The original copy of "Lanting Preface" should be in Zhaoling.
1. Historical evidence:
According to the Tang Dynasty historian Liu Wei's "Sui and Tang Jia Hua": "Wang Youjun's "Lanting Preface", the Liang Dynasty, was out. Chen Tianjiazhong, for Seng Yong received it and presented it to Emperor Xuan in the Sui Dynasty. Later, Seng Guo borrowed it from the emperor and ascended to the throne, but he did not ask for it after his death. His disciple Seng Biancai got it. When Emperor Taizong was the Queen of Qin, he was surprised to see that the rubbing was expensive and the book "Lanting" was not found in Biancai's place. In the tenth year of Zhenguan, he copied ten copies and gave them to his ministers. When the emperor died, Chu Suiliang wrote: "Lanting" was important to the emperor and should not be kept."
2. A simplified line for the loss of authentic works:
1) "Wang Youjun's "Lanting Preface", Liang Luan is out of town."
After the "Lanting Preface" was written, it has been passed down by the Wang family. Two hundred years later, during the Hou Jing Rebellion in Liang State in the Southern Dynasties, Wang Xi's descendants failed to preserve this family heirloom, and the "Lanting Preface" was lost. .
2) "Chen Tianjiazhong was acquired by Monk Yong."
More than ten years later, the Liang Kingdom had been destroyed by Chen Baxian and the Chen Kingdom was established. At this time, a French The monk named Zhiyong received the "Lanting Preface". Strangely, this monk was the seventh-generation grandson of Wang Xizhi. Could it be that Wang secretly hid this treasure outside two hundred years ago? The so-called "de" in history books is indeed the ultimate breadth and depth of Chinese writing.
3) "When I arrived in Taijianzhong, I presented it to Emperor Xuan."
Thirteen years later, someone dedicated the "Lanting Preface" to the fourth emperor of the Chen Kingdom at that time. Emperor Chen Xu, this Chen Xu was not a confused emperor, and the so-called "Xian" in the history books should not have been ordered by him. The word "Xian" can't help but make people think a lot. From then on, the descendants of Wang Xi would no longer have access to this handed down treasure from the ancestor of the Book Saint!
4) "The Sui Dynasty Ping Chen Ri, perhaps as a tribute to the King of Jin, the treasure that the king does not have."
When the time came to the Sui Dynasty, the second prince Yang Guang led his army to conquer the Chen Kingdom, and Chen The important treasures of the palace naturally fell into the hands of the Sui army. Someone found "Lanting Preface" and dedicated it to Yang Guang, but Yang Guang didn't think it was a treasure. In fact, Yang Guang likes women first. How could the mere "Orchid Pavilion" be more interesting to him than a popular erotic painting? However, there is no doubt that "Lanting Preface" is still in the Sui Palace for the time being.
5) "Later Seng Guo borrowed Tuo from the emperor. When he reached the highest level, he did not follow Suo. It was only after the death of Master Guo that his disciple Seng Bian got it."
The king mentioned earlier. Zhiyong had a disciple named Sengguo. He may have heard Yang Guang’s attitude towards "Lanting Preface" and thought that an opportunity had come, so he lent Yang Guang the "Lanting Preface". The reason was nothing more than that he was the ancestor of his master. I want to borrow it and copy it, etc. Yang Guang actually agreed. And until he ascended the throne and became Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty, he did not ask for anything from him. It seemed that Master Sengguo was extremely happy. Afterwards, it is said in a straightforward manner that after Sengguo died, "Lanting Preface" was passed on to his disciple, Biancai!
6) "Taizong was the Queen of Qin. He was surprised to see the rubbings. It was a book written by the king in the market at a high price, and "Lanting" was never found. When he learned that it was at Biancai, he sent Xiao Yi to travel across the country to get it. He entered the Qin government in the fourth year of Wude."
Before Emperor Li Shimin ascended the throne, he was still the king of Qin. He was very happy to see the rubbings of "Lanting Preface". This rubbing may be the earliest rubbing of "Lanting Preface" to "Kaihuang Edition Lanting Preface". ("Kaihuang" is the reign name of Yang Guang's father Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.) It may also be a rubbing made when "Seng Guo borrowed rubbings from the emperor" as mentioned above. In short, the King of Qin must have been surprised that "Lanting Preface" was the most divine work in ancient and modern times! And if the rubbings were like this, wouldn't the original work make him even more dissatisfied? Therefore, a large price was paid to buy the authentic copy of "Lanting Preface". However, there was still no trace. However, the King of Qin had countless capable people, and soon they found out the information, and even succeeded in "obtaining it" from the old monk Biancai in Yuezhou. In this way, "Lanting Preface" was passed to Li Shimin.
7) "In the tenth year of Zhenguan, ten copies were copied and given to the ministers. After the emperor died, Zhongshu ordered Chu Suiliang to write: "Lanting" was an important work of the late emperor and cannot be kept." It was then secreted in Zhaoling.
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When Shimin ascended the throne, he was the great emperor, with the reign name Zhenguan. In the tenth year of Zhenguan, in 636 AD, the emperor's son gathered the powerful officials of the empire, including Feng Chengsu, Zhao Mo, Zhuge Zhen, Han Daozheng and others, and copied them with double hooks. The method was almost perfect, leaving behind ten original rubbings passed down to later generations, as well as copy copies by famous artists such as Chu Suiliang and Ouyang Xun. Later, when the emperor's son died, Chu Suiliang suggested that the new emperor write the "Lanting Preface". 》The authentic work was buried in Zhaoling, the mausoleum of Taizong!
3. Tragedy:
The original work of "Lanting Preface" was secretly buried in the Kuaiji Mountains in 353 AD, and ended in 636 AD. Advocated and praised by the first emperor throughout the ages, in the past three hundred years, it passed through the hands of three emperors and two Buddhist disciples, and finally ended up being buried with a great emperor. It witnessed the various encounters of Chinese calligraphy art in the chaotic world, which made Later generations of calligraphers were filled with emotion.
This is another kind of art in "Lanting Preface"