on a chair in the room, and asked Yan Zhenqing to move a stool to sit down.
Then Zhang Xucai said, "The penmanship is too mysterious to teach." If you are not an ambitious person, you will not understand the magic of it when you talk to him. If you want to become a master, you must study real cursive with your heart, I will teach you the penmanship today, you must think about it! ”
This story is a bit like the part in "Journey to the West" where Sun Wukong learned art with Bodhi Laozu.
Zhang Xu's teaching of penmanship is completely different from that of ordinary teachers. Zhang Xu just asked, Yan Zhenqing just answered.
However, in a question and answer, the problem of penmanship was solved.
Zhang Xu asked 12 questions, and Yan Zhenqing answered 12 questions.
Later, Yan Zhenqing wrote the content of this study book as "Twelve Meanings of The Brushwork of The Long History of Zhang Zhang".
Since so many people have not learned, Yan Zhenqing has sought the place of calligraphy through a sincere and sincere heart, and he has also written it. If people who learn calligraphy don't learn it, it's really a loss.
Learning calligraphy is nothing more than learning the pen used by the ancients through pen, ink and paper. If the ancients did not use a pen, the pen, ink and paper were nothing more than a pile of debris. Only when you use the pen properly can you enter the field of calligraphy, and in time, Linchi will improve and the calligraphy written can be rejuvenated.
If you don't learn the method from the ancients, it is really too difficult to get inspired by your own conjecture.