Yang Ning's "Leek Flower Post" thanked people for their examination

Yang Ningshi "Leek Flower Post" (partial)

Yang Ningshi's "Leek Flower Thesis" is a famous calligraphy post in the history of Chinese calligraphy, which is interpreted as follows: "Sleeping during the day, hunger is very bad, suddenly Meng Jianhan, obscenely give pan sheng." When a leaf announces the beginning of autumn, it is the beginning of the leek's taste, helping it to be fat, which is really a precious shame, and it is not enough to fill the belly. Ming muscle, carrying, sincerely repair Chen Xie, Fu Wei Jian. Sincerely. July 11, condensed. Most of this post is considered to be a letter of thanks to a friend, but the short 65-word wording is extremely humble, and there must be mysteries in it. It was despised that this post was presented by Yang Ningshi to Emperor Wu of Later Zhou.

"Shape" is one of the ancient courtiers' style of playing. Shape, is the shape. Xu Shi once said in the "Preface to the Discernment of Styles": "The name of the text of the Imperial Family is different, so it is also known as the One of the Emperors. Before the Seven Kingdoms, they were all called Shangshu, Qin Chu, and changed to "Shu Shu", which should include "Playing, Playing Loose, Playing Pairs, Playing Qi, And Playing Forms". From ancient times to the present, kumon documents have been standardized and cannot be used arbitrarily. Emperor Taizong of Tang said: "If the format of the edict is not fixed in a regular way, people will be confused and treacherous and beneficial." "After the making of the law, it is called painting one." Today's official documents are divided into upper, lower and parallel texts. The "form" used in the "Leek Flower Post", similar to today's official document "report" or "request for instructions", belongs to the upper text, which is used for the work of reporting or requesting instructions from the subordinate to the superior, and cannot be used in reverse. The "Leek Flower Thesis" is a song submitted to the emperor, so many modest words are used, such as "Meng", "Obscene", "Ming Muscle", "Careful Cultivation", "Fu Wei Jian Cha" and so on. The allusion to "day sleep" comes from the Analects of Gongye Chang, Zaiyu Day Sleep, and Confucius criticized him for "decaying wood cannot be carved". Yang Ningshi's borrowing of this classic also has a self-deprecating meaning.

Tang and Song Anthologies, "Like" are all included in the category of Song Shu, here are a few examples. Liu Zongyuan's "For the Nine Counties of Zhaoying and Other Counties of Jingzhao Province V. Xia Miao Drought Damage": "Respectfully record the music and listen to the edict"; Yuan Shu's "Two Provinces To Worship officials to drive the lucky Warm Soup": "Respectfully go to the east to the cabinet gate, and play the song to smell". Fan Zhongyan's "Raising Qiu Liangsun Should Make a Branch Form": "If it is not as good as lifting the form, Ganqi Dynasty Classic". However, the composition of the recital is also different, and none of the above examples are signed. Du Fu's "Recommendation of Cen Shanzhi for Supplementary Testament": "On June 12, 2016, Zuo Shi's will was enshrined in the form of Pei Xian and others", and the appendages were Zuo Shiyi and Du Fu and 4 others; Its "sonata" is similar to that of "Leek Flower Post".

The official documents issued by the emperor were in various forms, such as orders, edicts, systems, edicts, and seal books. In our impression, it seems that only the court drama "Fengtian Carries, the Emperor Decrees" Yunyun. In fact, in addition to official affairs, the emperor will also write a book to his subordinates, so the "Leek Flower Thesis" has the name of "Jian Han". "Jin Shu He Xun Biography": "According to the name of the disease, the notes are sparse for more than ten." The Book of the Emperor's Testament". "Jin Shu Shantao Biography": Emperor Wen of Jin "and Tao Shu Yue". Yao Silian was originally a servant of Yang You, the king of the Sui Dynasty, who read literature. Zhenguan Chu was a scholar of Shu lang and Hongbunkan. Li Shimin once talked about the sui dynasty and Tang Xing, and sighed indignantly: "Yao Silian is not afraid of the blade of the army, and he is very good at the Ming Festival." Ask the ancients, why add it. Yao was in Luoyang at the time, and specially instructed people to send three hundred paragraphs, and left his book: "I want to be loyal and righteous, so I have a gift." "The Jian Han that Yang Ningshi received should be similar to Tang Taizong's short zha. Yuan Shu 's Xie Yuzha Zhi': "ChenHan suddenly came, and the heavens were radiant." "What the emperor wrote can also be called a book or a book." Friends and friends answer, use more books, and must not use the song form indiscriminately, otherwise it is inevitable to kill yourself.

