The secrets contained in Wang Xizhi's "Peace Note" while viewing the monument

"Ping'an Tie" is also known as "Calendar Jiang Tie", "December 6th Announcement Jiang Tie", and "December 6th Tie". In addition to this imitation rubbing, it has also been included in many collections of calligraphy since the Song Dynasty, such as "Jiang Tie", "Ding Tie", "Qingcheng Tie" (Sun Chengze edition, Lian Quan edition, Xihongtang edition) and The Ming Dynasty's "Tingyun Pavilion Tie", "Mochi Hall Selection Tie", "Yu Yan Tang Tie" and the Qing Dynasty's "Yunqing Pavilion Tie", "Haishan Xianguan Copy Ancient Tie" and "Gengxiaxi Pavilion Dharma Tie" etc. The general situation of the rubbings and engravings is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Picture 1: Copy of "Ping An Tie" in cursive script, on silk

Picture 2: "Gao Jiang Tie" in the second volume of "Jiang Tie"

About "Ping'an Tie" The content of "Tie" and its related issues

Comparing the facsimile of "Ping'an Tie" (Picture 1) with the sixth volume of the Song Dynasty's "Jiang Tie" (Picture 2), only the first four lines are found. , the five elements are incomplete after the engraving. In order to facilitate the analysis of the content, the post is now divided into sentences and read as follows:

On December 6th, I told Jiang Dao and others that the year had suddenly come to an end, and I lamented the deep love. I can’t miss you, but I have to go for ten years. In the moon letter, I know that Jiang and others are safe, but my longevity is not at peace, and my heart is hanging. It's so cold, everyone can do it? Longevity is a difference. I have recently been suffering from earache, which is getting worse now. I offer it to you, so I don’t want to give it to you. I am not able to do it one by one. In February, I tell Jiang Dao and others that they are safe and longevity...

The main meaning is translated as follows:

On December 6, I tell Jiang Dao and others that the years are like this. Passed away, and it is almost the end of the year in a blink of an eye. I feel deeply sad. I miss you very much but I can't go to see you. I received your letter in October last year. I know that Zhi, Jiang and others are doing well, but Shou's old illness has not yet recovered, which makes me very worried. The weather has been extremely cold recently. How are you all? Has Shou's health improved as well? I've been having a lot of pain in my ear lately, but it's getting a little better now. Xianzhi suffered from various diseases and was tired and sleepy. For now, I won’t go into details one by one. In February, I wish Jiang and others peace and longevity...

Now we will analyze and examine the content of the post and its related issues from several aspects.

1. The characters involved in the letter

The style of this post is a Jin Dynasty official letter, that is, a private letter to the family. The characters involved include "Jiang", "Dao", "Shou" and "Xianzhi".

"Ginger" appears frequently in Wang Xi's official slips, such as "I will tell Jiang on the twenty-seventh, are your mother and child okay? I am not strong enough. I tell you." "I will tell Jiang on the sixth day, and the rain will start to clear up again." May it be sunny soon. May your mother and son be safe. Ye Gao. "The end of these two posts is signed "Ye Gao", which means "father". It can be seen that these two posts are letters to my daughter (more details later). .

Although "Dao" and "Shou" rarely appear in Wang Xizhi's rulers, "Dao" comes after the name "Jiang" and should also be the names or nicknames of Wang Xizhi's children. According to the content of the letter, "Shou", "Jiang" and "Dao" should also have the same identity.

As for "offering it", there is a question. Because in Jin people's official documents, people close to them are generally called by their given names or nicknames, and it is rare to call them by their first names. In Wang Xizhi's rulers and tablets, except for this post, there is no example of "Xianzhi" being mentioned. Instead, "official slave" appears frequently, which is generally believed to refer to Wang Xianzhi. There is also a miscellaneous post calling the person "Zijing", "Zijing Fei Bai Dayi", which should also be more credible. In addition, the three lines after this post, "Because of the dedication..." may be from other posts, and their authenticity remains to be studied (more details later).

