Liu Gongquan has many interesting things about calligraphy. The editor found a story about Liu Gongquan learning calligraphy and his upright character as Liu Gongquan's introduction, so that everyone can understand Liu Gongquan better.
Introduction to Liu Gongquan—Interesting Fact 1: Avoid Arrogance and Become Famous
Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, Han nationality, was born in Jingzhaohuayuan (now Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province). When he was young, his handwriting was very bad, and he was often reprimanded by his husband and father because of the crooked big characters. Xiao Gongquan is very strong, and he is determined to practice calligraphy well. After more than a year of hard work day and night, his handwriting has improved a lot. Compared with Liu Jiayuan's friends of the same age, Gongquan's handwriting has become the best in the village.
From then on, the big characters he wrote were praised by his classmates and teachers. Even his stern father smiled, and Xiao Gongquan felt very proud.
One day, Liu Gongquan and a few friends set up a square table under the old mulberry tree next to the village, and held a "book fair", agreeing that each person would write a block letter and watch the competition with each other. Gongquan quickly wrote an article. At this time, an old man selling tofu brain put down his burden and came to rest under the mulberry tree. He was very interested in watching the children practice calligraphy. Liu Gongquan handed over what he had written and said, "Grandpa, do you think my writing is good?" Dare to boast in front of others." The old man felt that the child was too proud, frowned, and pondered for a while before saying, "I don't think this word is well written, and it is not worthy of boasting in front of others. This word seems to be a part of my burden." It’s like a tofu brain, it’s soft, it’s boneless, it’s invisible, so is it worth boasting in front of others?” Several friends stopped their pens and listened carefully to the old man’s comments. He spoke in a mess, and said unconvinced: "People say that my handwriting is good, but you can't say it well. If you have the ability, write a few words and let me see!"
The old man smiled heartily and said: "Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it! My old man is a rough man and can't write well. However, someone else can write with their feet much better than you! If you don't believe me, go to Huajing City Let's take a look inside!"
At first Xiao Gongquan was very angry, thinking that the old man was scolding him. Later, I thought of the old man's kind face and hearty laughter,
He didn't want to scold him, so he decided to go to Huajing City to have a look. Huajing City is more than 40 miles away from Liujiayuan. The next day, he got up at five o'clock, quietly left a note to his family, and went to Huajing City alone with a bun bag on his back.
As soon as Liu Gongquan entered Shoumen in Huajing City, he saw a white cloth cover hanging under a big pagoda tree in North Street, with three big characters "calligraphy and painting soup" written on it. There were many people around under the tree, and he squeezed into the crowd to see, he couldn't help being stunned. I saw a black and thin deformed old man without arms, sitting on the ground with bare feet, with his left foot pressing down on the paper on the floor, and holding a large brush with his right foot, he was writing couplets with ease. He handled the brush like a god, and the handwriting in his pen was like galloping horses, flying like dragons and phoenixes, which won rounds of applause from the onlookers.
Only then did Xiao Gongquan realize that the old man who sold the tofu was not lying. He was ashamed and thought: Compared with the old man of calligraphy and painting soup, I am really far behind. He knelt down in front of Calligraphy Tang with a "plop", and said, "I would like to worship you as my teacher. My name is Liu Gongquan. Please accept me. I hope Master will tell me the secret of writing..." Calligraphy Tang hastily put down the pen in his hand and used it Pulling up Xiao Gongquan by his feet, he said: "I am a lonely deformed person. I was born without hands, and I can't do anything. I have to rely on my feet to make a living. Although I can write a few crooked characters, how can I be a teacher?"
Little Gongquan begged repeatedly, so he spread a piece of paper on the floor, picked up the pen with his right foot, and wrote: "Write all eight tanks of water, and the inkstone will stain the waterlogged pond black; win hundreds of parents, and then you will become a dragon and a phoenix. "
The old man said to Gongquan: "This is the secret of my writing. I have been practicing handwriting for more than 50 years since I was a child. Eight tanks of water have been used up for writing. There is a half-acre pond outside the wall of my house. I wash inkstones in the pond every day after writing. "
Liu Gongquan engraved the old man's words firmly in his heart. He thanked the calligraphy and painting soup deeply, and then reluctantly went back.
