Wei Dan
Wei Wei Dan was named Zhongjiang, a native of Jingzhao, the son of the imperial servant, and served as an official. Fuying followed Zhang Boying's method and combined it with Handan Chun's method. All the books are well written, especially the inscriptions. When Emperor Ming's Lingyuntai was first completed, he ordered General Zhong to write a list. There are differences between superior and inferior, so it is advisable to correct them. Because of danger and fear, he warned his descendants and did nothing to follow the law. Yuan Angyun: Like a dragon holding a tiger, the sword is at war. Zhang Maoxian said: Jingzhao Weidan, Danzixiong, Yingchuan Zhongyao, Yaozihui, and Bingshan official script. In the early days of Qinglong, Luoyang and Xuye were the three capitals, and the palaces and temples were first established. The imperial edict was issued to Zhongjiang Da to inscribe it as a permanent system. The imperial pen and ink were given, but none of them were used. Because Cai Yong is proud of his ability to calligraphy, and he can write according to the methods of Si and Xi. If you want to do your job well, you must sharpen your tools. If you use Zhang Zhi's pen, Zuo Bo's paper, and Chen's ink, and combine these three, and get Chen's hand, then you can achieve the goal of writing a thousand words per inch. However, the wonderful traces of grass are inferior to Suo Jing. He died in the fifth year of Jiaping at the age of seventy-five. Zhongjiang Bafen, official script, Zhangcao, Feibai are wonderful, and Xiaozhuan is capable. Brother Kang is named Yuan Jiang. Work documents. Zixiong, also known as Shaoli (Li Zuoji in the Ming Dynasty manuscript), was also good at calligraphy. People at that time said that there are two things that a son of a famous father cannot do. There is so much beauty in the world. (Published in "Book Break")
It is also said that when Emperor Ming of Wei Ling Yuntai was completed, he mistakenly ordered the list first without inscribing it. It is made of a cage, and a long windlass is used to lead it up, so that it can be titled. Go to the ground twenty-five feet away, give birth to danger and fear, warn the descendants, and put an end to this standard. (Published in "Calligraphy Records")
Translation
Wei Dan, courtesy name Zhongjiang, was born in the Kyoto area during the Cao Wei Dynasty. He was the son of a servant and served as an official. Wei Dan's teacher Zhang Zhi also studied calligraphy from Handan Chun. He can write all kinds of calligraphy, and is especially proficient in inscriptions on plaques. Emperor Ming of Wei built Lingyuntai and ordered Wei Dan to inscribe the name of the platform. The upper and lower positions were inappropriate. Therefore, Wei Dan was tied up with a thick rope and hung to the place where the plaque was hung on the platform, and the place was righted. Wei Dan felt very dangerous and extremely frightened. Afterwards, he warned his descendants not to practice regular calligraphy again.
Yuan Ang said: Wei Dan's calligraphy is like a dragon holding a tiger, and the sword is at war. Zhang Maoxian said: Wei Dan, Wei Dan's son Wei Xiong, Yingchuan Zhongyao, and Zhongyao's son Zhong Hui from the Kyoto area were all good at official script. During the Qinglong period of Emperor Wei Ming, palaces and pavilions in Luoyang, Xuchang and Ye were just completed. Emperor Ming issued an edict and ordered Wei Dan to inscribe a plaque as a permanent law. He didn't use the pen and ink given to him. Qi reported to Emperor Ming that: Cai Yong believed that he could calligraphy, and he had absorbed the exquisite calligraphy of Si and Xi. He did not write casually on fine silk. This means that if you want to do something well, you must first prepare the supplies and tools to do it. If you give me a pen made by Zhang Zhi, paper made by Zuo Bo, and ink made by me, plus your hand to hold the pen, I can write characters as big as one foot, or as small as a square inch. There are thousands of words written in small words. However, the exquisiteness of the written words can be compared with Suo Jing's. Wei Dan died in the fifth year of Jiaping, King of Wei Qi, at the age of seventy-five. Wei Dan can write official script, Zhangcao and Feibai exquisitely, and he can also write small seal script. His elder brother Wei Kang also studied calligraphy. His son Wei Xiong is also good at calligraphy. At that time, people said that the son of a famous calligrapher would not have a second career. Everyone praises their father and son. There is another saying: After Emperor Wei Ming built Lingyuntai, he mistakenly nailed the plaque on it first without inscribing the words "Lingyuntai". After discovering it, he put Wei Dan in a large cage, and then used a pulley to lift the cage to the plaque on the roof of the building, and asked him to inscribe a plaque on it. It was more than 20 feet high from the ground. Wei Dan was extremely frightened and finished inscribing the plaque. After returning home, he warned his children and grandchildren not to practice regular script from now on.