Everyone in the world learns from Lanting Noodles.
If you want to exchange mortal bones, there is no golden elixir.
Who knew Yang Fengzi in Luoyang,
As soon as I start writing, I will go to Wusi Lan.
In the above quatrain written by Huang Tingjian of the Song Dynasty, the "Yang Fengzi" mentioned was one of the most famous calligraphers in the Five Dynasties period of our country. From the short period of the Five Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, it seems that only Yang Ningshi composed this period of calligraphy history.
Yang Ningshi, courtesy name Jingdu and pseudonym Xubai, was born in Huayang, Shaanxi. In the late Tang Dynasty, he was Secretary Lang. In the Five Dynasties, he became an official to the Prince's Shaoshi, and was known as "Yang Shaoshi" in the world. For a time, he lived a crazy life in Luoyang, so people at that time gave him the nickname "Yang Feng (Crazy) Zi".
Yang Ning's calligraphy was greatly influenced by Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, Huai Su, Liu Gongquan and others in the Tang Dynasty. Later, it was traced back to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. He got his style from the two kings and formed his own changeable style. He freely expressed his soul and created a unique style. The Song Dynasty still had a style of calligraphy. There are only four works handed down from generation to generation:
"Leek Flower Tie"
"Pictures and Postscripts of Ten Chronicles of Lu Hong Thatched Cottage", written in running script, is a postscript written by Yang Ningshi for paintings of the Tang Dynasty. The writing style and structure are very similar to Yan Zhenqing's "Notice of Fighting for a Seat" and "Manuscript of Memorial to Nephew", which is rich and dignified.
"Xiare Tie", written in cursive script, is a handwritten note written by Yang Ningshi who suffered from the heat of summer. It seems to be based on Yan Zhenqing's "Liu Zhongshi Tie" and Liu Gongquan's "Mengzhao Tie". It is powerful, straight and calm.
"The Living Method of Immortals", written in cursive script, describes a massage method in ancient medicine. There are only eight lines, and at first glance, the whole poem may seem rough and cluttered. However, if you don't notice, the writing is actually slow and fast, and it is completed in one go, showing his superb skills in controlling rhythm and rhythm. Sometimes the cursive script is mixed with some running script, which is called "sleet" by later generations. This method started with Yan Zhenqing's manuscripts, and when Yang Ningshi mastered it, it has become completely invisible and almost transformed.
People in the Song Dynasty paid homage to Yang Ningshi. Su Dongpo said in "Dongpo Zhilin" that "Yang Gongning's handwriting is often as powerful as Yan Xing's". Huang Tingjian praised him for his poems and said: "Every word in Yang Shaoshi's writings is exquisite and exquisite, and his paintings by Wu Sheng (Wu Daozi) should be regarded as the two best in Luozhong." Even the picky Mi Fu praised his "innocence and indulgence" , "Like the wind and the rain" and so on. However, Yang Ningshi's influence was by no means limited to the Song Dynasty. Six hundred years later, in the Ming Dynasty, a generation of calligraphy leader Dong Qichang paid special attention to him. Dong Qichang's calligraphy style was also obviously influenced by Yang Ningshi's works (especially "Leek Flower Calligraphy"). ), Dong mentioned Yang Ningshi several times in "Essays on Painting a Zen Room". It has always been praised a lot.
It is said that Yang Ningshi did not like to make rulers and tablets, so the few ink marks on paper that have been handed down to this day are extremely precious. "Xuanhe Shupu" and other classics say that Yang Ningshi likes to inscribe on walls. He lived in Luoyang for more than ten years. More than 200 temples have his inscriptions on the walls, which became popular for a while. For example, in temples without Yang Ningshi's calligraphy, they would often whitewash their walls first, place pens, ink, wine and food, and wait for Yang Ningshi's inscription. Yang Fengzi "If you are admitted to the hospital, you will see that the wall is smooth and lovely. He will look at it from a distance, as if he is crazy, and he will write freely, chanting and writing, and his pen will meet his spirit. He will just write to the end of the wall, and there is no trace of tiredness." (Zhang Qixian's "Old News about Jin Gentry in Luoyang"). Wall writings were written casually and freely, so they could not be carved into stone and preserved. Despite this, figures like Huang Tingjian still went to Luoyang to "read Yang Shaoshi's writings on the monk's wall", which shows the profound influence of Yang Ningshi on the Song people.
