Emperors of all dynasties have calligraphers they love and admire. For example, Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong admired Wang Xizhi the most, and Emperor Kangxi loved Dong Qichang the most. Emperor Qianlong is Zhao Mengfu's "the first brain powder in the universe+a little fan brother", who specializes in learning calligraphy from Zhao Mengfu.
According to statistics, Emperor Qianlong had more than 1000 seals, of which more than 500 were commonly used. Therefore, it is not surprising that Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy and painting, which was slapped by Emperor Qianlong, were all inscribed with imperial pen and stamped with various imperial seals, and some even reached the point of unsightly, but it also reflected the emperor Qianlong's infatuation with Zhao Mengfu. So why does Qianlong love Zhao Mengfu so much?
The most important thing, of course, is that Zhao Mengfu's artistic attainments are extremely high, which is also the primary reason why he can win the favor of the emperor. Zhao Mengfu Ziang was a famous calligrapher, painter and poet at the end of Song Dynasty and the beginning of Yuan Dynasty. Moreover, he has been a child prodigy since he was a child. History records that he is "young and intelligent, can read and write for the sake of literature." Zhao Mengfu is knowledgeable and versatile, especially in calligraphy and painting, and created a new painting style in Yuan Dynasty, which is called "the crown of Yuan people". The original book Zhaoti, together with Ou Yangxun, Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, is called "Four Masters of Regular Script". His calligraphy is gorgeous and vigorous, smooth but not sweet. There are exquisite and elegant "wealth and elegance" and fresh and unique "mountain gods", especially some "wealth and beauty" temperament conforms to the unique aesthetics of Emperor Qianlong.
As the ancients said, "There is good news on the top, but there is some effect on the bottom", and the emperor's personal preferences will undoubtedly blow up "Zhao Feng" all over the country, which will not only affect the emperor's personal preferences, but also affect national politics. Besides personal sincere love, Emperor Qianlong praised Zhao Mengfu for some political reasons.
The political reasons here are related to Zhao Mengfu's embarrassing life. Zhao Mengfu's surname "Zhao" is true. He is the tenth grandson of the royal family in Song Dynasty and the fourth son of Zhao Kuangyin, Song Taizu. But after the demise of the Southern Song Dynasty, he fled the official Yuan Dynasty. Although Zhao Mengfu was reluctant to be an official, when Yuan Ting first recruited him, he reluctantly refused. However, the repeated rejection of Yuan Ting's "good pleasure" is likely to lead to fatal disaster, so when Yuan Ting was called for the second time, he had to go north to be an official, which was also Zhao Mengfu's helpless move. After Zhao Mengfu became an official, he was regarded as a "model representative" of submission by Yuan Ting, and was named as a high official and generous. After his death, posthumous title Wenmin. Although Zhao Mengfu held a high position in the Yuan court, he was not trusted by the court and always played the role of "vase".
Like the Yuan Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty was also a dynasty in which foreigners occupied the Central Plains. As a royal family in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu cooperated with the Yuan court, which naturally became a model admired by the Qing court.
Bibliography:
1, Li Ao: Beijing Fayuan Temple, China Friendship Publishing House, 2004;
2. Li: Zhao Mengfu, Hebei Education Press, 2004.