There were many famous calligraphers in ancient China, such as Wang Xizhi, Ou Yangxun, Yan Zhenqing and Huai Su. Their interesting stories are circulated among the people. Let's understand them in chronological order. The stories of famous calligraphers include Wang Xizhi's Changing Goose Post, Ou Yangxun's Lying on a Monument for Three Days, Huai Su's Burying a Grave with Bald Pen, and Yan Zhenqing's Perseverance.
Wang Xizhi is a famous calligrapher. The world only knows that his calligraphy is good, but few people know that Wang Xizhi actually has a special hobby, that is, he has a soft spot for big white geese. At the same time, there is the story of Wang Xizhi's "writing scriptures for geese", which is widely circulated. This is the story of Wang Xizhi changing the goose post.
Wang Xizhi changed the goose post:
Legend has it that there was a Taoist priest in Yinshan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty who wanted to ask Wang Xizhi to copy the Tao Te Ching for him, and raised a number of great white geese with excellent varieties, waiting for Wang Xizhi to come to his door. Sure enough, Wang Xizhi couldn't walk here, begging the Taoist priest to sell him a big white goose.
The Taoist priest secretly rejoiced and said that he would give him the white goose, but on one condition, he was asked to copy the Tao Te Ching. Wang Xizhi has always cherished words like gold, but this time he agreed gladly for the sake of the great white goose. This volume of Tao Te Ching, later called "Changing Goose Post", is Wang Xizhi's second masterpiece after "Preface to Lanting".
Ou Yangxun lay on the tablet for three days:
Ou Yangxun is a famous calligrapher in China, and one of the four masters of regular script. He has a certain popularity in Sui Dynasty and reached its peak in Tang Dynasty, but he is still open-minded and eager to learn.
Once when I went out, I saw a stone tablet written by Suo Jing, a calligrapher in the Western Jin Dynasty. I glanced at it a few times and found it so-so, but I think since it is a generation, it must have its own characteristics. So I calmed down and looked at it again and again, and found the mystery, and studied it for three days and three nights. No one can match this curiosity.
Huai Su's bald pen turned grave:
Huai Su is a famous calligrapher in China, especially in cursive script, and is known as the sage of grass. Huai Su was a famous monk in Tang Dynasty. There are many stories about practicing calligraphy. He used boards to make inkstones and boards to practice calligraphy. He grinds ink and writes every day. After grinding, he writes and rubs. Day after day, the wooden plate was worn out, and the bald pens piled up into mountains. He practiced weeds with one hand.
Yan Zhenqing persevered:
Yan Zhenqing is a famous calligrapher in China and one of the four masters of regular script. He grew up in a poor family. When practicing calligraphy, he pasted loess and water on the wall and wrote on it with a stick.
I studied under the famous calligraphers Zhang Xu and Yan Zhenqing in the Tang Dynasty, and thought I could quickly master the tricks of calligraphy. But Zhang Xu simply pointed out that he would introduce some famous posts for him to copy, or take him to travel or watch him write.
Yan Zhenqing didn't get any secret, so he was anxious. He told the teacher directly that he wanted to learn the secret of calligraphy. The teacher only said that there was no other way but to study hard and get inspiration from nature. Yan Zhenqing begged, but the teacher said sternly, there is no trick, only hard work.
Yan Zhenqing finally realized that the secret is to study hard, ponder carefully and understand the law of calligraphy from nature. He persisted and finally became a famous calligrapher in China.