Comments on Preface to Lanting

Wang Xizhi is famous all over the world. He became the jade emperor in the book world and was indisputably regarded as a "book saint". Of course, the initiator of "Zhenguan Rule" was Zhenguan Emperor Li Shimin. The reason why Emperor Taizong fell in love with Wang Xizhi was because Wang Shu was "perfect" and fell madly in love. The biography of Wang Xizhi written by him said: "I am eager to catch up, but this person is just the rest. What's the point?" This is what an emperor should do, and it is more likely to find out Wang's calligraphy, that is, to order the imperial court to collect Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, but he got more than 3,700 books, but there was no Preface to Lanting Collection. The Wang family is also regarded as a family heirloom, which was passed on to the disciple monk of the seventh Zen master Sun Zhiyong in the year of Zhenguan. Even if the emperor summoned him, even if he was in danger of decapitation, he did not hand over the Lanting preface. Before Emperor Taizong got the "Xiao Yi earned Lanting", he told this story by unfair means. Although it was suspected of robbery to earn Lanting, Emperor Taizong was not stingy, so that the great calligraphers at that time copied several books as models for recent ministers. With the death of Emperor Taizong, the original Preface to Lanting was put into Zhaoling as a sacrifice, which made people have more expectations for this work.

I know that when I was a child, my grandmother told me the story of Preface to Lanting. Grandma is proud to marry Wang, and there is also the word "book" in her name. I wonder if grandma's father loves calligraphy. Grandma loves to talk about Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The story of the Three Kingdoms told by her old man's house is a true story, which is not in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Later, when I grew up, I read some books and the annals of the Three Kingdoms, and I found no clue that Guan Yu framed Liu Bei when he became sworn in Taoyuan. I wonder if grandma is especially good at making things up. It was not until I saw Xiao Yi's income in Lanting in unofficial history that I realized that the story of Preface to Lanting told by my grandmother was not fabricated.

From the emperor to the people, they are so fascinated by Wang Xizhi. Liu Yuxi, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, said: "There are weeds beside the Suzaku Bridge, and the sunset is slanting at the entrance of Wuyi Lane. In the old society, Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people. " What is the purpose of living in harmony? I didn't see the printed Preface to Lanting until I was an adult. This first-class calligraphy makes people more curious. What is originality? As far as plagiarism is concerned, what message does it convey to the author? An outstanding genius must have a long process that is little known. The Grand Palace was not built in a day. A calligraphist and a painter are, in the final analysis, grandstanding theories. Preface to Lanting is the roof of Shu Sheng Hongwei's magnificent works. If only the top of that building is taken down, it will be difficult to set up. More importantly, it is not only the extension of "work" time and space, but also the content of culture, wisdom, science and technology, life and humanity.

The birthplace of Wang Xing in the world has two main veins-King Taiyuan and King Langya. Wang Xizhi's family belongs to the Langya king, originally named Ji, and later bred by the Jin king. Wang Xizhi's life was a storm-in 313, the army of Xiongnu leader Liu Cong attacked Luoyang, the capital of the Western Jin Dynasty, captured Huaidi and was poisoned. In 3 16, the army of the Western Jin Dynasty was defeated again, and Emperor Yu surrendered. Folks say that "the dragon shoal is played by shrimp, and the tiger falls in Pingyang and is bullied by dogs", which probably means the emperor and his son. Yu was taken to Pingyang and was humiliated. When Liu Cong was hunting, the Jade Emperor opened the way with a halberd, poured wine for the guests at the banquet, held an umbrella in rainy days, and Liu Cong went to the toilet. The Jade Emperor took the toilet seat and committed suicide.

After the Xiongnu captured Luoyang, the Wangs moved to Jiankang with the tide of a large number of nobles moving south. According to historical research, Wang Xizhi 10 years old. Due to the reconstruction of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 3 17 A.D., the extremely chaotic ruling and opposition parties were in urgent need of talents. Because of the critical moment, the Wang family had befriended, and Wang Xizhi's clan, Wang Dun, was the general and worshipped the Prime Minister from his uncle, Wang Dao, which formed a situation in which Wang and Sima were in the world. Minister to the emperor, see how much credit you have, when is the credit. When the court is in danger, the greater the credit, the better, and it is more necessary to turn the tide in times of crisis; If it is relatively peaceful, it depends on the tolerance of the emperor and the merits of the ministers around him. If the leader and the emperor are surrounded by knowledgeable people, who are knowledgeable and take the world as the public creed, then the emperor may do things that benefit the country and the people. If the villain is in power and the emperor is surrounded by non-gentlemen, it is hard for him not to be a bad king. The gradual rejection of the king, from intimacy to indifference, from trust to jealousy, is the process of the emperor's gradual fatuity.

