Xue Ji, along with Ouyang Qian, Yu Shinan, and Chu Suiliang, was listed as the "Four Great Masters of the Early Tang Dynasty", and because his works were rare and vague, they were not as famous as the other three. In fact, he is not only good at calligraphy and beautiful words, but also good at painting, and is famous for painting cranes in the history of painting. Xue Ji's maternal grandfather Wei Zheng was a famous courtier of the early Tang Dynasty, and the family collected a lot, of which Yu and Chu ink were quite numerous, and Xue Ji was able to observe it for a long time, and then "keen on model learning, poor years and forgetting tiredness", and finally learned.
The characteristics of Xue Ji's calligraphy can be summarized as "beautiful body" and "beautiful flesh", which has been described as "wind and garden flowers, snow and cypresses", full of poetry. Because Xue Ji's calligraphy can well inherit Chu Suiliang's brushwork and style, "it can be said that the Duke of Henan (Chu Suiliang) is high and very precious." Therefore, at that time, there was a saying that "buy Chu to get Xue, do not lose its knots", which attracted the later Generations of Song Huizong to also worship endlessly, and then laid the foundation of "thin gold body". Today, let us appreciate the calligraphy of Xue Ji, which made Song Huizong a hardcore fan of himself.
When Tang Zhenguan Yonghui was in power, many people took the handwriting of Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang as models, and Xue Ji was no exception. Xue Ji was born too learned, and studied a book every day. And chang, taught by uncle Wei Shuyu. In the family, there were many codex watches of Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang and others, and Xue Ji was determined to imitate them one by one, and he was tireless in his poor years. Later, it was enshrined in the inner court, and it was collected by the Guan Secret Palace, such as Zhong, Zhang, and Erwang, and other Wei and Jin famous relics, and enjoyed and copied them, and had their own experience.
Xue Ji's calligraphy can be divided into three periods: the first, middle and later periods, the early period of calligraphy, Zong Ouyang Qing, Yu Shinan, and the middle period of Zong Chu Suiliang, and give greater inspiration. In his later years, he got rid of the influence of the Ou, Yu, and Chu families, and created a unique style, becoming one of the most influential famous calligraphers in the late early Tang Dynasty. But overall, Chu Suiliang had the greatest influence on him, and he faithfully inherited the appearance of Chu Shu. The Guangchuan Shuba says that he "inherited the bloodline of his teachers, and yu Chu was close." As for the thinness of the pen, the knot is unclogged and becomes a family of its own." His calligraphy is slender with a pen and loose knots, making it a family of its own.
Xue Ji adhered to Chu Suiliang's legacy, and obtained the style of Chu's beautiful and graceful. After working thinning and practicing, the knot is unblocked, thin and charming, and original. At the same time, his thin and charming demeanor also influenced Liu Gongquan at the end of the Tang Dynasty, setting a precedent for song Huizong's "thin golden book", and Song Huizong was his loyal hardcore fan!
Xue Ji was born into a family of officials and eunuchs, and he himself was also a prominent scholar of the Wu Zetian Dynasty, and he was a member of the Libu Langzhong and Zhongshu Sheren. In the last year of Emperor Jinglong of Tang Dynasty (709), he served as a doctor of Zhiyi and a scholar of Zhaowenguan. At that time, Emperor Ruizong of Tang had not yet ascended the throne, and had a good relationship with Xue Ji, and married his daughter Princess Xianyuan to Xue Ji's son Xue Boyang, and the two formed a family of children and daughters, and lived very closely.
In the first year of Jing Yun (710), Li Danfu ascended the throne, immediately promoted Xue Ji to Taichang Shaoqing, and later moved Zhongshu Shilang, transferred to the Ministry of Works, and Libu Shangshu, and restored the merits of Yi Zan, and was given the title of Duke of Jin, giving him the title of Prince of Jin, giving him three hundred households, and adding the title of Prince Shaobao. Tang Ruizong also often summoned Xue Ji to the palace to counsel political affairs, and when he met for a while, the group of courtiers could not compare with him. Unfortunately, after Tang Xuanzong ascended the throne, he was killed because Princess Taiping conspired with Dou Huaizhen and others to plot a coup d'état. Xue Ji did not report it because he knew, and was also given death.