There are many interesting things about Liu Gongquan's calligraphy. The editor found a story about Liu Gongquan learning calligraphy and his integrity as an introduction to Liu Gongquan, so that everyone can understand Liu Gongquan better.
Liu Gongquan’s introduction – Interesting Fact 1: Avoid arrogance and become famous
Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, Han nationality, a native of Jingzhao Huayuan (now Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province). When he was a child, his handwriting was very bad, and he was often scolded by his husband and father because of his crooked handwriting. Xiao Gongquan is very strong, and he is determined to practice calligraphy well. After more than a year of hard practice day and night, his handwriting has improved greatly. Compared with his friends of the same age as Liu Jiayuan, his handwriting has become the best in the village.
From then on, his big calligraphy was praised by his classmates and teachers. Even his stern father had a smile on his face. Xiao Gongquan felt very proud.
One day, Liu Gongquan and several friends set up a square table under the old mulberry tree next to the village and held a "book meeting". They agreed that everyone would write a piece in regular script and watch each other's competition. Gongquan quickly wrote an article. At this time, an old man selling tofu nao put down his burden and came to rest under the mulberry tree. He watched the children practice calligraphy with great interest. Liu Gongquan handed over what he had written and said, "Grandpa, do you think my writing is great?" The old man took it over and looked at it, and saw that it read "Can write about the Feifeng family" , Dare to praise in front of others." The old man felt that the child was too proud, frowned, and pondered for a while before saying: "I think this character is not well written, and it is not worthy of praise in front of others. This character seems to be part of my burden. They are just like tofu brains. They are soft, have no muscles or bones, and have no body. Is it still worthy of being praised in front of others?" Several friends stopped their pens and listened carefully to the old man's comments. The young man saw that the old man was writing his own words. He spoke in a complete mess and said unconvinced: "People say my handwriting is good, but you say it's not good. If you have the ability, write a few words and let me see!"
The old man smiled heartily and said: "I don't dare to take it, I don't dare to take it! My old man is a rough man and can't write well. But there are people who can write much better with their feet than you! If you don't believe it, go to Huajing City Come and have 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.
It wasn't like scolding 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 for his family, and went to Huajing City alone with a steamed bun bag on his back.
As soon as Liu Gongquan entered Shoumen of Huajing City, he saw a white cloth hanging under a big locust tree on North Street, with three big characters "calligraphy and painting soup" written on it. The font was vigorous and powerful, and the brushwork was vigorous and unrestrained. There were many people gathered under the tree. He squeezed into the crowd to take a look and was stunned. I saw a dark, thin, deformed old man with no arms, sitting on the ground with bare feet, his left foot pressing the paper on the ground, and his right foot holding a large pen, writing couplets with great ease. He used his pen like a god, and his handwriting was like a galloping horse, dancing dragons and phoenixes, which won bursts of applause from the onlookers.
Only then did Xiao Gongquan realize that the old man selling tofu was not telling lies. He was extremely ashamed and thought to himself: Compared with the old man called Calligraphy and Painting Tang, I am really far behind. He knelt down in front of Calligraphy and Painting 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 the master will tell me the secret of writing..." Calligraphy and Painting Tang hurriedly put down the pen in his foot and used He picked up Xiao Gongquan by his feet and said: "I am a lonely deformed person. I was born without hands and cannot make a living. I have to rely on my feet to make a living. Although I can write a few crooked words, how can I be a role model for others?"
Xiao Gongquan begged again and again, and then Calligraphy and Painting Tang spread a piece of paper on the ground, lifted up the pen with his right foot, and wrote: "Write eight tanks of water, and the inkstone dyes the pond black; win over hundreds of parents, and then you will have dragons and phoenixes flying." "
The old man said to Gong Quan: "This is the secret of my writing. I have been writing with my feet since I was a child, and I have been practicing it for more than fifty years. I have a big vat at home that can hold eight loads of water. I practice writing with my feet. I used up eight tanks of water to write. There is a half-acre waterlogged pond outside the wall of my house. I wash my inkstones in the pond every day after writing, and the water in the pond is black. However, my calligraphy is still far from perfect! "
Liu Gongquan engraved the old man's words firmly in his heart. He deeply thanked the calligraphy and painting soup before reluctantly going back.
