Author: Cui Zhi
President of the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Collectors Association
Famous writer
Cao Cao was proficient in the art of war and played an active role in unifying the north, and the war to unify the north lasted 17 years, which was the founding battle of Cao Wei and laid a solid foundation for the later unification of China by the Western Jin Dynasty.
However, Cao Cao's reputation has always been bad, and he has become a representative of adulterous males and traitors. For years, people didn't dare to compliment him. In modern times, someone has overturned the case for him. The white face on the stage began to appear clean. However, in the Song Dynasty, some people said that his calligraphy was to learn Cao Cao, and how bold it was! This person is the theoretician Zhu Xi, he is a generation of great Confucians, and his eyes are naturally different.
Above: Zhu Xi's calligraphy works
Although the historical Cao Cao was an outstanding politician, military expert, and literary scholar, he was always associated with a "traitor" in the folk. Because of this, when people talk and do things, they always deliberately avoid him, so as not to be contaminated with "adultery". However, there are exceptions to everything, and one person prefers to say that his calligraphy is to learn Cao Cao. This person is a very famous scholar in our country, Zhu Xi, who is known as Zhu Zi.
Zhu Xi (朱熹字元晦), nicknamed 晦庵, nicknamed Ziyang , was a native of Wuyuan , Huizhou ( now part of Jiangxi ) . He was a teenager and was hit in the soil at the age of 19. Successively served as the four dynasties of Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xiaozong, Emperor Guangzong, and Emperor Ningzong of Song. Unexpectedly, at the age of 67, he was included in the "reverse case" and died in depression three years later.
Above: Zhu Xi calligraphy works
The profound knowledge of learning determined Zhu Xi's calligraphy style, just as Tao Zongyi said in the "History of Books" that "the next pen is calm and elegant". The Nanjing Museum has his "Xingshu Shuzha", which is really calm and calm, and does its best to get rid of the fire. The stroke can be seen in the steady, which is very sophisticated and concise. Due to the characteristics of the book itself, the length of each line varies, which shows the change of chapter law. The spirit of the spirit, looming, feels more and more endless charm. This treatment is largely unintentional, but unexpectedly acquires a harmonious rhythm.
Above: Zhu Xi calligraphy works
Since Zhu Xi is a famous scholar, his energy cannot be fully focused on calligraphy, but calligraphy is also a person's personality, environment, and education... The concentration of various factors reflects, so his calligraphy also has a high standard. His calligraphy can also be said to be unintentional, although there is a teacher, but the personal characteristics are still very prominent. In any case, Zhu Xi's title at that time was still very prominent, and people competed to collect his works, even if it was "pieces of paper", which were regarded as the most precious treasures. There is also a little difference in Zhu Xi's study of calligraphy, that is, when someone asks him which one he mainly studied, he always replies "Cao Cao". People at the time had many praises and criticisms of Cao Cao, and Zhu Xi said that he was also unique in wisdom and courage. We speculate that Zhu Xi not only learned Cao Cao's calligraphy, but more importantly, learned his courage and boldness. Because from the perspective of a scholar observing things, he regards calligraphy as part of the whole connotation of a person, and will never abolish him because of words.
Zhu Xishan wrote a list of big characters, and some people said that his big characters were dashing and old, and there was no dust. So in many places there are stone carvings of his large characters. According to the "Ancient and Modern Stele Thekao", there is the word "reading" in Changle Fang'an; In The Three Treasure Rocks there is the word "Rong Knee"; In the Cloud Valley, there are four words "Sky Light Cloud Shadow"; In Nankang White Deer Cave there are four words "Light Wind Ji Yue"; In Ruizhou University, there are four words "take off the near" are very imposing.