What is Wang Xizhi's best work?

Lanting Preface, the most famous cursive writing

Mystery of the Lanting Preface written by Xiao Yi, sent by Emperor Taizong

The Lanting Preface, known as the "world's first running script", has overwhelmed countless writers over the centuries. Wang Xizhi was also honored as the "Sage of Calligraphy". Jiang Kui of the Song Dynasty loved the Lanting Preface and studied it day after day, and often wrote on it what he realized. One of his treks reads, "I have been studying the Lanting Preface for more than twenty years, and I have not been able to get into it, but this evening I watched it under the lamplight, and I have gained some insights into it." It has taken more than twenty years to know a little into the door, visible interpretation of the difficult: more than sixteen hundred years countless calligraphers have tirelessly interpretation of the read, why do not want to go deep into the Hall of Xizhi, but ultimately can only be one of them only. Therefore, the Lanting Preface can be said to be a labyrinth created by outstanding calligraphic wisdom.

It is said that on March 3 of the lunar calendar in the ninth year of the Yonghe year (353), Wang Xizhi and his friends and relatives Xie An and Sun Chao, 41 people, held a semi-annual ceremony of purification (a kind of ritual of eliminating calamities in front of the water) at the Lanting Pavilion in the Shanyin area. Drinking and poems, Wang Xizhi "with cocoon paper, mouse whisker pen" by drunken preface, counting 28 lines, 324 words. After waking up and then write dozens of hundreds of passes, are not as good as the original, is said to be "the most pleased with the book", Wang Xizhi will be the "Lanting Preface" as a family heirloom, and passed down from generation to generation, and has been to the Wang family's seventh grandson Zhiyong hands. However, Zhi Yong somehow became a monk, and naturally had no heir, so he passed on the ancestral book to his disciple, the monk Discerning Cai. To the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin a large number of collection of Wang Xizhi calligraphy treasures, often practicing, on the "Lanting Preface" this authenticity is even more admiring, many times heavily rewarded for the request, but there has been no result. After the investigation of the "lanting sequence" in the hands of a monk named discerning, from this led to a section of the Tang Taizong cheated the "lanting sequence", the original with the Tang Taizong buried with the mausoleum of zhaoling story. This part of the story, more added to the "Lanting Preface" of the legendary color and mysterious atmosphere.

There are two versions of the Lanting story recorded by Tang people. Liu creep "Sui and Tang Jiajiu" records: "Wang Youjun "Lanting Preface", Liang chaos, out of the outside. Chen Tianjiazhong, for the monks to get. ...... After the death of the fruit division, the disciple monk defense only got it. Taizong for the king of qin, after seeing the topography surprise, is expensive city king book, "lanting" final not to where. And know in the defense of talent, make Xiao wing on the Yuezhou seek to get it, to Wude four years into the Qin House. Zhenguan ten years, is the top ten to give close ministers. The emperor died, Chu Sui-liang, the Chinese official: 'Lanting', the late emperor's important, can not stay.' So secret in zhaoling."

"Taiping Guangji" collection of He Yan's "Lanting" records are very different. He said, to zhen guanzhong, tai zong keen to learn the two wang book, imitation of the true copy of the exhaustive, only "lanting" has not been obtained. After the visit to the defense of knowledge in the place, three times summoned to see, defense of the Cai said that the chaos of the lost do not know where it is. Fang Xuan Ling recommended the supervision of the imperial inspector Xiao wing to take the wisdom. Xiao wing hidden identity, disguise scribbling scholar, cast his favorite, game chess chanting, discussing books and paintings into oblivion, after the discerning talent boasts of the collection, show its hanging in the beams of the "lanting" authentic, "lanting", so for the xiao wing to take advantage of the opportunity to privately take this post Changan to return to the order. Taizong order to top a number of books given to the Prince of the King's close ministers, dying, language Li Zhi: "I want to ask for a thing from you, you sincere filial piety, can not disobey my heart also? How do you think?" So, "lanting" real buried in zhaoling. He Yan of the cloud, the above story is to hear the defense of the disciple element in the Yongxing Temple Zhiyong Zen master's room personally told.