Since then, Liu Gongquan has worked hard to practice calligraphy, and his hands have developed thick calluses, and his clothes and elbows have been patched up layer after layer. He learned the freshness and plumpness of facial expressions, the cheerfulness and smoothness of European style, the bold and unrestrained style of calligraphy and painting, and the graceful charm of imperial style. He often watched people skinning cattle and picking sheep, studying the skeleton structure, and got inspiration from it. He also paid attention to the geese in the sky, the fish in the water, the running elk, and the unrestrained horses, and integrated all the beautiful forms in nature into the art of calligraphy.
Liu Gongquan finally became a famous calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty of China. His calligraphy has a rigorous structure, a balance of hardness and softness, and is clear and open. It is cherished by the calligraphy circle and is known as "the muscles of the face and the bones of the willows." However, Liu Gongquan was still very dissatisfied with his handwriting until he was old. In his later years, he lived in seclusion in the Stork Que Valley (now known as Liugou) in the south of Huajing City, specializing in calligraphy and practicing calligraphy diligently until his death at the age of 88.
Liu Gongquan’s introduction——Interesting fact 2: The heart is right and the writing is right
Liu Gongquan is not only a famous calligrapher, but also an upright and outspoken person.
One year, Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty saw the calligraphy written by Liu Gongquan in a temple. He liked it very much and wanted to meet him and talk about calligraphy together. By coincidence, not long after, Liu Gongquan came to the court from Xiazhou (now northern Shaanxi), where he was an official, to handle affairs. When Muzong of the Tang Dynasty heard that Liu Gongquan was coming, he asked him to come to see him and kept him in the court as Youshiyi (an official responsible for making suggestions to 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 that well. How can I write well with my pen?" Listen. After hearing Tang Muzong's question, Liu Gongquan thought to himself: I have long heard that the emperor eats, drinks and has fun all day long and ignores government affairs. Why don't I take this opportunity to persuade him?
So, he said to Tang Muzong: "When writing, you must first hold the pen correctly. The key to using the pen lies in the heart. Only when the heart is correct can the pen be straight! This is the same as the national affairs. It cannot be done without the heart!"
After listening to Liu Gongquan's words, Tang Muzong knew that he was trying to persuade him by talking about penmanship, and couldn't help but blush.
This is just a small section. Later, the emperor was replaced by Tang Wenzong. One day, Tang Wenzong and several ministers were discussing state affairs, and Liu Gongquan was also present. When everyone mentioned that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty paid great attention To frugality, Tang Wenzong raised his sleeves for everyone to see, and deliberately boasted: "This dress has been washed three times, and it is still on my body."
A minister present heard this and immediately flattered him and said, "Your Majesty, your frugality is better than that of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty!"
Several other ministers also echoed. Only Liu Gongquan remained silent. 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 seriously: "Your Majesty, as the emperor, the most important thing for you is to select those who have talent and virtue and remove those who have no talent and virtue. Let those who deserve rewards be rewarded , so that those who deserve rewards will be rewarded." Those who deserve to be punished are punished. This is the most precious virtue of the emperor! Wearing washed clothes is good, but it is nothing more than a trivial matter!" After hearing what Liu Gongquan said, Tang Wenzong said, After thinking about it, I felt it made sense, so I said happily: "Now the most noble and glorious official position among civil servants is Zhongshu Sheren (the official responsible for drafting court proclamations). You have already held this official position. Logically speaking, I shouldn't let you serve as a minor official like the Admonishment Officer anymore. But because you are upright and outspoken, and have the demeanor of a critic, I have to humiliate you and concurrently serve as the Admonition Officer, so that you can always remind me.
The next day, Tang Wenzong issued an order to make Liu Gongquan concurrently serve as the admonishment doctor.
These two stories of Liu Gongquan have become good stories and have been passed down to this day. These two stories of his are very educational and very representative of Liu Gongquan's temper and personality.