2. The writing style and idioms of ruler-slips

This post is a typical Jin people’s question about ruler-slips. The usual sequence of letters is that after greeting the season, they usually first describe the receipt and reply of the letter from both parties, then ask about the other party's well-being, report one's current situation, etc., and then end the full text with the concluding words. In the life circle of the gentry at that time, they mainly used this simple greeting method to communicate with each other, communicate and enhance mutual friendship and care. The characteristic of this kind of ruler-slips is that they describe "season" and "cold temperature", that is, after describing the four seasons of the year, they often sigh frequently, as if expressing sorrow. There are many similar expressions to "The year has come to an end suddenly, and I sigh deeply..." in "Peace Tie", such as:

Xizhi paused on September 25th. It's winter, and I sigh and feel sad at the same time. I can't win, and there's nothing I can do.

On the first day of the first month of the lunar month, the sky is white. Suddenly the year changes, and on the occasion of new friends, I sigh deeply.

Xi’s report is on the first day of the first month. Suddenly the year changes, I feel sad and sad at the same time, I can't overcome myself, I can't do anything.

Xizhi Bao on December 24th. Sigh at the end of the year.

On the second day of the first lunar month, Xizhi paused. Suddenly this year, I feel distant and hurt, and my heart aches, but I have no choice but to do anything.

There are many rules and idioms in letters. For example, "gao" is a word that indicates the status of superior and inferior in rulers. This letter is a letter from an honorable person to an inferior person, so this kind of language is used. The same goes for "ru" and "I". In the book with the humble person, the biggest feature of the use of titles is that they mostly use personal pronouns, such as "I" and "ru". Generally, they don't use "zuxia", etc., and they don't call themselves by their own names. Such as "Xizhi". Others include "peace", "pingfu" (recovery), "xuanxin" (worry), "ke" (very good), "poor" (slightly better), "wuwu" (tired and sleepy), "strength" " (physical condition, energy), "buyiyi" (also known as "not with". It means that the etiquette is not complete, please forgive me), etc., are all idioms used by Jin people on rulers and tablets.

3. Incomplete text and text interpretation

As shown in the above explanation, the copy only has the first four lines, and the last five lines of the text are missing. There are obviously missing texts.

There are also other posts included in the second half of the engraving. Judging from the meaning of the text, the last three lines, "Please do not suffer any troubles, do not be powerless, tell Jiang and others a safe and long life in February" are not related to the content of the previous post, and the handwriting is also very different. It may be from another post. Incoming posts. It seems reasonable that "Qingtingtang Tie" uses it as a separate post and appends it to "Yuqing Tie".

The word "Shou" in the post "Shou is not healed" is interpreted as "Juan". According to the meaning of the text and the glyph, it should be regarded as "Shou". The word "er" in "I have recently suffered from earache" has the interpretation "you". According to the meaning of the text and the shape of the characters, it is regarded as "ear". "无々" is a repeated word of "无". "Not one by one" is the same as "not having". The "month" in "February Gaojiang" has the interpretation of "xi", but according to the meaning of the text and the glyph, it seems to be regarded as "month".