Liu, He said, the plot is different. Generally thought, Ho said floating inaccuracies, Liu said informative and credible, cheating and whispering no more. Although the two plot is different, but the "Lanting order" buried in the mausoleum, the statement is consistent.

The matter has a residual wave. According to the "New Five Dynasties History - Wen Tao biography", after the Liang Yaozhou Festival Minister Wen Tao had stolen the mausoleum: "Tao from the Theater Road, see the palace system, magnificent, not different from the earth, in the main bed, east and west compartments of the stone beds, the bed of the stone letter for the iron box, all the books in the previous life, the bell king's handwriting, ink and paper as new, tao all take it, and then passed to the earth." According to this record, the "lanting" by "robbing the mausoleum thief" wen tao's hand and see the light of day. In addition, Song Dynasty Cai Ting said in the trek, "lanting preface" along with the burial, for Li Shimin's sister with a fake copy of the swap, the real works of the earth. However, since then, "lanting" news will be lost as a yellow crane, its whereabouts, it is the mystery of the mystery.

Tang Taizong get "lanting", had ordered Hongwen Hall top book famous hand Feng Chengsu, as well as Yu Shinan, Chu Suiliang people hook copy several copies, divided into gifts of close to the ministers. Emperor Taizong died, with the real works of burial. Now passes on the "lanting preface" is no longer wang xizhi authentic.

There are many kinds of heirloom, or wood and stone carving, or copy, or for the pro copy. Famous such as "Dingwu Lanting", rumored to be Ouyang Xun copy on the stone, because the Northern Song Dynasty found in Hebei Dingwu (now Hebei Zhengding) and named.

Tang Taizong ordered Feng Chengsu hook copy, called "Shenlong Ben Lanting", because of his copy of the Tang Dynasty "Shenlong" small seal, so it will be named Shenlong Ben "Lanting Preface", to distinguish it from other Tang copy. This ink color is the most live, jumping on the paper, copying fine, draw silk with, the slightest thing, hundreds of words of text, no word without draw silk, leaning curls, more and do not feel its frivolous, its penmanship, ink, line, charm, are embodied, basically can see xi's original style. Recognized as the best copy, it is regarded as a treasure. Feng Chengsu copy of the "Lanting Preface" paper, now the Palace Museum in Beijing collection, 24.5 cm high, 69.9 cm wide, this book had been into the Song Gaozong imperial palace, the beginning of the Yuan for Guo Tianxi, and then returned to the big collector Xiang Yuanbian, Qianlong back to the imperial palace.

(2) on the authenticity of the lanting preface

The lanting preface facsimile, for the treasures of the Chinese Regular Script Calligraphy, for more than a thousand years, people do not ask, only to the end of the Qing dynasty, guangdong calligrapher Li Wentian, this question a lot of questions, asserting that "the text is still difficult to believe, why there is a text in the word," jin calligraphy should not be detached from the Han and Wei Clerical Script, so "lanting preface" is not likely to be the same. So the lanting preface can not be wang xizhi book. Qing Li Wentian some questions about this, but did not draw attention to the 1965 Guo Moruo comrades in the "cultural relics" on the sixth issue of the wheat "by the excavation of Wang Xie's tombstone to the authenticity of the Lanting Preface," an article pointed out that the "Lanting Preface" is not only in terms of calligraphy, there is a problem, it is also a problem in terms of the article. Guo Moruo wrote an article reprimand "lanting" as a forgery, a moment of hilarity. on July 8, 1965, mao zedong sent a letter to guo moruo, "lanting preface" caused by a different view of the instructions: "ink and pen lawsuits, better to have than not to have." Since then, qigong, li changlu, zhang shizhao, gao ershi and other famous artists on the "lanting preface" authenticity of the public debate, both sides of the reasoning, this is the famous "lanting discourse". Rumor has it that Mr. Gao Ershi was quite intentional, with "why would a rat dare to jump the beam, the Lanting still belongs to Wang" sentence back to Guo Moruo. However, to date, by the "Lanting Preface" triggered by the case of doubt, there are still many different opinions, it is difficult to have a final conclusion.

