Inheriting and promoting integrity and truth-seeking, Xi’an Defengtang Gallery (1) About the mystery of Emperor Taizong’s sending Xiao Yizhuan to the Lanting Preface. The Lanting Preface is known as “the best running script in the world” and has attracted countless readers for thousands of years. Writer. Wang Xizhi was therefore revered as the "Sage of Calligraphy" by later generations.
Jiang Kui in the Song Dynasty loved "Lanting Preface" very much, studied it every day, and often wrote what he learned on it. There is a postscript that says: "I have been studying "Lanting" for more than 20 years without getting anywhere. I watched it under the lamp this evening, and I have quite a bit of enlightenment." It took more than 20 years to get started, which shows the difficulty of interpretation: more than 1,600 years Countless calligraphers have worked tirelessly to interpret it, and why don't they want to delve deeper into Xizhi's secrets, but in the end they can only get a piece of it. Therefore, "Lanting Preface" can be said to be a labyrinth created by outstanding calligraphy wisdom.
It is said that on March 3 of the lunar calendar in the ninth year of Yonghe (353), Wang Xizhi and 41 people including literary friends, relatives Xie An, Sun Chuo, etc., went to the mountain to repair evil spirits (a custom of approaching water to eliminate disasters). The Orchid Pavilion of Yin. While drinking and composing poems, Wang Xizhi "used silkworm cocoon paper and rat whisker pen" while drunk to write a preface, totaling 28 lines and 324 words. After sobering up, he wrote dozens of poems, but none of them were as good as the original, so he called it his "most proud book". Wang Xizhi regarded "Lanting Preface" as a family heirloom and passed it down from generation to generation until it was in the hands of Sun Zhiyong, the seventh generation of the Wang family. However, Zhiyong became a monk for some unknown reason and naturally had no heirs after his death, so he passed the copy of the ancestral legend to his disciple, Monk Biancai. In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin collected a large number of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy treasures and studied them frequently. He admired the original "Lanting Preface" even more, and offered huge rewards for many times, but to no avail. Later, it was discovered that the authentic copy of "Lanting Preface" was in the hands of a monk named Biancai in Kuaiji, which led to a story that Tang Taizong deceived "Lanting Preface" and the original copy was buried with Emperor Taizong in Zhaoling.
This story adds to the legendary and mysterious atmosphere of "Lanting Preface". There are two versions of the Lanting story recorded by the Tang Dynasty. Liu Wei's "Jiahua of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" records: "Wang Youjun's "Lanting Preface" was in Liang Dynasty and was away. Chen Tianjia was acquired by the monks... After the death of Master Guo, the disciple monk Biancai obtained it. Taizong was the Queen of Qin and saw the rubbings. Surprisingly, it turned out that "Lanting" was not found in the expensive book of the king, so Xiao Yi traveled across the country to get it. In the fourth year of Zhenguan, he entered the Qin Dynasty and copied ten copies. After the death of the emperor, Chu Suiliang wrote: "Lanting was so important to the late emperor that it should not be kept."
He Yan's "Lanting" was collected in "Taiping Guangji". The records are quite different. He Wen said that during Zhenguan, Taizong devoted himself to studying the two kings' books and copied all the original works, except "Lanting". Later, I visited Biancai's office and summoned him three times. Biancai claimed that the sutras had been scattered and lost and he didn't know where he was. Fang Xuanling recommended Xiao Yi, the supervisory censor, to outwit him. Xiao Yi concealed his identity, disguised himself as a down-and-out scholar, and fell in love with him, playing chess, chanting, discussing calligraphy and painting, and became friends with him throughout the years. Later, he showed off his treasure and showed the authentic "Lanting" hanging on the roof beam. "Lanting" became Xiao Yi's name. Yi took the opportunity to privately read this post and returned to Chang'an. Taizong ordered several copies to be given to the prince and the king's ministers. On his deathbed, he said to Li Zhi: "I want to ask for something from you. You are sincere and filial. How can you go against my heart? What do you want?" So, the original "Lanting" was buried. Zhaoling. He Yanzhi said that the above story was told orally by Yuan Yuan, a disciple of Wen Biancai, at the former residence of Zen Master Zhiyong in Yongxing Temple. Liu and He said that the plot is suspenseful. It is generally believed that He said that it is floating and inaccurate, Liu said that it is true and credible, and there is no more deception and whispering. Although the plots of the two are different, the original copy of "Lanting Preface" was buried in Zhaoling, and the accounts are consistent.
