At that time, Shanhaiguan was guarded by a director of the Ministry of War. Naturally, he dare not neglect. He immediately sent someone to climb the watchtower at the east gate, measured it, found a skilled craftsman and made a huge plaque 18 feet long and 5 feet wide. This is another task of the Emperor School. Who can I ask to write? The head of the Ministry of War discussed with his men for a day and a night, and finally remembered someone. This man, surnamed Xiao Mingxian, was born as a scholar in two lists. He was a governor in Fujian and a famous calligrapher in China. He's really good at everything. Resigned from his official position because of his advanced age and returned to Shanhaiguan for leisure.
The next morning, the director of the Ministry of War visited Xiaoxian. After explaining his purpose, Xiaoxian hesitated for a long time before nodding. But he suggested that it would take a long time to write the plaque, so he could take his time. Otherwise, he won't write. The head of the Ministry of War knows that it can't be forced, and repeatedly promises: Yes, yes, as long as the old gentleman is willing to help, everything is up to you.
The head of the Ministry of War thought that there were only five words to write the plaque. People who are good at calligraphy just lift a finger and do it with a wave of their hand. Although Xiaoxian spent a long time, it was only three days. However, after he returned to the yamen, more than 20 days passed in an instant, and there was no news at all. He is in a hurry, but he has a promise and can't hurry. what should he do ？ After much deliberation, I have an idea. He asked his men to prepare several things: smoked chicken, roast duck, Jinhua ham, Shaoxing carved flowers, and sent a confidant to give Xiaoxian a gift. Not long after, the giver came back and reported that Mr. Xiao was studying hard in the study. There is a portrait of Mo Bao, a famous calligrapher in the past dynasties, and waste paper is everywhere on the table and underground. The head of the Ministry of War wants to practice, so wait. More than 20 days have passed in a blink of an eye, and there is no news at all. Master of the Ministry of War is in a hurry again. He asked his men to prepare a few more things: all kinds of silks and satins, fashionable Xiangyun yarn, and sent a close friend to give gifts to Xiaoxian. Before long, the giver came back and reported that Mr. Xiao was studying hard in the hospital. Get up at five o'clock every day and play with the pole in the middle of the night. The master of the Ministry of War was puzzled. He didn't know what was the relationship between playing with a pole and writing, so he asked Xiaoxian how to play tricks. The giver stretched out his arm and gestured a few times and said, "I think Mr. Xiao is like this." . I don't like playing with guns, and I don't like practicing sticks ... The head of the Ministry of War is puzzled, and the more I think about it, the more puzzling it becomes. However, we have been waiting for so many days, so let's wait! Who knows that more than 20 days have passed in an instant, and there is still no news. The head of the Ministry of War was a little impatient this time, so he asked his men to prepare a few things: first-class lake pen, the best Hui ink, dozens of rice paper, and a special pen, which was sent by his cronies. Not long after, the confidante of the gift came back and reported that Mr. Xiao was studying hard in the bedroom and kept reciting ancient poems. When I was young, I watched him with his eyes closed, his back flowing down to thousands of feet, the Milky Way set for nine days, and ... she began to vent her anger like a thunderbolt, just like Jianghai's suspicion of the green light! ..... What did he say when he saw the gift? Asked the head of the Ministry of War. He said he could write the plaque in another month.
Although the director of the Ministry of War can't understand Xiaoxian at all, there is always a deadline. I hope one day is better than nothing, so wait! Unexpectedly, the master of the Ministry of War received an urgent letter from the Ministry of War the next day, saying that the new governor, Ji Liao, would come to Shanhaiguan to inspect the plaque instead of the emperor and was expected to arrive three days later. This frightened the head of the Ministry of War, and the code made people take the carved wooden plaque and a jar of ink with them to Xiaoxian's house.
When they arrived at Xiaoxian's house, the head of the Ministry of War and Xiaoxian exchanged a few commonplaces. Seeing that Xiaoxian didn't say anything about writing the plaque, he stood up and saluted: Xiaguan is in urgent trouble today, please extend your hand and help your brother! Hearing this, Xiaoxian didn't know what was going on. After listening to the words of the Ministry of War, he couldn't help coughing for a long time and said, Things are not going well! So he asked someone to lean the plaque against the wall and put some bricks under it. He personally went to the study and took a large sum. When the head of the Ministry of War saw it, it was a big grab pen given by someone yesterday, with only a wooden handle more than two feet long. Xiaoxian dipped his pen into a jar full of ink, but he didn't write at once. He walked back and forth in front of the plaque with a pen in his hand, nodding and laughing. Suddenly, he stopped, leaned over, straightened his arms, and held his breath to write. Xiaoxian's writing has opened the eyes of the Ministry of War next to him. Although he is a military attache, he is good at writing and writing, but he has never seen Xiaoxian write that Xiaoxian is suddenly young and I don't know how old he is, like a young military commander practicing swordsmanship. He poured all his strength into his arm, and then from the arm to the wrist to the tip of his pen. I saw him write like a stone falling from the mountain and write like a flying swallow. There are fast, slow, steady and accurate, pen-lifting, like pulling a heavy load, the whole body moves left and right with the passage, sometimes squatting slowly, sometimes as steady as Mount Tai.
The head of the Ministry of War was fascinated by it. He thought to himself: martial arts practitioners pay attention to the unity of body and sword, and kung fu is not pure. Without kung fu, it is impossible. Xiaoxian writes with a pen, and the pen goes with him. Isn't it also a combination of body and pen? This is the real kung fu! At this moment, I heard someone say in my ear: I am ugly! Looking up, Xiaoxian's face was covered with sweat, and there stood a pen with five Chinese characters engraved on it. His pen is vigorous and powerful, which makes the tile house look much shorter. The master of the Ministry of War thanked him and said: The old gentleman's pen is brilliant, which is second to none in contemporary times. Xiaoxian said with regret: I wanted to spend a month studying the ink of Fa Tie, a famous calligrapher of the previous generation; I spent a month practicing my back pen with a shoulder pole to strengthen my arm strength. These two steps are done. But I think, if this plaque is on Xiongguan, the font is not correct enough, and it must have charm, so that the words on the plaque can break through the limitations of wooden plaques. To this end, I want to spend another month reading ancient poems to broaden my horizons and cultivate my temperament. Unfortunately, this step has not been realized. After listening to these words, the master of the Ministry of War knew why Xiaoxian had been slow to write. Just keep saying: this is already very good! It will shine forever!
The next morning, the Ministry of War hosted a banquet for Xiaoxian at Yuexinzhai Restaurant in the east gate. After three rounds of wine, the two sides looked up at the railing, and Xiaoxian found that he was a little less talkative now. At this time, the general manager reported that Governor Ji Liao had crossed the Shihe River. It's too late to go back to the office and get a pen and go upstairs to make up. What should I do? Nunnery immediately grinds ink, grabs a tablecloth in the hands of Tang Guan, dips it in ink, and throws it with all his strength at the plaque on the arrow tower, only to hear a beep. The rag is impartial and just falls in the lower right corner of the word. The restaurant was full of guests, stunned for a while and speechless for a while. When they woke up, they all praised with one voice: Xiao Gong really put pen to paper and was ingenious!
This is a plaque inscribed by Xiao Xian, and it is still treasured in the first gate in the world. It is world-famous and attracts a large number of tourists to appreciate and praise it every day.