I, "Lanting Preface" a text of the authenticity

"Lanting Preface" is the Eastern Jin Dynasty Mu Di Yong and nine years (A.D. 353) March 3, Wang Xizhi and Xie An, Sun Chuo and other 41 people in the Shanyin (Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, now) Lanting "semi-annual ceremony of purification" at the meeting of the poems done by the people, by Wang Xizhi waved the brush for the preface. First of all, read the "Lanting Preface" article:

Yonghe nine years, the year in the dibutyl sebacate, at the beginning of the late spring, will be at the Lanting in the Shanyin of Huiji, the semi-annual ceremony of purification. The group of sages came, the young and the old gathered. This place has high mountains and steep ridges, thick forests and bamboos; there are clear streams and turbulence, reflecting the left and right, leading to the goblets of water, sitting in the second. Although there is no silk and bamboo orchestra, a goblet is also enough to talk about your feelings.

It is also the day, the sky is clear, the wind and smooth, look up to see the universe of the big, down to see the class of the sheng, so the eyes galloped, enough to be extremely entertained by the sight and sound, the letter can also be happy.

Mrs. with each other, look up a world, or take all the embrace, meet within a room; or because of the trust, outside the shape of the waves. Though the take a million different, static mania different, when it is happy to meet, temporarily in their own, fast and self-sufficient, do not know the old will come. And its both tired, love with the change of events, the feelings of the Department of carry on. To the happy, look up and down, has become a stereotype, but can not help but to the happy feelings. The situation of repair and shortness of life, the end of the period in the end. Ancient saying: "death and life is also great." I'm not sure it's a bad idea!

Every time I look at the former Xing sense of reason, such as a fit, I have not been in the text in contempt, can not be metaphorical in the bosom. I know that a death for the imaginary, Qi Peng Zhen for delusion. After the view of today, but also like today's view of the past. Sadness! Therefore, the list of people of the time, recorded its said, although the world is different things are different, so Xinghuai, the cause of a also. The latter will also have a sense of the text.

On the "Lanting Preface" a text authenticity, based on the following facts:

One, Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", can be considered a masterpiece of ancient literature, but why before the most complete Jin text of the Liang Zhaoming Prince Xiao Tong's "Selected Writings" did not see this text. Two experts of the six dynasties Xu flail's Six Dynasties Wen Jie, Wang Wenyi's North and South Dynasties Texts Commentary Readings also do not choose this text. From the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty, the Lanting Preface was not recorded for more than 200 years, which is not commensurate with the status of this text. Zeng Guofan's The Hundred Notes on Economics and History also did not include this text. In the eyes of the writers, it does not seem to have been recognized. This article is only in modern times, Yao Shihu's "Ancient Words and Rhetoric Classification" and Wu's Kunzhong's "Ancient Writings Guanzhi" to give it recognition.

Second, the name of the Linhe Preface is found in a note by Liu (Jun) Xiaobiao, a Liang scholar of the Southern Dynasty, in the Shishu Xinyao (New Sayings of the World). Guo Moruo believes that the text of the Linhe Preface is credible and the text of the Lanting Preface is not. Lanting Preface" and "Linhe Preface" textually different, there are two main differences:

1. the text, add "Mrs. with" to the following Wang Xizhi feelings and embracing the 167 words;

2. the end of the text, no "right general Taiyuan Sun Chen Gong and other 26 people" the following 40 words. "

2. In addition, there are two changes in the text, the word order is slightly different.

The Lanting Preface, the Tang Fang see recorded. Is the "Shishu" note deletion and addition of the "Lanting Preface" for the "Linhe Preface", or the later expansion of the "Linhe Preface" into the "Lanting Preface"? The above case, confusing, continue for thousands of years, it is difficult to distinguish between true and false.