This incident has repercussions. According to the "New History of the Five Dynasties·Biography of Wen Tao", Wen Tao, the governor of Yaozhou in the Later Liang Dynasty, once robbed the Zhaoling Mausoleum: "Tao walked down the road and saw the palace system. It was magnificent and no different from the human world. The main bedroom was in the middle, and there were stone beds in the east and west compartments. Inside the stone letter is an iron box, which contains all the books written by King Zhong. The paper and ink are as new as new. Tao took it out and passed it on to the world." According to this record, the original copy of "Lanting" passed into the hands of Wen Tao, the "thief who robbed the mausoleum". See the sun again. In addition, Cai Ting in the Song Dynasty said in a postscript that when the "Lanting Preface" was buried together, it was replaced by a fake copy for Li Shimin's sisters, and the original copy remains in the world. Since then, the news about the authenticity of "Lanting" has disappeared like the yellow crane, and its whereabouts are even more of a mystery within a mystery.
After Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty obtained "Lanting", he ordered Feng Chengsu, a famous engraver at Hongwen Hall, as well as Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang, to copy several copies and distribute them to his relatives and close ministers. When Taizong died, he was buried with authentic works. The "Lanting Preface" that has been handed down from generation to generation is no longer the original work of Wang Xizhi. There are many types of handed down editions, some are wood and stone engravings, some are copies, some are copies. Famous works such as "Dingwu Lanting" are said to be copied by Ouyang Xun. It was named after it was discovered in Dingwu, Hebei (now Zhengding, Hebei) during the Northern Song Dynasty.
Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty ordered Feng Chengsu to make a copy of the Shenlong version called "Lanting Preface". Since his copy had the small seal of "Shenlong" from the Tang Dynasty, he named it the Shenlong version "Lanting Preface" to distinguish it from the "Lanting Preface" to the Shenlong version. Other Tang copies. The ink color in this book is the most vivid, vivid on the paper, and the imitation is exquisite. The silk is drawn to reflect the ribbon, and every detail is revealed. There are hundreds of words in the text, and there is no word without string. The style and charm are all reflected, and we can basically get a glimpse of the style of Xi Zhi's original work. It is recognized as the best copy and is regarded as a treasure. The paper copy of "Lanting Preface" copied by Feng Chengsu is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. It is 24.5 cm high and 69.9 cm wide. This copy was once in the imperial palace of Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty. It was acquired by Guo Tianxi in the early Yuan Dynasty. It later belonged to the great collector Xiang Yuanbian and was reacquired by Qianlong. Imperial Mansion.
