1. Wang Xizhi: (303-361, 321-379), a famous calligrapher in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, known as the "Sage of Calligraphy". His representative work "Lanting Preface" is known as "the best running script in the world".
A short story
The emperor was going to the northern suburbs to offer sacrifices, so he asked Wang Xizhi to write the congratulations on a wooden board and then sent workers to carve them. The engraver whittled the wooden board layer by layer, and the wood was cut three-thirds deep before it reached the bottom. The carpenter was amazed that Wang Xizhi's brushstrokes were so powerful that it could penetrate three-thirds of the wood. The idiom "three points into the wood" is the story of Wang Xizhi.
2. Yan Zhenqing: (709-August 23, 784), a calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty, one of the four masters of regular script in ancient China, and the founder of "Yan style". Representative work: "The Second Running Script in the World" - "Manuscript of Memorial to My Nephew".
Small story
Yan Zhenqing lost his father when he was three years old, and his family of more than ten people relied on relatives and friends for support. Although the family was in decline, the Yan family still maintained courtesy and filial piety. When he was a child, Yan Zhenqing mixed loess with water, mixed it into a thin mud, and applied it to the wall. When the mud dried slightly, he used a short wooden stick to write on the wall. Pedestrians asked him in surprise: "Why don't you learn calligraphy with pen and ink?" He replied: "My family is poor and I can't bear my mother's worries."
3. Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), one of the "Four Masters of Regular Script" 1. A famous calligrapher in the Yuan Dynasty. Representative work: "Luo Shen Fu".
A short story
There was a rich man named Zhao in Yangzhou. He asked someone to write couplets for his Mingyue Tower, but he was not satisfied. One day, Zhao Mengfu passed by Yangzhou. The host welcomed him to Mingyue Tower, entertained him with a sumptuous banquet, and asked Zhao Mengfu to write a couplet for him. Zhao Mengfu wrote:
"Three thousand guests in Langyuan in the spring breeze, the first floor of Yangzhou in the bright moon."
" The host was very happy and gave all the silver wine sets on the table to Zhao Mengfu .
4. Ouyang Xun: (557-641), a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty and one of the four masters of regular script. His representative work "Huangfu's Birthday Stele" is known as "the first regular script in the Tang Dynasty".
A short story
Once Ouyang Xun was riding out and happened to see a stone tablet written by Suo Jing, a famous calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, by the roadside. He dismounted and admired it many times, but did not want to leave. He simply spread out a felt and sat down to ponder over it. Finally, he sat and lay beside the monument for three consecutive days before leaving.
5. Huang Tingjian (1045-1105), one of the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty", his representative work: "The Monument of Di Liang Gong".
A short story
One day, Huang Tingjian’s uncle Li Chang saw Huang Tingjian studying at his desk and wanted to test his nephew’s talent. When entering the study, Li often saw a mulberry tree in the courtyard, so he wrote a couplet based on the relationship between mulberry, silkworms, cocoons, silk, and brocade: Mulberry raises silkworms, silkworms spin cocoons, and cocoons Draw silk, silk brocade.
Huang Tingjian was quick in thinking and wrote the second line with a writing brush:
The grass hides the rabbit, and the rabbit produces hairs, which he uses to write articles.
6. Dong Qichang (1555-1636), calligrapher and painter of the Ming Dynasty. Representative work: "Quiet Mountains and Long Days".
Small story
Dong Qichang failed in the imperial examinations many times and was very depressed. One night, he suddenly dreamed that a god came to him and told him: "You have to wait for Yuan Keli to take the exam with you before you can hope to get on the list." After he woke up from the dream, he felt very strange, so he visited various schools one by one, and finally found Yuan Keli, who was seven years younger than him, thousands of miles away.
When he learned that Yuan Keli’s family was poor and unable to study, he took Yuan Keli home to study. When Yuan Keli was in his twenties, the two took the exam together, and they succeeded in both the provincial examination and the joint examination.
7. Su Shi: (1037-1101), excellent in poetry, lyrics, prose, calligraphy, painting, etc., one of the four masters of calligraphy in the Northern Song Dynasty, his representative work "Huangzhou Cold Food Post" is known as " The third running script in the world".
A short story
In the second year of Jiayou's reign, Su Shi's examination essay "On the Perfection of Honesty in Punishments and Rewards" was praised by the examiner Ouyang Xiu. The paper wrote: "Gao Tao said the third of killing, Yao said the third of forgiveness." None of the examiners knew the allusion. Ouyang Xiu asked Su Shi where the allusion came from. Su Shi replied: "It's natural to judge it today."