One of the calligraphers who is honored as "Cao Sheng" is Huai Su
Huai Su (725-785) Cao Sheng. A native of the Tang Dynasty, his courtesy name is Zangzhen, his monk's name is Huaisu, and his common surname is Qian. He is Han nationality and a native of Lingling, Yongzhou (Lingling, Hunan). He loved Buddhism when he was young and became a monk. He is a leading cursive calligrapher in the history of calligraphy. His cursive calligraphy is called "Kuaicao". His pen is round and powerful, turning like a circle, unrestrained and smooth, and written in one go. He is as famous as Zhang Xu, another cursive calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, known as "Zhang". "Dian Su Kuang"? or "Dian Zhang Zui Su."
Poets and writers throughout the ages have praised Huai Su's achievements in cursive script. The great poet Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty once wrote a poem praising Huai Su's cursive script. His name is Huaisu, and he is known as Dubu in the world of cursive writing. Fishes fly out of the ink pond, and the pen strokes kill all the rabbits in the mountains..." ("Song of Cursive Script") Han Xi's "Screen with Cursive Script Inscribed on Huai Su" also praised: "Wherever there is a screen, it is clear that Huai Su is lying. Although it is dusty and stained, there are especially thick ink marks. Strange rocks rush into the autumn stream, and ancient pines hang on cold vines. "If you teach me to take a photo near the water, every word may become a dragon." Guan Xiu's "Guan Huai Su's Cursive Script Song": "Zhang's bump is bump after bump, and it is not bump until Huai Su's bump. The teacher does not talk about the Sutras and does not talk about Zen, but his physical strength is only as good as cursive writing. I'm crazy but I'm afraid I'm a god. If there's a god to help me, it's beyond the reach of the god. I'm painting with iron and stone, but the ink needs to be inserted into it. The golden statue has more than a dozen bamboo leaves, half drunk and half drunk from the mountain. When I'm drunk, my pen is as fierce as a tiger's, and I don't care about the owner. ...Knowing that the master's great name is in the world, what is the limit of the bright moon and the clear breeze? " Mr. Lu's "Review of Continuing Books" said: "Huaisu's cursive script can be changed at will with the help of a millimeter." Huang Tingjian's "Valley Inscription and Postscript" said: "Huaisu's cursive script has not diminished its history in his later years (referring to Zhang Xu). The cover is better than fat, and the hidden truth is better than thin. These two people are the crown of the generation of cursive calligraphy." Mi Fu's "Haiyue Book Review" praised "Huai Su's calligraphy is like a strong man drawing a sword, with a moving spirit, and whirling forward and retreating, "It's all right." A certain person's "Ji Gu Lu" also said: "Zang Zhen was famous for his cursive script at that time, and it is especially rare in this world." "Jiang Zhiqi commented: "There is a wonderful principle in cursive script, and it can be achieved by Wei Huaisu." Cen Zongdan's "Book Review" also described "Huaisu as leisurely and elegant, so he is as graceful as a real fairy." Shen You's "Calligraphy and Painting Inscriptions and Postscripts" explained: The most wonderful thing about plain calligraphy is that, although the meaning is free and ever-changing, it never departs from the laws of the Wei and Jin Dynasties." Wang Shizhen's "Dangzhou Mountain Manuscript" praised Huaisu's "Qianwentie" for "the characters are like immortals and the pens are like flying." . In March 2017, scholar Huang Jinxiang discovered for the first time the long-lost authentic paper copy of Huai Su's "Thousand-Character Essay on Xiaocao" and praised it: "The ordinary monk is unique and the grass sage lasts for thousands of years." The reappearance of the divine product is a blessing to the country! " There are even more comments from calligraphy connoisseurs. There is almost no calligraphy history book that does not mention Huai Su.