(2) About the authenticity of the Lanting Preface
The copy of the "Lanting Preface" handed down to this day is a treasure of Chinese regular script calligraphy. For more than a thousand years, no one has asked about it. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Li Wentian, a calligrapher from Guangdong, had many questions about this, asserting that "it is difficult to believe that the text is still written, so how can there be writing in the characters". Jin calligraphy should not be separated from the official script of the Han and Wei dynasties, so "Lanting Preface" cannot be written by Wang Xizhi. Li Wentian of the Qing Dynasty had some doubts about this, but he did not pay attention to it. In 1965, Comrade Guo Moruo published an article "From the Unearth of Wang Xie's Epitaph to the Authenticity of the Lanting Preface" in the sixth issue of "Cultural Relics" and pointed out that, "Lanting Preface" has problems not only in terms of calligraphy, but also in terms of writing. Guo Moruo wrote an article criticizing "Lanting" as a fake work, which caused a lot of excitement. On July 8, 1965, Mao Zedong sent a letter to Guo Moruo, giving instructions on the different opinions caused by "Lanting Preface": "Litigation with pen and ink is better than nothing." Since then, famous writers such as Qi Gong, Li Changlu, Zhang Shizhao, and Gao Ershi have expressed their opinions on "Lanting Preface". There was a public debate on the authenticity of "Lanting Preface", with both sides holding their own. This is the famous "Lanting Debate". Rumor has it that Mr. Gao Ershi was very spirited and responded to Guo Moruo with the sentence "How can a rat dare to jump off the beam? Lanting still belongs to Wang". However, to this day, the doubtful cases caused by "Lanting Preface" are still being litigated, and it is difficult to reach a conclusion. 1. The authenticity of the article "Preface to Lanting" "Preface to Lanting" was written on March 3rd in the ninth year of Yonghe (AD 353) by Emperor Mu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Shaoxing) Orchid Pavilion "cultivation", everyone wrote poems at the meeting, Wang Xizhi wrote a preface. First, read the article "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion": In the ninth year of Yonghe, when I was in Guichou, at the beginning of late spring, I met at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin, Kuaiji, to repair evil spirits. All the talented people have arrived, and the young and old have gathered together. Here there are high mountains, luxuriant forests and tall bamboos; there are also clear and turbulent streams, reflecting them to the left and right, which make them look like flowing water. Although it is not as prosperous as silk and bamboo orchestral music, one drink and one chant are enough to express the secret love. On that day, the sky was clear and the wind was gentle and gentle. Looking up at the vastness of the universe and looking down at the prosperity of categories, wandering around and wandering around was enough to provide a great visual and auditory entertainment. I believe it is a joy. The lady's relationship with her lasted a lifetime, or she would hold her in his arms and talk to each other in the same room; or she would wander away from home because of the entrustment of her care. Although there are many choices and choices, calmness and impatience are different. When you are happy with what you encounter, you get what you have for the time being, and you are happy and contented, not knowing that old age is coming. When I am tired of what I am doing, my emotions change with the situation, and I am filled with emotion. The admiration for it, and the admiration of it, have become old traces, and I still cannot help but feel happy about them. The situation will be shortened and changed, and it will eventually end. The ancients said: "Death and life are also big things." Isn't it painful? Every time I look at the reasons for people's interest in the past, if they are combined into one, I will not fail to express my condolences in writing, which cannot be described in my heart. I know that death and rebirth are just illusions, and mourning for Qi Peng is an illusion. The future looks upon the present, just as the present looks upon the past. Sad husband! Therefore, I listed people from that time and recorded what they said. Although the world is different and things are different, I am interested in it and it is the same. Those who view it later will also feel the elegance. Regarding the authenticity of the "Lanting Preface", it is based on the following facts: 1. Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" can be regarded as a famous ancient text, but why is this article not found in the "Selected Works" of Xiao Tong, the prince of Liang Zhaoming, which was the most complete Jin text. Two experts on Six Dynasties literature, Xu Zhen's "Six Dynasties Literature" and Wang Wenru's "Commentaries on Southern and Northern Dynasties Literature" also did not select this article. During the more than 200 years from the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty, there was no description of "Lanting Preface", which is not commensurate with the status of this text. Zeng Guofan's "Miscellaneous Notes on Classics and History" also does not include this article. In the eyes of article writers, it seems that it has not yet gained recognition. This article only reached modern times, and it was affirmed by Yao Xibao's "Compilation of Ancient Chinese Ci" and Wu Shikunzhong's "Guanwen Zhi".
2. The name of "Linhe Preface" comes from the annotation of Liu (Jun) Xiaobiao, a Liang native of the Southern Dynasties, in "Shishuoxinyu". Guo Moruo believes that the text of "Linhe Preface" is credible, but the "Lanting Preface" is not credible.
There are textual differences between "Lanting Preface" and "Linhe Preface".
There are two main differences:
1. In the article, "Mrs. Xianghe" is added to include the following 167 words about Wang Xizhi's emotional embrace;
2. At the end of the article, there are no 40 words below "Right General Taiyuan Sun Chenggong and other twenty-six people". In addition, there are two changes in the text, and the word order is also slightly different. "Lanting Preface" was first recorded in the Tang Dynasty. Did "Shishuo" annotate, delete, add and add "Lanting Preface" to become "Linhe Preface", or did later generations expand and change "Linhe Preface" to form "Lanting Preface"? The above-mentioned mysterious cases are complicated and confusing, lasting for thousands of years, and it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity.