Second, "Lanting Preface" author of doubt

To be sure that the "Lanting Preface", the first trick sure that the "Lanting Preface" is Wang Xizhi's article. The traditional view is that the book of jin "this biography expressly contained" lanting preface "on behalf of wang xizhi's work, and said" for the preface in order to apply for its will ". A different view is that the "lanting sequence" out of the later forgeries, is in the "Linhe preface" on the basis of the deletion and alteration of the expansion and become.

Li Wentian, a native of Shunde in the Qing dynasty, was the first to put forward this opinion in the old collection of wang zhong "Dingwu lanting" trek. Wang Zhong collection later returned to the collection of Duanfang, Li's trek was written at the request of Duanfang. Reasons are as follows:

1. "Shishu" note quoted wang xizhi, titled "Linhe preface", no heirloom "lanting preface" to wai a large section of the text, "the tang after the lanting", not before the beam "lanting" also".

2. Lanting will be imitating the meeting of the Golden Valley, the preface is also proposed to Shi Zong "Golden Valley Preface". Linhe Preface", "Golden Valley Preface" content length "accordingly", and "Lanting Preface", "Golden Valley Preface" text structure "does not match", so the added text "must be Sui and Tang Dynasty people know that the Jin people like to describe the Laozhuang and the delusion of the increase! "

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3. "Linhe Preface" 40 words at the end of the text, for the "Lanting Preface" is not, "the note family has abridged the right collection of reasoning, no addition to the right collection of reasoning". Accordingly, Li Wentian categorically denied that the "Lanting Preface" from the hand of Wang Xizhi.

Guo Moruo said Li Wentian "incisive argument", and that the rumors of the "Lanting Preface" after half of the text, Xing sense of no end, and Wang Xizhi's thinking is not the same, the style of calligraphy and the recent excavation of the Eastern Jin dynasty Wang's tombstone is not the same. GuoMoRuo for "lady with" a paragraph of the text to supplement the argument: 1. "lanting preface" XingWai too sad, and lanting will not be the situation. Wang Xizhi and other 42 people "send smooth in the cause", "overlooking the green waterfront", and "Lanting Preface" but sad too unreasonable. 2. "Lanting Preface" compassionate feelings, and Wang Xizhi Character does not fit. Lanting cultivation of purification, wang xizhi 47 years old, "to worry about the country and the people of the ZhiTu self," this biography also recorded its people "to the bone called", wang xizhi "will not be like the heirloom of the lanting preface" as said, in order to Wang Xizhi "will never be like what is said in the Lanting Preface, in order to 'repair the short with the chemical, the end of the period in the end' and 'sad husband' 'pain' up".

When did the Lanting Preface depend on? Liang dynasty is not there, Guo believes that the article must rely on the Tang dynasty before, Liang and Tang more than 60 years between. Guo Moruo further test, "Lanting Preface" of the support is Wang Xizhi seven grandson, Chen dynasty Yongxing Temple monk Zhiyong. Guo's view: "Zhi Yong is very good at making articles, not only 'Lanting Preface' of the 'repair short with the chemical, the end of the period of nothing' is very suitable for the 'Zen master' tone, in terms of its era is also appropriate." As for the "placenta" of the text added by Zhiyong, it is the phrase "I feel that my life will not last forever, and I am afraid that it will wither away indefinitely" in the Preface to the Golden Valley.

Guo Moruo's view was vigorously refuted by Gao Ershi and Zhang Shizhao. Gao Ershi that:

1. about the title. Wang Xizhi wrote this text and no labeling, its labeling is the same time and successive record of this text with their own ideas added to the ", so there are" Lanting poetry preface "" the Preface of the Purification "" Qu Shui preface "" and other names. Shishu" note "have to move and add or subtract places". At the end of the 40 words, "is a description of the Purification Poetry", "this is or Purification drink in the people write, Liu both abridged the right military text, so might as well give him to add, this is also a note of the ability of the family".