According to the Xuanhe Book Genealogy, Yang Ningshi "likes to write words, and you work upside down." In the next ten years of Juluo, between the walls of the Van Lin Palace and the Buddhist Temple, the inscriptions were all over the place. When it is sprinkled, it is indulgent, or it has the eyes of a madman." The Northern Song Dynasty Zhu Changwen's "Continuation of the Book Break" believes that Yang Ning's calligraphy achievements are in zhencao. Zhao Mengjian of the Southern Song Dynasty also said: "After Zhongxing, Zhu Yanyan was turned upside down, almost like Yang Shaoshi. Most of Yang Ningshi's works are cursive, and the "Immortal Living Law", "Xia Re Ti", "Lu Hong Caotang Ten Zhi Tu Bao", "New Step Virtual Words" and so on are all cursive, while the "Leek Flower Thesis" is a partial script. After all, the original reason, after all, is the submission of the emperor's sonata, and the writing needs to be neat.

The time when Yang Ningshi served as a young master of the prince, the "Old Five Dynasties History of Zhou Taizuji" is published in February of the first year of Guangshun (951), "with the prince young Fu Yang Ningshi as the prince's young master", which is different from this biography. The Records of Emperor Shizong of Zhou contains a biography of Yang Ning, which should be an earlier version of his historical record, so it is more credible, and this article is accepted.

Zhou Taizu Guo Wei was born on July 28, and after ascending the throne, this day was designated as the "Yongshou Festival", which was celebrated by hundreds of courtiers. Coincidentally, "Leek Flower Thesis" was written on July 11. In the first year of Guangshun (951), when Zhou Taizu ascended the throne, Yang Ningshi was already 79 years old. In the second year of Emperor Xiande of Zhou Shizong (955), he issued an edict that "the prince Taishi zhishi Hou Yi, Bai Wenke, Song Yanjun and other tea, medicine, money, and cloth have their own differences." Such a courtesy to the old minister shows that the emperor is thinking of his subordinates. Zhou Taizu gave Yang Ning seasonal leeks and mutton, declaring that it was normal to be virtuous and respect the elderly. Zhou Taizu reigned for 4 years from 951 to 954, and it seems bold to speculate that the Leek Flower Thesis should have been written here in July of that year. Yang Died in the spring of 954, so it can only be a certain July of 951-953.

The ancients called the former sages, avoided their names, and mostly replaced them with official positions. For example, Wang Xizhi was Wang Youjun, and Yan Zhenqing was Yan Lugong. The two Song Dynasty literati have many admirations for Yang Ning's calligraphy. Ouyang Xiu commented: "Since the death of Tang Dynasty, the four seas have been trapped by soldiers. And Saint Song Xing, the world returned to the rule, Gai Bai had more than fifty years. At the time of the five generations, there was Yang Shaoshi; after Jianlong, he was called Li Xitai. The two have different penmanships, and the titles of the books are all temporary. Su Shi said that "Yang Ning-style books are quite similar to Yan Xing" and "the handwriting is majestic, there are two kings, Yan, and Liu Yu". In the creation of calligraphy, large characters are difficult to be dense and seamless, and small characters are difficult to be wide and more than enough. However, Huang Tingjian believes that "in the recent world, it is also the second beauty, such as Yang Shaoshi's zhengshu xingcao"; "Since Yu Tasted the father and son of the Right Army, the penmanship is super easy and dusty, but Yan Lugong and Yang Shaoshi are the two".