2. The mystery of the author of "Lanting Preface" To confirm "Lanting Preface", we must first confirm that "Lanting Preface" is an article written by Wang Xizhi. The traditional view is that the original biography of "Book of Jin" clearly states that "Lanting Preface" is Wang Xizhi's representative work, and it is said that "the preface was written to express his ambition." A different view is that the "Lanting Preface" was forged by later generations and was based on the "Linhe Preface" with deletions, changes, changes, and expansion. Li Wentian, a native of Shunde in the Qing Dynasty, was the first to put forward this opinion in the postscript of "Dingwu Lanting" in Wang Zhong's old collection. Wang Zhong collected the copy and later returned it to Duan Fang's collection. Li's postscript was written at Duan Fang's request.
The reasons are as follows: 1. "Shishuo" annotates Wang Xizhi's article, titled "Linhe Preface". There is no handed down "Lanting Preface" with a large paragraph describing Huai, "it is the Lanting written after the Tang Dynasty, not the Lanting written before the Liang Dynasty".
2. The meeting at Lanting was modeled after the meeting at Jingu, and the preface was also modeled on Shi Chong's "Preface to Jingu". The content and length of "Linhe Preface" and "Jingu Preface" "correspond", but the text structure of "Lanting Preface" and "Jingu Preface" "does not match", so the added text "must be the Sui and Tang Dynasties. People knew that Jin people liked to talk about Lao and Zhuang, but they were arrogant." Increase it."
3. The last 40 words of "Linhe Preface" are not found in "Lanting Preface". "The commentators have reasons for deleting Youjun's collected works, but have no reason to add to Youjun's collected works." Based on this, Li Wentian categorically denied that "Lanting Preface" was written by Wang Xizhi. Guo Moruo said that Li Wentian had "insightful discussions" and believed that the second half of the "Lanting Preface" passed down by legend was unreasonable and had no similarities with Wang Xizhi's thoughts. The style of the calligraphy was also different from the epitaphs of Wangs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty unearthed in recent years.
Guo Moruo supplemented his argument for the paragraph "The Madam's Love":
1. "Preface to Orchid Pavilion" is too sad, which is inconsistent with the situation of Orchid Pavilion Meeting. Wang Xizhi and other 42 people "expressed their happiness in the cause" and "overlooked the green waterfront", but "the "Lanting Preface" was too sad and unreasonable."
2. The compassionate emotion in "Lanting Preface" is inconsistent with Wang Xizhi's character. Wang Xizhi was 47 years old when he was cultivating rice in Lanting Pavilion. He "regarded himself as someone who cared about the country and the people." This biography also records that he was "known by his bones." It will be shortened and transformed, and it will eventually end, and the sorrow will arise." When did "Lanting Preface" rely on? It would not have existed in the Liang Dynasty. Guo believed that the article must be based on before the Tang Dynasty. There was more than sixty years between the Liang Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. Guo Moruo further researched and found that the author of "Lanting Preface" was Wang Xizhi's seventh-generation grandson and a monk from Yongxing Temple in the Chen Dynasty. Guo believes: "Zhiyong is very good at writing. Not only does the phrase 'repair the short and adapt to change, and end in nothing' in the "Lanting Preface" are very consistent with the tone of the 'Zen Master', it is also suitable for his era." As for what Chiyong said. The word "placenta" in the added text is the phrase "feeling that life is not eternal, and fearing that it will wither indefinitely" in "Jingu Preface".