3. About the idea. This biography says wang xizhi "made a preface to declare his will", "wang xizhi's thoughts have many contradictions", "these contradictions are reflected in the Lanting Preface" as well as changes in the emotion of the poem". "then 'people with each other' a large paragraph, can indeed be said to be the right army of this paper". ZhangTuZhao cited the lanting participants xie an poem "WanShu mixed with one image, an again realize peng zhen" to confirm the "lanting preface" "qi peng zhen for delusion", proving that the "lanting preface" is reflecting the mentality of the participants.

Three, "Lanting Preface" book post authenticity

Tang Taizong personally wrote the "Book of Jin - Wang Xizhi biography" only contained "Lanting Preface" text, did not mention Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", followed by Emperor Liang Wudi Wang Xizhi posters two hundred and seventy shafts, but also did not have the "Lanting Preface" within. The lanting preface" is wang xizhi book, the southern song dynasty jiang kui took the lead in questioning: "Liang wu received right army post two hundred and seventy shafts, at that time, but said "yellow court" "le yi" "oath", why is not as good as "lanting"? ("lanting ko" volume three citation) Qing Li Wentian from the style of the book on the negation of Dingwu "lanting" for wang xizhi's handwriting: "the eastern Jin Dynasty before the book, and the Han Wei Clerical Script is similar. Times for the, shall not be made after Liang Chen body." Jin Jin calligraphy, should not be free from the Han and Wei Clerical appearance, so the world no "lanting preface" book. Conclusion: "the text is still difficult to believe, why is there in the word?" (Dingwu (lanting trek))

In 1965, Guo Moruo, according to the Nanjing excavation of "Wang Xingzhi couples tombstone", "Xie Kun tombstone", in 1972, according to the Xinjiang excavation of the written "Three Kingdoms" scrolls, that the font on the tombstone, and the Shenlong "lanting", Dingwu, "lanting" handwriting is very different, categorical conclusion: the article "is basically a pseudo-topography, the ink It is needless to say that it is also a fake". Its main arguments are:

1. the theory of the book. "the world's Jin Shu are bound to be the official script", "the Lanting Preface" of the penmanship and the regular script after the Tang Dynasty is the same".

2. Handwriting theory. Wang Xizhi book, "strong", "Lanting" post, handwriting "quite charming", and Wang Xie tombstone handwriting is very different.

3. Penmanship. Jin cursive, there must be "clerical penmanship", "lanting" posting is "known as the highest peak of the line", has been off the clerical penmanship, "wang xizhi is the era of clerical, how can the clerical penmanship lost all of them? "

Guo Moruo in-depth examination, said the Chen Dynasty well-known great calligrapher Zhiyong, "the structure of the pen and the Lanting Preface calligraphy is completely a system." "It can be said bluntly: the existing Shenlong Ben ink is the true version of the Lanting Preface. This ink copy should be the manuscript written by Zhiyong." Zhi Yong was a monk from Yongxing Temple in the Chen Dynasty. It is said that he had been practicing calligraphy for thirty years, and was able to write in various styles, especially good at cursive script, and he wrote more than 800 copies of his "Thousand Character Essay" in real cursive script, the stone carvings of which are still preserved in the Xi'an Monument Forest. Emperor Yang of Sui once praised his calligraphy as "the flesh of the right army". The number of people seeking calligraphy from him was so great that even the doorway was pierced, so it had to be protected by iron sheets. A great calligrapher like him was able to write orchids, and he also knew how to make articles. Not only the text "repair short with the transformation, the end of the period in the end" statement is very suitable for the "Zen master" tone, in terms of its era is also appropriate. Therefore, it is certain that the writing and ink of the Lanting Preface were relied upon by Zhiyong. Guo concludes by saying that the Lanting Preface was based on Zhiyong, not to deny its calligraphic value, but to consider the Lanting Preface to be a masterpiece and a model for running script.