Wang Dun's military power was so powerful that the emperor was fidgeting. Yuan Di and Si Marui deliberately forgot the beginning, and finally issued arrest warrants. Wang Dun revolted in Wuchang in the name of Jun Qing. Wang Dao is modest, such a thing is, of course, he didn't expect, that is, he took off his official robes and led people to stand at the door of the palace day and night confessing. Wang Jiayi's family was not beheaded, but Wang Dun, who was executed, made a desperate success.

Wang Xizhi, from a teenager to a teenager, witnessed the tragic and turbulent situation. "I have no ambition for a long time" is deeply rooted in his blood and bone marrow. However, it is hard for him not to come from a noble family. After a long life as an official, in 348 AD, he was appointed as the general of protecting the army, and in Yonghe seven years, he was the general of literature and history and the general of the right army of Huiji. It was 35 1 year, when he was 48 years old. He expected too much from the monarch and his subjects, hoping that all emperors were Yao and Shun, and all courtiers were like Guan Zhong, Le Yi and Jiang Ziya. If there is a contradiction, like Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. He expected that "the ancients were ashamed that their monarch was not Yao and Shun", but the reality was that "if good advice is abandoned and not used, the world will collapse. Why not be sad? " Despite his outstanding achievements, he risked his life to open a relief warehouse, banned alcohol and fasting, and carried out a series of reforms. However, he finally resigned and retired.

Yonghe's eleventh year's "Pledge" revealed such a message: "There is no loyalty and filial piety when entering the festival, and the resignation promotes the sages ... greed is insatiable, and there is no respect and no children." In fact, his determination to retire is unshakable.

A recognized direct reason for Wang Xizhi's resignation is the contradiction with Wang Shu. Wang Shuzi Lantian, Yangzhou secretariat, governs Huiji. This man has a quick temper. For example, when he eats chicken, he holds it with chopsticks. If he can't insist, he will fly into a rage and throw it on the ground. Seeing that the chicken was not crushed, he dared to turn it on the ground. He thought the chicken was demonstrating to him and stepping on it. He didn't step on it, but grabbed it with his hand, put it in his mouth and spit it out. Wang Xizhi despised the behavior of these animals. He said that Lantian's father is so rude, let alone his son. Wang Xizhi was in Yonghe for eleven years and resigned in 355 AD at the age of 52.

A great work of art was born between Wang Xizhi's General of the Right Army and his resignation and retirement. 1600 years later, it is still indelible, that is, Moore's ancient and modern calligraphy "Lanting Preface".

Every year, spring and autumn are the seasons for practicing rituals, which has gradually become a custom. People gather by the stream to borrow water to eliminate disasters and bad luck for good luck. In the 9th year of Yonghe, in 353 AD, Wang Xizhi invited 42 scholars, including Xie An and Sun Chuo, who were the most famous in literature and meaning, to meet and drink and write poems at the Lanxi River at the foot of Zhu Lan Mountain. The unhappiness and sadness in the heart, the depression and helplessness of officialdom can all be melted in the clean and turbulent washing. There is also the understanding and expression of life, the praise of nature, and the recognition and understanding of Buddhism and Taoism culture. Wang Xizhi wrote the preface of Lanting Preface on cocoon paper with a eight-character pen. "Looking up at the vastness of the universe and overlooking the richness of categories", I feel a lot when I look at the shortness of life and the myriad things in the world. "People who visit later will also feel gentle."

If Wang Xizhi didn't have such rich experience, great emotional ups and downs, and the conflict between his life experience and personal temperament, I think his preface would not be so wonderful, whether it is pen and ink or articles. It must be said that the incident happened by accident, and it is inevitable that Wang Xizhi wrote such a literary and thoughtful article and such a beautiful calligraphy work.