IV. Some situations involved in the post

Therefore, the post is also called "Ginger", so the recipient "Jiang" needs to be carefully investigated. According to the "Jiang" that appears frequently in Wang's invitations, although scholars have previously inferred that they are Wang Xizhi's children and grandchildren, they do not know the specific reference. Later, according to the Tang Dynasty's "Epitaph of Li Mengjiang, the Princess of Linchuan County" discovered in recent years (stored in Zhaoling Museum, Liquan County, Shaanxi Province), Taizong of the Tang Dynasty quoted: "I heard that Wang Xi's daughter, whose name was Meng Jiang, was very skilled in calligraphy. I admire her. It is a character, Shu Ke Qi Zong. Because the character is Mengjiang...", we know that the "jiang" that appears frequently in Wang Xizhi's rulers is actually what Wang Xizhi said in "Seventeen Posts" and "Children's Posts": "I have seven sons and one son." The "female" of "female". Regarding this woman, the "your mother and son" in the quote above "tell Jiang on the sixth day, the rain will start to clear again, it will clear soon, your mother and son will be safe" should refer to Meng Jiang and her son Liu Jin. According to Liu Xiao’s annotation in the pinzao chapter of "Shishuo Xinyu", it is quoted from "Liu Jin Collection": "(Liu) Jin, courtesy name Zhongzhang, was born in Nanyang. His ancestor was Xia, and his father was Chang. Chang married Wang Xi's daughter and gave birth to Jin. Jin You Talent, Li Shangshu, Taichang Qing." Liu Jin should also be one of the "sixteen grandsons today" who Wang Xizhi said in "Children's Notes". Meng Jiang was Wang Xizhi's only daughter, and of course she was particularly loved by Wang Xizhi. There is a royal post describing the plot:

I am gone and the sun is gone. If I want to keep my daughter with me, I will give her away when I leave. Can you please grant me your permission? Once the due date is unknown, it is a waste of time. Mrs. Shedao Kanghe. A small step can make a big difference, and if you spend fifteen days, you will be able to help the river. Therefore, if you know and ask in two days, you must trust and know, and you will definitely take a shortcut to meet your step. You can pay it back in time, and count the day as the year when you are late.

This post should have been sent by Wang Xizhi to his daughter’s in-laws (Liu Chang’s family). From the letter, it can be seen that Wang Xizhi is in his later years and very much hopes that his daughter’s in-laws will allow her to return to her parents’ home for a period of time. The letter also begged the other party to let her daughter return to her parents' home frequently, saying that she was spending her days looking forward to the day she would meet her daughter.

There is another place in the second half of the engraved post that mentions Wang Xizhi, "I have recently suffered from earache." Wang Xizhi suffered from various diseases, which are reflected in his writings, such as "foot pain", "lumbar pain", "scapular pain", "headache", "toothache", "abdominal pain", "swelling and pain", "Swelling disease", "malaria", "vomiting", "dysentery", "spleen wind", etc. It is also known from this post that he suffers from "earache". Wang Xizhi once asked in "Tie of Tianshu Ointment" in "Seventeen Posts", "Is there any evidence that Tianshu Ointment can cure deafness? Those who have experienced it need medicine." This can also indirectly prove that Wang Xizhi suffered from ear disease, so he was very concerned about whether Tianshu Ointment was effective in treating deafness.

5. Regarding issues of copying and calligraphy style

The handwriting characteristics of the copy (Figure 1) and the engraving (Figure 2) should come from the same original. , the question is which of the bases they rely on comes first and which comes later, which one is better and which one is worse. In fact, from a slight comparison between the two, it is obvious that the copy of the book is fat and weak, and its charm is not as good as the printed version. In addition, the four characters "Go to October Book" in the facsimile version of "Ping'an Tie" are in continuous cursive style, but not in the engraving version. This is also where the engraving version is better than the facsimile version. Wang Shu of the Qing Dynasty commented on this kind of calligraphy that "the characters are connected and connected like the strokes of the pen without stopping", which is "both lacking in rhythm and frustration, and also has vulgar rhyme", and concluded that "Although the right army is surrounded by phoenixes and dragons, it is actually left-right and right-handed. There are those that are continuous" (Volume 6 of "Chunhua Secret Pavilion Dharma Calligraphy Examination"). Therefore, if both the facsimile and the engraving are from the same original, it can only be said that the former is an exquisite copy and the latter is a rough copy, or it is unknown whether the former is from the latter.