Guo Moruo is a famous historian, archaeologist, and calligraphy giant, the status of the time prominent, this argument, breaking the stone, causing a furor. Agree with Guo said Qigong, Zong Baihua and others, opponents of Zhang Shizhao, Gao Ershi and others. Zhang Shizhao exclaimed: "If so, I sincerely do not know the history of Chinese books, after this great destruction, the historical outline will be how to write the method and can be!" Gao Ershi that, this theory "shocking soul", "this is no less than in the post for a big flip".

Gao Ershi and others wrote a refutation of the argument that Guo's to two tablets and break the Eastern Jin Dynasty, only one type of script of the official script, is a "solitary evidence does not stand, difficult to generalize the whole". Clerical script is used for the tablet, running script is used for the pen, can not be demanding that Wang Xizhi's book "lanting" also use the clerical style. Wang Xizhi to "saint of the book" to get the name, "fixed at the time of the Yong word variant, others failed to change, or change and not grams, the right army is to change and make the saint of the Yan Yan". "the eastern Jin Dynasty of chapter grass, this grass, running script, regular script has indeed been greatly prepared, comparatively speaking, the latter two are young style, to Wang Xizhi, put it forward changes, and thus in the history of calligraphy played a role in the precedence of the latter." In the period of the evolution of the font at that time, the "lanting" French posting part of the handwriting is still not out of the scribal penmanship, indicating that the "lanting" French posting is precisely a facsimile of the real work of wang xizhi.

Shang Chengzuo in the "on the calligraphy style of the eastern Jin Dynasty and the Lanting Preface" article that, from the Eastern Han Dynasty, on the one hand, the official script to the development of cursive, on the other hand, also towards the regularization, to the Eastern Jin Dynasty is mature. Shang also said that Guo Moruo's so-called "Lanting Preface" articles and ink are Zhiyong entrusted, but did not cite the same characteristics of Shenlongben and Zhiyong's calligraphy, is the lack of factual basis for the "taken for granted" statement. ZhiYong book "thousand character text" of the carving and handwritten copies of a few copies have been handed down, the style is still the same, today will ShenLongBen and the "lanting preface post" compared to explore the personality of the same author will be disappointed, that is, ShenLongBen and the "thousand character text" in the style of the brush in the difference, the former bone more than meat, the latter meat is better than the bone, especially both the style of the brush can not be said to be the same, so it is not from a person's hand.

Guangming Daily, December 4, 1998, Shi Lin edition, published Wang Yuanjun's "from the Six Dynasties scholar disdain monument to see" Lanting debate "mistakes," an article, from a new perspective on the old question. He argues that the Six Dynasties, especially the Eastern Jin Dynasty, regarded calligraphy as the art of displaying style, and disdained the technical calligraphy of inscriptions. Due to the insufficient understanding of this point, the calligraphy of tablets and scrolls from the hands of commoners was compared with the calligraphy of scholarly ruled documents, thus making the argument that the Lanting Preface is a forgery lose its foundation. Guo Moruo from the excavation of several parties of the tombstone and brick calligraphy and the Lanting Preface is significantly different from the Lanting Preface on the assertion that the Lanting Preface is not a product of the society at that time, this point of view has certain limitations.

The case of "Lanting Preface" involves the evaluation of Wang Xizhi's thought and the content of "Lanting Preface", which involves the history of literature and calligraphy. Archaeology many aspects, its significance has far exceeded the "Lanting Preface" itself. As the years go by, more people are sure that wang xizhi "lanting preface". Today's book world, there is quite not to the "Lanting Preface" for the intention of the person, said "Lanting Preface" has been "deified", this shallow delusion, but also does not detract from the Wang Xizhi "saint of the book" status.