The Manuscript for Sacrificing a Nephew is a sparse manuscript written by Yan Zhenqing's nephew Yan Jiming, with 23 lines and 234 words.
If you simply say calligraphy, the word is actually not beautiful, not beautiful.
However, the reason why the Manuscript for Sacrificing a Nephew is widely known in later generations is that every word of this manuscript is blood and tears, and the truth written is awe-inspiring. Yan Zhenqing, who was in his fifties at that time, looked at his cousin's skull and wrote it.
This manuscript describes how the father and son Yan Gaoqing, the magistrate of Changshan, stood up and opposed it loyally, so that "the father was trapped and the child died, and the nest turned upside down" and brought justice into his heart.
14 years, An Shi Rebellion broke out. At that time, Yan Zhenqing was stationed in Pingyuan County, and his cousin Yan Gaoqing was guarding Changshan County. The Yan brothers organized forces to fight against the rebels. At that time, Yan Gaoqing's son, Yan Jiming, traveled back and forth between the two counties to transmit information.
Later, the rebels attacked Changshan, and Yan Gaoqing led his men to stubbornly resist for six days and six nights. Because the enemy was outnumbered and the ammunition was exhausted, the rebels captured Changshan and Yan Gaoqing was unfortunately captured.
After Yan Gaoqing was captured, he was sent to Luoyang An Lushan Camp. Because he didn't want to surrender, and righteously denounced An Lushan as a traitor.
An Lushan was furious and ordered the executioner to cut off one of his feet and eat his flesh, but this did not make Yan Gaoqing yield, and he kept swearing. The cruel executioner hooked out his tongue with an iron hook and cut it off.
In the end, Yan Gaoqing was tortured to death at the age of 65.
His son was beheaded, and more than 30 people in the Yan family were killed, which was terrible!
After the Anshi Rebellion subsided, Yan Zhenqing asked someone to look for the remains of relatives. However, due to a long time, only a leg bone, a few hairs and Yan Jiming's head in a box were found.
Yan was loyal, but he was almost killed. His nephew has only one head left. At that time, Yan Zhenqing was in a state of extreme grief and indignation, and he wrote "Sacrificing a Nephew" with tears.
Because of excessive emotions, words fluctuate with calligraphers' emotions, regardless of the clumsiness of pen and ink, which is purely a natural expression of spirit and peacetime work. The feeling between pens is like a surge, the calligraphy is magnificent, and the vertical pen is bold and unconstrained.
These words are combed densely, the ink color is heavy or light, and there are even traces of "dead pen". But this is no longer a calligraphy work, but a farewell song of loyalty that has been sung for thousands of years.
The words "every word cries blood, and the bones clank" are the comments of future generations on the manuscript of offering sacrifices to nephews.
Although it has been a long time, this paper-backed and earth-shattering work can still remind people of the old man who wrote this word. He is a proud scholar, an upright loyal minister and a hero who would rather die than surrender.
As the witness of Chinese loyalty and the kindling of Chinese civilization, The Manuscript for Sacrificing a Nephew should always be remembered by future generations.