Wang Xizhi is an idealist, which will eventually make him an artist who pursues perfectionism in art, but if you read Preface to the Lanting Pavilion too much, besides perfection, there is more information left in the copy besides "the word' zhi' has twenty words, if it is changed, it will be identical, if there is God's help". It is said that when Wang Xizhi wrote "Preface to Lanting", he forgot both his heart and his hand, which can be described as handy. Afterwards, he wanted to write better and re-copied "hundreds and dozens of books, as good as a baby's". The article is full of literary talent, and the perfection of calligraphy is beyond words. However, it is not difficult to see that in the peaceful and mellow calligraphy works, there are still uncontrollable sadness and sadness. The pen and ink are excited, angry, passionate and restless, and they are restless for perfection, trying to communicate between pursuit and reality. The words "because", "mourning", "husband" and "gentleness" are all obvious smears. After all, this is a draft, but it is this draft that dwarfs the calligraphy that calligraphers have been pursuing for thousands of years.

1984 Mr. Zhou Naiguang from Shengzhou gave me a picture album by Mr. Chen Weijun, an expert who studies the story of Wang Xizhi. After a down-to-earth walk on the streets of Shaoxing, my search for Wang Xizhi's information became more intense. Maybe there are his footprints on any road, where he once stayed. Although Lu Xun's former residence is so cordial, although I am wandering around on a wupeng boat, although I saw the handwriting of Lu You's "red crisp hand" in Shenyuan, and ate fennel beans and drank yellow wine in Xianheng Hotel, my heart has reached Lanting.

It is still far from Lanting, and a commercial atmosphere is coming. Lanting is everywhere, reflecting the grace left by a generation of book saints to future generations. There are cultural shops on both sides of the street. Young people dip in "golden ink", learn from Wang Xizhi's brushwork and write "Lanting Preface" on the fan. Shiny and beautiful. I don't know how Wang Xizhi would feel if he were alive, whether he was overjoyed and vividly repeated by so many people, or whether he had another taste in his heart. The "author" seems to be a well-informed and idle person. He just smiles at tourists and never deliberately promotes his "masterpiece".

There is a courtyard in the scenic spot, which is specially engraved with the Preface to the Lanting Pavilion copied by famous artists in previous dynasties. I was very depressed after reading it. These famous artists' own works may not be bad or even wonderful, but this so-called copying really makes you don't know what to say. "Copying" retains the daubing of the original work and the words on the side, which makes people laugh. The original, retaining the original bits and pieces, is a model for future generations. Speaking of "Long Live the Tian Tong Post", it did not hesitate to fill in the outline with a double hook. The double hook played the role of a copier and has been copied. Is it necessary to make a mistake in copying the copy now? Is it necessary to deliberately add words? I think of the "golden ink" books all over the street and look at the "copying books" all over the wall. I think of Longjing in the street. It looks a bit like it, but it tastes a bit. Great masterpieces are high-temperature blast furnaces. Let's enjoy their warmth! Let's feast our eyes! Remember, stay away from them, otherwise, you will become a scorched earth or turn to ashes.

How I want to see the Preface to the Lanting Pavilion! However, the world can't dig Zhaoling just to see a calligraphy! Although this work is so unique. There is a legend in the history of calligraphy that Zhong You, a great calligrapher, became a milestone because he saw Cai Yong's pen theory on Wei's birthday, and he was so anxious that he vomited blood for three days. After Dan Wei died, he dug the grave and got it. Wang Xizhi read "On Pen" at the age of twelve, and later became a book saint. Now Cai Yong's "On Pen" has been included in various versions of books, and we haven't seen anyone become a landmark figure or a book saint. Calligraphers of all ages, writing like a dot, will claim to catch up with the two kings. Contemporary calligraphers, in particular, often say that the two kings are their ancestors. However, nowadays, the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi is not authentic. What are you chasing? Where are you going to chase?

The Zhaoling Tomb had already been laid to rest. If Emperor Taizong had not brought it to the mausoleum as a funerary object, would the fate of Preface to Lanting have disappeared in this noisy and restless world, and other scripts of Rainbow Xihe?