Experts verify that the recipient of the "Bureau Matter Post" is Xu Wudang, a talented son of Yongkang

Huayi brother Wang Zhongjun won the Tang and Song Dynasty Eight Masters Zeng Gong's orphan copy of "Bureau Matters", which increased by 45 times in 20 years

The letter was worth $207 million

Experts have verified that the recipient is Xu Wudang, a talented son of Yongkang

The Tang and Song Dynasties, Zeng Gong's only inkblot "Bureau Matter Post", was recently dropped for 180 million yuan in the special auction of China Guardian's "Daguan - Night of Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Treasures", plus a commission transaction price of 207 million yuan.

This calligraphic work of less than one square foot has a total of 124 characters, and the average price per word reaches 1.67 million yuan. 45 times the value added in 20 years, won by Wang Zhongjun, chairman of Huayi Brothers.

"Bureau Matter Post" is a reply letter written by Zeng Gong to the deceased "no party township sage" that year. Who are the non-party townspeople? Some experts believe that he is Xu Wudang, a Yongkang person.

Zeng Gongqiren

One of the "Eight Greats of the Tang and Song Dynasties"

Official fortunes are not prosperous

There are two of the eight members of the Tang and Song Dynasties, who have a great relationship with Zeng Gong's life: one is the teacher Ouyang Xiu, and the other is the good friend Wang Anshi. His writings were praised by Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, and others.

He and Wang Anshi were good friends when they were young, but after becoming officials, the two had different political ideas. In 1069, Wang Anshi gained the trust of Emperor Shenzong and implemented a new law, and the 50-year-old Zeng Gong took the initiative to ask to leave Beijing to become a magistrate.

Unexpectedly, this was a full twelve years. There was no hope of returning to Beijing, and Zeng Gong was entangled in his heart. At this time, he received a letter from a friend, or had hope, and the "Bureau Post" was the reply he wrote.

In this short 124-word letter, Zeng Gong, who is already an old man, poured out the bitterness that had been released for many years, which was meaningful to read.

The "Bureau Post" is full of twists and turns, smooth and fluent, simple and quiet handwriting, and endless aftertaste.

Shortly after writing the "Bureau Post", Zeng Gong was finally summoned back to Beijing. But only three years later, he died.

Who is the "party-free sage"

It is likely that it is Xu Wudang, a Yongkang person

They were all Ouyang Xiu's students

The "Bureau Post" has a big beginning, the ink is a lonely book, and each auction will attract a lot of attention. But the recipient has been ignored. Who the hell is he?

In the "Bureau Matters Post", the recipient wrote that Xu Bangda, a scholar who was "Yungou Fengfeng Discussion Without Party Township Sages", mentioned in the "Ancient Calligraphy and Painting Records - Calligraphy of the Five Dynasties of Jin, Sui, and Tang Dynasties": "Yungou" should be the abbreviation of "Shipping Division Guangou Character". No party knows who to be, to be examined. Although it is difficult for the auction company to introduce "no party", Zeng Gong calls him a "township sage", is this person a person of Zeng Gong Tongyi?

After studying and examining the ancient calligraphy and painting collector Zhu Shaoliang, it was determined that wudang was Xu Wudang, a student of Ouyang Xiu, whose original name was Xu Guang, a native of Wugangtang Village in Yongkang, that is, the Xu Wudang who annotated Ouyang Xiu's "History of the New Five Dynasties".

Gong Jianfeng, tutor of the Master of Chinese History in the History Department of the Humanities College of Zhejiang Normal University, also agreed with Zhu Shaoliang's statement after examining the examination.

So, what is the relationship between Zeng Gong and Xu Wudang?

According to expert arguments, Zeng Gong and Xu Wudang studied under Ouyang Xiu and had many contacts. Zeng Gong was five years older than Xu Wudang.

Why did Zeng Gong call Xu Wudang a "xiangxian"? This is related to the establishment of the Song Dynasty.

The local administrative system of the Song Dynasty implemented a three-level system of roads, prefectures (prefectures) and counties. Xu Wudang was a native of Yongkang, Yongkang County in the Song Dynasty was a tight county, and during the Northern Song Dynasty it was a two-Zhejiang road area. According to the "Annals of Zeng Gong", Zeng Gong Xining served as the tongju of Yue Prefecture in the second year (1069), and Yongkang was at this time under the jurisdiction of Wuzhou, which belonged to the two Zhejiang Provinces. To sum up, they are all in the "two Zhejiang road land".

Then, zeng Gong called wudang a "township sage" in the "Bureau Matters Post", which is also logical.

Xu Wudang and his people

Ouyang Xiu's proud protégé

Annotate the New History of the Five Dynasties

When Xu Wudang was a teenager, he followed Ouyang Xiu to learn ancient Chinese, and the friendship between teachers and students was deep. In 1054, Xu Wudang, who was the first in the provincial examination, returned from the capital Kaifeng to the south, and Ouyang Xiu specially wrote the "Order of Sending Xu Wudang to the South". In the same year, Xu Wudang was appointed as the Commander of Shichi County. Ouyang Xiu also wrote a poem "There is a horse to show Xu Wudang", comparing Xu Wudang to a thousand-mile horse. Xu Wudang also has great respect for his teachers. When Ouyang Xiu was demoted to Chuzhou, he visited with his younger brother Xu Wulu.

His greatest contribution was to annotate the New History of the Five Dynasties written by Ouyang Xiu. Ouyang Xiu was very appreciative of Xu Wudang, and often wrote to him to discuss with him the revision of the New Five Dynasties History and the method of annotation. The annotations of the New History of the Five Dynasties have also been praised by later historians.

Gong Jianfeng, tutor of Chinese history in the Department of History of the Humanities College of Zhejiang Normal University, believes that unfortunately, such an outstanding figure, Song Shili, did not leave his biography, nor did any works circulate in the world.

However, in his view, whether it is Ouyang Xiu's extremely high evaluation of him or the level of annotation to the "New Five Dynasties History", Xu Wudang can be called "an excellent writer and historian".

Gong Jianfeng also put forward an interesting idea, why did Ouyang Xiu, who was an official in the capital, look up to Xu Wudang in Yongkang? At that time, Yongkang also had a celebrity who was an official in Beijing, that is, Hu Ze. Could it be recommended by Hu Ze?

Although it is impossible to verify, it is reminiscent.

Reporter Zhu Zheping