The "Leek Flower Thesis" was presented to the Emperor of later Zhou and included in The Great Interior. The Northern Song Dynasty was subsequently hidden in the Inner Province. Judging from Su and Huang's exposition of Yang Ning's calligraphy, it should have been seen that the original traces were observed. According to the "Yang Ning-style Annals" collected by the Song Dynasty Huang Bosi, Zhou Guangshun wrote an inscription at the Longevity Temple in the third year (953), and also inscribed the second poem "Courtyard Like Zen Heart Meditation", called "The True Works of the Prince's Young Master". Yang Ning lived in Luoyang, and often "traveled to the Buddhist Taoist Temple, encountered the scenic spots of the mountains and rivers, and lingered and admired the chants." There are gaps in the wall paintings, looking at the introduction of the pen, and chanting and writing, if you meet with the gods. Later generations praised in his inscription poem: "The young master's true deeds are full of monks' residences, but I am afraid that King Zhong is not as good." ”

Yang Ning maneuvered between The Later Liang, the Later Tang, the Later Jin, the Later Han, and the Later Five Dynasties. Later Zhou Taizu was in charge, and Yang Ning personally went to the military gate to greet him. A military gate is a gate where the army is stationed. "Book of Jin, Ji of Emperor Wu": "Sun Hao was terrified, tied his face to the sword, and fell to the military gate." "Leeks, known as lazy vegetables, have a long history of cultivation in China. "Zhou Li Tianguan Tianguan Qiren": "Qiu Ren, the palm of the four beans, the beans of the dynasty, in fact, leeks"; "Poetry · Feng Feng • July": "The four days of its fleas, sacrifice the lamb to sacrifice leeks." The nursery rhyme at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty sang: "Hair is like a leek, cut and revived." "At this time, the cultivation of leeks should be very common. Jia Sixun's "Qi Min Zhi Shu" details the cultivation of leeks and the methods of making pineapples and Tibetan lettuce, "July Tibetan Leek Jing". Jing, flowers also. The Leek Flower Thesis was written on July 11, and it is obvious that the people who rewarded Yang Ning were very attentive, but the reward was not valuable. Even so, the sonata is still respectful and restrained, which should be a portrayal of Yang Ningshi's consistent attitude towards things.

In ancient times, food preservation mainly relied on pickling, and leeks were picked to make a sauce for winter consumption. The "New Language of the World" records that Shi Chong and Wang Kai Doufu, at that time it was winter, Shi Chongjia wine banquet had a dish "leek ping", just like fresh leeks made, Wang Kai was envious of it, so he bought the Shi family child servant to find out the original, "Leek Ping is pounding leek roots, mixed with mai miaoer." Wheat seedlings in winter are similar to leeks. Du Fu's "Song of Drinking and Drinking after illness": "Chang'an Winter is sour and green, and the soil of Jincheng is crisp and pure as practice." ”

The "cut" of "load cut" should be interpreted as "忉". There is a gap between "Ming Muscle" and "Zai Che" in the "Leek Flower Thesis", which should have different meanings, and both words are verb structures. Among them, the "cut" of "zai cut" seems to be interpreted as "忉". The character "忉" in Luo Zhenyu's tibetan version is clearer. Oh, worry also. In addition to expressing gratitude, this post also wants to express the heart of the king.

"Shijing Juniper Wind Lamb Qiu": "Isn't it not Ersi, hard heart and remorse"; "Shijing Chen Feng , Preventing The Magpie's Nest": "Who gives beauty?" Heartbroken. Bai Juyi's "Sending Tribute to the Northern Capital to Stay behind Pei Linggong": "Moving people are famous, and the country is worried about the country." Tang Taizong once told The Prime Minister Fang Xuanling and others, "Wait for the cannibals of the Public, you must worry about the worries of the people, everything is big and small, and you should pay attention to it." As Fan Zhongyan said: "If you live in the temple, you are worried about your people, and if you are far away, you are worried about your king." It is both forward and worrying, and retreating is also worrying. But when is leyy? It will be known that 'the world is worried and worried, and the world is happy and happy'! ”

Ouyang Xiu commented on the Five Dynasties period, "The way of the father and son of the emperor and the subject is obedient, while the zongmiao, the imperial court, and the people and ghosts are all out of order. Since ancient times, there has been no one". Yang Ningshi was born in Si Shi, toilet in Chaoban, and is respectful and careful in dealing with the world as can be seen from the "Leek Flower Thesis". Therefore, the side of calligraphy seeks peace and integrity, and there is calm in the frenzy, which is the quality given by the times.

(Author: Song Zhanli, Professor, Ph.D. in Philology, College of Literature, Henan University)