In the Tang Dynasty, paper was generally used for copying and copying calligraphy, such as hard yellow paper, because paper is easier to copy than silk. In fact, double hook filling is not simply "filling ink" in the stroke outline like dipping ink writing. According to Mr. Jun Tomita of Japan, during the restoration process of the excellent "Mangluan Tie" in Japan, he discovered: "In terms of the literal meaning of double-hook filling, that is, first outline the outline and then fill in the ink color. In fact, observe carefully The real thing is not that simple. The so-called ink filling is composed of many overlapping lines as fine as hair, and the technology is quite exquisite. "So, can silk materials be used for such precise engraving? I doubt it. Perhaps the silk version of "Ping'an Tie" is a temporary copy. This has yet to be verified with the actual object.

Regarding the handwriting of "Peace Tie", some people say that the style of the copy is similar to that of "Seventeen Tie". This may be because he only read the first four lines of handwriting in the copy, right?

I don’t agree with this, so I’ll give you an example. The handwriting after the fifth line of the engraving gradually becomes more and more unbridled, such as "Yi Cha Ye", "Pain Jin Jian Chai" and other words, which are unrestrained and unrestrained, which is very different from the strict single-cursive calligraphy of "Seventeen Tie". Its fun. The style of "Seventeen Posts" is "There is no circle without rules, no square without rules; enter according to the rules, and leave according to the rules; never leave one step at a time, and integrate step by step. As for being able to integrate, it means following the heart and not exceeding." ( Wang Shu's "Xuzhou Inscription and Postscript").

The handwriting of "Ping'an Tie" is more straightforward, which is far different from "Seventeen Tie" which has the nature of cursive writing textbook and dictionary. If you ask what type of Wang Tie the "Ping'an Tie" is similar to in handwriting, I think it is quite similar in meaning to the "Sangluan Tie". For example, the word "pain" in the sixth line is very similar to it. The word "pain" appears frequently in Wang Tie and is one of the most distinctive cursive characters. In addition, the Japanese scholar Mr. Yujiro Nakata believes that the "Peace Note" is not a king's letter, and he suspects that it is a forgery written by a later generation who came to study the king's letter ("Research on Wang Xizhi's Center of Law" p164). I don't agree with this opinion either. The reason for this view may be that it is suspected that this is due to the "play science" and "imitation calligraphy" of the Southern Dynasty and Southern Tang Dynasty, right? Indeed, in the history of the circulation of royal letters, there have been many so-called royal invitations that "copied right military texts". "Lun Shu Biao" written by Yuhe of Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty records: "Xiao Wu wrote Zi Jingxue's calligraphy and play studies, and the ten volumes are "Xue". Fu Yun did not mention "play studies". Either Zhen, Xing, Zhang Cao, etc. are mixed on one paper, or Rewriting numbers, either by imitating the calligraphy skills of senior celebrities, or by playing calligraphy without paying attention, is also extremely bad." (Volume 2 of "Fa Shu Yao Lu") Huang Bosi of the Song Dynasty also said: "Ji Bei Yuan Secret Hall. , because of the collection of secret papers in the book, I found this handwritten calligraphy in a letter, and the title of each volume said: "What is the number of imitation calligraphy". The fake calligraphy in this volume and all the fake calligraphy in other volumes are not included in the other volumes. There are many, and they are written on Chengxintang paper. Gai'er, a native of the Southern Tang Dynasty, took the ancient words and wrote them in his own way. It is not a copy." "There are many handwritings of people from the Southern Tang Dynasty in the Chunhua Dharma Notes, such as Shantao, Cui Ziyu, Xie Fa, and Bian Hu, all of whom are handwritten. The third volume has the most. , several boxes are still there, all are written on Chengxintang paper, clearly titled "imitation calligraphy", and they are not copied or authentic. At that time, Shishu Wang was not aware of the compilation, so he specially named them for inclusion, so they were confused with the originals. , but there are many good ones that are not included, which is a pity." (Both Volumes of "Dongguan Yulun") Despite this, looking at the handwriting of "Ping'an Tie", there are still some characteristics of Wang's calligraphy, such as the word "pain" above. Its clear evidence. Therefore, it should be said that the handwriting of "Ping'an Tie" is original and should belong to the various Wangcao styles.