Guo Moruo's views were vigorously refuted by Gao Ershi, Zhang Shizhao and others. A sophomore in high school thinks:
1. About the title. There was no heading when Wang Xizhi wrote this article. The headings were added by his own contemporaries and those who recorded this article in the past." Therefore, there are also "Preface to Lanting Poems", "Preface to Xiuyu", "Preface to Qushui", etc. Name. "Linhe Preface" is actually the "Lanting Preface" edited by the commentator
2. Regarding the addition of the text, "there are 40 words at the end of the text". "This is a record of the poems of Hu", "This may have been written by someone from Hueyin. Since Liu deleted Youjun's essays, he might as well add them to him. This is also a commentator's skill." 3. Regarding thoughts. This biography calls Wang Xizhi " "Writing a preface to express his ambition", "Wang Xizhi's thoughts have many contradictions", "These contradictions are reflected in the "Lanting Preface" and the emotional changes in the poems", "The "Human Phase and Harmony" section can indeed be said to be "This article by Youjun". Zhang Tuzhao quoted Lanting participant Xie An's poem "Thousands of things are mixed together, An Fujue Peng Shang" to confirm that "Lanting Preface" "Qi Peng Shang is a false creation", proving that "Lanting Preface" reflects exactly The mentality of the participants. 3. Authenticity of the "Lanting Preface" calligraphy
The "Book of Jin·Biography of Wang Xizhi" written by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty only contains the text of "Lanting Preface" and does not mention Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface" ", and secondly, Emperor Wu of Liang collected more than 270 scrolls of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, including the "Lanting Preface". Jiang Kui of the Southern Song Dynasty was the first to question: "Liang Wu collected two Youjun calligraphy. There are more than 170 scrolls, and at that time, only "Huang Ting", "Le Yi" and "Oath" were mentioned. Why is it not as good as "Orchid Pavilion"? (Quote from Volume 3 of "Lanting Kao") Li Wentian of the Qing Dynasty denied that Wu's "Lanting" was written by Wang Xizhi from the perspective of calligraphy style: "The first script of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is similar to the official script of the Han and Wei dynasties. Because of the era, it cannot be written in the style of Liang and Chen." "It is believed that the calligraphy of Jin people should not be separated from the official script of Han and Wei dynasties, and there is no "Lanting Preface" in the old world. The conclusion is: "It is difficult to believe in the literary style, how can it be based on words?" ("Dingwu (Lanting Postscript)") In 1965, Guo Moruo unearthed "Epitaph of Wang Xingzhi and his wife" and "Epitaph of Xie Kun" unearthed in Nanjing, and in 1972, unearthed in Xinjiang The author of the fragment of the "Three Kingdoms" believes that the handwriting on the tombstone is very different from the handwriting of Shenlong's "Lanting" and Dingwu's "Lanting", and categorically concludes that the article "is simply a forgery, and the ink is also fake."
The main arguments are: 1. The theory of calligraphy. "All Jin scripts in the world must be official script" and "the writing style of "Lanting Preface" is consistent with the regular script after Tang Dynasty." > 2. The writing style of Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy is “strong and charming”, and the writing style of “Lanting” is very different from the writing style of Wang Xie’s tombstone. "Lanting" calligraphy is "called the highest peak of running script" and has lost the meaning of official script. "Wang Xizhi was from the era of official script. How could he lose all the meaning of official script?" Guo Moruo conducted in-depth research and said that Zhiyong, a well-known calligrapher in the Chen Dynasty, "The brush structure and the calligraphy of "Lanting Preface" are completely the same system. "It can be said straightforwardly that the Shenlong ink in the present collection is the authentic version of "Lanting Preface". This ink should be the manuscript written by Zhiyong." Zhiyong was a monk at Yongxing Temple in the Chen Dynasty. It is said that he was a calligrapher for thirty years and was good at all kinds of calligraphy, especially cursive calligraphy. He wrote more than 800 copies of the "Thousand Character Essay" in real cursive calligraphy. The stone carvings are still preserved in the Forest of Steles in Xi'an. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty once praised his calligraphy as "the meat of the right army". There were so many people asking for his calligraphy that even the threshold was broken, so a great calligrapher like him had to be protected with iron sheets. The author can write Lan Lai, and he can also write articles. Not only does the sentence "repair the short and adapt to the end" in the article fit the tone of a "Zen master", it is also suitable for his era. It is certain that the articles and ink in "Lanting Preface" are what Zhiyong relied on.