Since then, Liu Gongquan has worked hard to practice calligraphy, and thick calluses have been worn on his hands, and layers of elbows have been mended. He learned from the freshness and plumpness of facial features, the cheerful and smooth style of European style, the galloping boldness of calligraphy and painting soup, and the graceful and charming style of palace courtyard. He often watched people peeling cattle and picking sheep, and studied the skeleton structure, and got inspiration from it. He also pays attention to the wild geese in the sky, the fish swimming in the water, the running elk, and the galloping horses, and melts all kinds of beautiful forms in nature into calligraphy art.
Liu Gongquan finally became a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty of China. His calligraphy has a rigorous structure, a combination of hardness and softness, and is sparse and open. It is cherished by the calligraphy circle and is known as "Yan Jin Liu Gu". However, Liu Gongquan was still very dissatisfied with his handwriting until he was old. In his later years, he lived in seclusion in Guan Que Valley (now known as Liugou) in the south of Huajing City, where he specialized in calligraphy and practiced calligraphy diligently until his death at the age of 88.
Introduction of Liu Gongquan—Interesting Fact 2: Upright Heart and Upright Pen
Liu Gongquan is not only a famous calligrapher, but also an upright person who dares to speak out.
One year, Emperor Tang Muzong saw the calligraphy written by Liu Gongquan in a monastery, and he liked it very much. He wanted to meet him and talk about calligraphy together. Coincidentally, not long after, Liu Gongquan came to the court from Xiazhou (now northern Shaanxi) where he was an official. Tang Muzong heard that Liu Gongquan was coming, so he asked him to come to see him, and left him in the court as You Suiyi (the official in charge of advising the emperor).
One day, Tang Muzong and Liu Gongquan were discussing calligraphy together. Tang Muzong asked Liu Gongquan for advice: "Your handwriting is correct and strong, but I can't write so well. How can I write well with a pen?" After hearing Tang Muzong's question, Liu Gongquan thought to himself: I have heard that the emperor eats, drinks and has fun all day long and ignores the government. Why don't I take this opportunity to persuade him?
So, he said to Tang Muzong: "When writing, you must first hold the pen. The key to using the pen lies in the heart. Only when the heart is upright can the pen be upright! This is the same as the national affairs. You can't do it without your heart!"
Hearing Liu Gongquan's words, Tang Muzong knew that he was trying to persuade himself by talking about his brushwork, so he couldn't help but blush.
It's just subsections. Later, the emperor was replaced by Tang Wenzong. One day, Tang Wenzong discussed state affairs with several ministers, and Liu Gongquan was also present. When everyone said that Emperor Wenwen of the Han Dynasty was very frugal, Tang Wenzong held up his sleeves for everyone to see, and deliberately boasted: "This clothes has been washed three times, and it is still on me."
After hearing this, one of the ministers present immediately flattered and said, "Your Majesty, your frugality is better than that of Han Wendi!"
Several other ministers also followed suit. Only Liu Gongquan didn't say a word. Tang Wenzong was a little unhappy when he saw it, so he asked Liu Gongquan: "Why don't you say a word?"
Liu Gongquan looked at Tang Wenzong and said with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, as the emperor, the most important thing is to select those who are talented and virtuous and dismiss those who are not. Let those who should be rewarded be rewarded, so that everyone can be rewarded." Those who should be punished should be punished, this is the most precious virtue of the emperor! It is good to wear washed clothes, but it is just a trivial matter!" Tang Wenzong listened to Liu Gongquan's words, After thinking about it, I found it very reasonable, and said happily: "Now the most noble and honorable official position among civil servants is Zhongshu Sheren (the official responsible for drafting the imperial proclamation). You have already held this official position. It stands to reason that I shouldn't let you be a small official like an advising doctor anymore. But because you are upright and outspoken, you have the demeanor of admonishing a minister, so I want to wrong you to serve as an advising doctor again, so that you can always remind me .
The next day, Tang Wenzong issued an order to make Liu Gongquan concurrently serve as an admonishing doctor.
The two stories of Liu Gongquan have become good stories and have been passed down to this day. His two stories are very instructive, and they are also very representative of Liu Gongquan's temper and personality.
