Cai Xiang (1012-1067), a calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty. Xianyou, with the courtesy name Junmo and the name Puyang Jushi, was born in Xianyou (now part of Fujian), Xinghua. He lived in Xianyou for generations, and later moved to outside the south gate of Putian City. In the eighth year of Tiansheng (1030), he became a Jinshi and became a bachelor in Duanming Hall. He served as an admonisher for more than a year, and his reputation shocked the world. I know that Fuzhou and Quanzhou have favorable policies. His posthumous title was Zhonghui. He is good at craftsmanship, running and cursive writing, and is also good at Zhang cursive writing. Learn from Yu Shinan and Yan Zhenqing, and learn from Jin people. The regular script is solemn and steady, the running script is gentle and graceful, and the cursive script uses the Feibai method. Together with Su Shi, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu, he is known as one of the "Four Great Masters of the Song Dynasty". "History of the Song Dynasty·Biographies" said of him: "Xiang worked in handwriting and was the best in the world. Renzong loved him." Among the four people in the Song Dynasty, he should be ahead of Su, Huang and Mi in terms of age. Among the four schools of the Song Dynasty, Su, Huang, and Mi were all good at cursive and regular script, but Cai Xiang was the one who liked to write regular regular script. His calligraphy was learned from Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan, and was vigorous, dignified, and majestic. Su Dongpo said: "Jun Mo is highly talented, has accumulated profound knowledge, has a corresponding mind and hand, and has endless changes, so he is the best in this dynasty." Cai Xiang was a loyal, upright, and knowledgeable man. Both." "Yan Zhenqing's Postscript to His Self-Reporting Works" was modified from Lu Gong's writing style and can be used as regular script. Shen Kuo said that he was good at "making cursive calligraphy with loose brush, which is called San Cao or Fei Cao. His techniques were all born in Fei Bai and became his own style." This shows that Cai Xiang, a calligrapher who lacks the spirit of reform, is not stuck in the past. He is also pursuing ancient interests and striving for new ideas. "Dongpo's Inscriptions and Postscripts" states: "'Cai Junmo is unique in the world'. This is the ultimate theory. Junmo is first in running script, second in small regular script, and third in cursive script. Focus on his strengths and weaknesses, and the big characters are small and sparse. Talent is both High, supplemented by diligent study, he is unique in the world." Tao Zongyi of the Ming Dynasty's "Shu Shi Hui Yao" said: "Jun Mo's Gongzi study, the big characters are several feet long, the small characters are as small as a hair, and the writing power is as good as the position, and the big ones do not lose precision, and the small ones are as precise as the hair. He is generous and generous." Mi Fu's "Hai Yue's Quotes" commented on his book: "It is like a young woman's figure, walking slowly, and mostly decorated with lead." The handed down ink writings include "Cai Xiang's Self-written Poems" and other inscriptions. "The Story of Wan'an Bridge" and so on. Later generations compiled "Cai Zhonghui Collection".
The ink that has been passed down from generation to generation includes "Xie Ci Yu Shu Shi", letters and poems, etc. The inscriptions include "The Story of Wan'an Bridge", "The Story of Zhoujintang", etc. He is the author of "Tea Records", "Litchi Pu", and "Cai Zhonghui Gongji" compiled by later generations. "Poetry of Thanks to the Emperor", also known as "Poetry of Thanks to the Emperor" and "Poem of Inscription", is a regular script ink written by Cai Xiang. The content recorded in the post is roughly that the emperor bestowed the word "Jun Mo" on Cai Xiang. Cai Xiang was so grateful that he wrote a poem to the emperor to express his gratitude. Paper, regular script, a scroll of text, and an ancient poem. There are 38 lines, each line has a different number of words, with a maximum of 320 words. The length is 24.8 cm and the width is 107.9 cm. Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei. Recorded in "Shigutang Calligraphy and Painting Collection" and "Moyuan Huiguan". The regular script of this post is the careful work of Cai Xiang. Because he is extremely talented, knowledgeable, upright, and meticulous, his regular writing is rigorous, his writing is meticulous, and everything is exquisite, striving to catch up with the flat and implicit style. Gu Fu's "The Spectacular Life" of the Ming Dynasty: "The official script is written on a white paper, without any serious hatred, and is graceful and graceful. This man is also the first regular script."