Guo finally said that saying that "Lanting Preface" relies on Zhiyong does not deny the value of calligraphy. He believes that "Lanting Preface" is a good calligraphy and a model for running script. Guo Moruo was a famous historian, archaeologist, and a giant in the field of calligraphy. He had a prominent position at the time. When this theory came out, it was shocking and caused an uproar. Those who agreed with Guo's theory included Qi Gong, Zong Baihua and others, while those who opposed it included Zhang Shizhao, Gao Ershi and others. Zhang Shizhao exclaimed: "That's it, I honestly don't know how Chinese calligraphy history will be written after such a great destruction!" Gao Ershi thought that this theory was "shocking and soul-stirring" and "this is nothing more than a work on Tie Xue" A big turnaround." Gao Ershi and others wrote an article to refute the argument, arguing that Guo's use of two stele stones to conclude that the Eastern Jin Dynasty had only one font, official script, was "individual evidence cannot be established, and it is difficult to generalize." Official script is used for stele boards, and running script is used for writing notes. We cannot demand that Wang Xizhi's "Lanting" also use official script. Wang Xizhi was named after the "Sage of Calligraphy", "it must have come from the variation of the word Yong at that time. Others failed to change, or they were unable to change, and Youjun was using changes to become a saint." "In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Zhangcao, Jincao, Xingshu and regular script were indeed well prepared. Comparatively speaking, the latter two were young calligraphy styles. Wang Xizhi pushed them forward and changed them, thus playing a role in the history of calligraphy as a link between the past and the future. "During the evolution of fonts at that time, part of the handwriting on the "Lanting" script still did not deviate from the official script style, indicating that the "Lanting" script was a copy of Wang Xizhi's original work. In his article "On the Calligraphy Style of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Preface to Lanting", Shang Chengzuo believes that starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty, official script developed towards cursive script on the one hand, and also moved towards regular script on the other hand. By the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it had matured. Shang also said that the articles and ink writing in Guo Moruo's so-called "Lanting Preface" were entrusted by Zhiyong, but he did not cite the same characteristics of the Shenlong version and Zhiyong's calligraphy, which was a "taken for granted" statement that lacked factual basis. There are several printed and handwritten versions of the "Thousand Character Classic" written by Zhiyong handed down to the world, and the style is still the same. Now when we compare the Shenlong version with the "Lanting Preface", we will be disappointed by the personality of the same author, that is, the Shenlong version There are differences in style and gestures with "Thousand Character Classic". The former has more bones than flesh, while the latter has more flesh than bones. In particular, the styles and gestures of the two cannot be said to be consistent, so they were not written by the same person.
The Shilin Edition of "Guangming Daily" on December 4, 1998 published Wang Yuanjun's article "Looking at the Mistakes of the "Lanting Debate" from the Disdain of Scholars' Inscriptions in the Six Dynasties", questioning old issues from a new perspective . He believes that scholars in the Six Dynasties, especially the Eastern Jin Dynasty, regarded rulers and tablets as an art to show their romantic style, and they were dismissive of the technical inscription calligraphy. Due to insufficient understanding of this point, calligraphy on inscriptions written by common people was compared with calligraphy on rulers and tablets written by scholars, thus making the argument that Lanting's preface was fake lose its foundation. Guo Moruo concluded that the "Lanting Preface" was not a product of the society at that time based on the obvious differences between several epitaphs and brick-engraved calligraphy unearthed at that time and the "Lanting Preface". This view has certain limitations.
The mystery of "Lanting Preface" involves the evaluation of Wang Xizhi's thoughts and the content of "Lanting Preface", as well as the history of literature and calligraphy. In many aspects of archeology, its significance far exceeds the "Lanting Preface" itself. As time goes by, more and more people affirm Wang Zhixi's "Lanting Preface". In today's calligraphy circles, there are quite a few people who do not take "Lanting Preface" to mean it, saying that "Lanting Preface" has been "deified". Such ignorant people's nonsense will not damage Wang Xi's status as a "sage of calligraphy".