In the history of calligraphy, there were four great calligraphers in Song Dynasty: Su, Huang, Mi and Cai. The four of them are considered as typical representatives of calligraphy style in Song Dynasty. Among the "Song Sijia", the top three are Su Shi (Dongpo), Huang Tingjian (Fu Weng) and Mi Fei (Xiangyang Manshi).
Judging from the style of calligraphy, Su Shi is full of ups and downs and innocence; Huang tingjian rises vertically and horizontally, hiding and pulling; Miffy is handsome, bold, calm and happy. They were all good at learning from the ancients, full of innovative spirit and unique book style, and were highly respected by people at that time. They are listed in four schools, and there is no objection to this. It is generally believed that Cai refers to Cai Xiang (). His calligraphy is based on the Jin and Tang Dynasties, paying attention to the ancient meaning and statutes. But some people think it is Cai Jing, but who it refers to has been controversial.
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It is generally believed that the so-called Cai refers to Cai Xiang (), and Cai Xiang's calligraphy adopts the method of Jin and Tang Dynasties, paying attention to ancient meaning and statutes. Block letters are dignified and calm, very subtle. Song Renzong especially loved his books, and once wrote an inscription by Wang Longxi, the uncle of Yuan Dynasty, as a birthday letter, and "warmed the book as a monument to his father" (Biography of Cai Xiang, a Song Dynasty poet). Cai Xiang's calligraphy art was also valued by the literati at that time, calling it the first in the dynasty.
However, since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there has been another saying. Judging from the arrangement order of the four schools and the characteristics of the times, "Cai" originally referred to Cai Jing, and it was only after later generations hated him that it was replaced by Cai Xiang. Painting and calligraphy appraisers, Sun Du and An Shifeng in Ming Dynasty were quite dissatisfied with the title of Cai Jing, saying that Cai was Cai Jing. In Qing Dynasty, Hang Shijun also took "Su Huangmi, Cai Fei and Cai Xiang" as an example of "human error". It can be seen that "Cai Jing Theory" had a great influence in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Cai Jing's calligraphy art is charming, energetic, cheerful and quiet, which can better reflect the aesthetic taste of calligraphy in Song Dynasty. Therefore, it enjoyed a high reputation at that time, and many people studied its books in the government and the public. Cai Xiang's calligraphy was praised as "the first in his own dynasty" in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, but since the formation of a new calligraphy fashion in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, people have gradually criticized Cai Xiang's calligraphy. In the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, people's comments on Cai Xiang were not so consistent. Thirdly, from the arrangement order, the arrangement of Su, Huang and Mi has obvious generational order. Cai Xiang is a Renzong, ranking first among Zhezong and Huizong, second only to Mi Fei. There are some doubts.
"Cai Jing's Theory" is not nonsense, and "Cai Xiang's Theory" is well founded. Because Cai Jing is one of the "Six Thieves", it is really difficult for people to accept him emotionally, so people tend to Cai Xiang. But it seems that the final conclusion of this problem should be confirmed by the literature of Song Dynasty.