Recently, a scholar in Zhejiang published the "Top Ten Masters of Huangming Bookstore", ranking Zhu Yunming first and Dong Qichang last. He actually put Tang Huan and Xu Guangzuo from Hangzhou before Dong Qichang. This scholar is also known locally as a calligrapher and has a very high self-esteem. I advised him: "These two people are not only difficult to compare with Dong Qichang, but they cannot be classified as great calligraphers. Why not re-examine them?" The man was angry, as if he said that I didn't understand at all, how could I talk nonsense? I just laughed and listened.
Another scholar-official from Zhejiang said to me: "I recently met Zhou Yanguang, the scholar envoy, on the West Lake. He suddenly asked me: 'Recent calligraphers like Huang Zhenfu and Dong Qichang are both great masters. Of course, there is no need to say it, but I don’t know who is next? “His words are very strange, so I won’t answer him.” I said, “Why don’t you tell him clearly?” The scholar-official said, “You just pretend you didn’t listen. He said that if he wanted to argue with him, he would have to slap him in the mouth. "Huang Zhenfu was famous for his eight-part essay. He was not good at calligraphy, but he especially liked to brush the paper. He stained the paper all over the city, even on the flat forehead in the garden pavilion. Most of the couplets were inscribed by him, so Zhou Yanguang had that problem. There are many injustices in the world, but Dong Qichang suffered humiliation many times, which can be regarded as an example of a wise man's house, and a ghost can see his room.