After Zhang Youzhi's lecture, I met Zhang Yue in the study next to Zhoujin Hall. Seeing him wearing a robe, he couldn't help but smile and said: "We used to meet at my private residence, and you never wore a robe. How come you wore it when you came to Nanfeng Courtyard?" Got a shirt?"
Zhang Yue had known earlier that Zhang Youzhi would ask this question, so he said with a face of shame: "Nothing can be hidden from the teacher's discernment. The student's little thoughts made the teacher laugh."
Sometimes exposing some small flaws in front of teachers will make them think you are a likable student.
Sure enough, Zhang You shook his head and said in a tone that seemed to be displeased but not displeased: "You, you, you, I don't know why you are the one, but you brought the manuscript?"
Zhang Yue quickly took out several volumes of manuscripts from his book bag and presented them to him.
Zhang You directly saw a few scratches on the manuscript with his pen, and then said: "Your seal script is still a little too deliberate."
Zhang Yue saluted and said, "Students don't understand."
Zhang Youzhi said: "Is it intentional for you to breathe out every day?"
Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment, and then said: "The student understands. Breathing in and out is unintentional. When the student writes, he has the idea of writing the words well, so the intention is in the words, and the words become distorted unknowingly."
Zhang Youzhi said: "That's right. What is true? Only words that don't contain meaning are true. But it's not easy for you to write seal script to this day. Otherwise, I wouldn't regard you as the successor. I teach you. Can you practice your breathing method every day?"
Zhang Yue said: "Students practice every day. When practicing calligraphy, they can first meditate, then express deeply and briefly, so that the pen will not waver."
Zhang Youzhi nodded and said: "The seal method cannot be deviated at all when it reaches the depths. Even the slightest breath will cause your handwriting to be slightly offset. Ordinary people cannot see it, but the Fang family can recognize it."
Zhang Yue realized that these were all full of details, so he said respectfully: "The breath is coherent, the pen is unmoving, and the student has been taught."
Zhang Youzhi looked at Zhang Yue's calligraphy again and continued to review it with his pen.
Sure enough, what he outlined with his pen were all the parts of Zhang Yue's writing that were too deliberate.
Zhang Yue couldn't help but ask again: "Sir, practicing calligraphy is intentional, but writing good calligraphy is as unintentional as breathing. How can one change from intentional to unintentional?"
Zhang You said without even looking at him: "There is no other way but to practice more, so you will become familiar with it."
Zhang Yue thought to himself, it was Ouyang Xiu's words again. However, Zhang Yue also knew that Ouyang Xiu and Zhang Youzhi had a very good relationship.
Ouyang Xiu once called Li Gou's Yuanzhou Xueji, Hedong Liuqi's Shu, and Jingzhao Zhang Youzhizhuan as the three best in the world.
Mi Fu, one of the four later generations of the Song Dynasty, also said something like this.
Zhang Youzhi's writing is like a palace maid arranging flowers, and a concubine has her own attitude towards the mirror. Who will succeed her? Xiangyang Mi Fu.
Therefore, it is a blessing for Zhang Yue to receive direct guidance from Zhang You.
After giving some guidance, Zhang Yue took out a few more things from his bag and said with a smile: "Sir, the student asked someone to get these from Fuzhou. Do you sleep?"
Zhang You nodded and said: "Good stone."
Zhang Yue looked overjoyed. This was the Shoushan Stone he had specially asked the chief of the restaurant, Peng Jingyi, to collect from Fuzhou.
Zhang Youzhi is good at seal script and seal writing.
In the Song Dynasty, seals were mostly made of jade and copper, but both were valuable.
But Zhang Yuzhi likes it, he likes to carve Xianzhang.
Xianzhang is a seal that does not contain a name or font size. Especially in the Tang and Song Dynasties when poetry was at its peak, many scribes liked to turn one or two lines of poetry into Xianzhang.
For example, there is "Bantan Qiushan Yifangshan".
Another example is Song Huizong, an official who said, "I am capable of everything, but I alone cannot be a king." He has forty-one leisure seals, one of which is the double dragon seal.
Some leisure chapters are just one sentence, and Qi Baishi's leisure chapter is "Old man Baishi is really interesting."
Zhang Youzhi has many leisure seals. He is good at seal script. Whenever he likes a poem, he will engrave it on the seal.
But jade and copper were too expensive, and he was not like Hu Xuezheng who refused to accept anyone who came, so Zhang Yue took the trouble to collect Shoushan stones for Zhang Youzhi to use as a seal.
During the Song Dynasty, Shoushan Stone was only used by masons for carvings. It was presented to the palace for dignitaries to enjoy, and some refined people used it for fun, but no one had yet used it for engraving. It was not until the Ming and Qing Dynasties that seal engraving began.
Zhang Youzhi saw how useful the Shoushan stone was for making a seal, and it was not as valuable as jade, so he carved the "Xianzhang" out of the Shoushan stone sent by Zhang Yue.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yue originally gave the Shoushan stone to Zhang Youzhi as a token of gratitude for his teacher's kindness, but Zhang Yuezhi actually taught him how to carve seals.
So besides seal writing, Zhang Yue actually learned another craft.
After chatting from Yin to Yang, Zhang Yue finally brought up the topic and said: "Sir, will the family's children be included in the family study this year?"
Zhang Youzhi was playing with some Shoushan stones given to him by Zhang Yue in the past. Hearing this, he smiled and said: "Why do you intend to join the clan school again? It's fine with me now. I'm afraid Hu Xuezheng from the county school won't let you go. !”
Zhang Yue said quickly: "Sir, you are making fun of me."
Zhang Youzhi said: "It was because of your second brother before, but now your second brother has become a talented person. I believe that the clan will no longer use the escape from marriage as an excuse. Otherwise, it will offend your uncle and you." I am now my father’s counselor (Zhang Yu) in name only.”
Zhang Yue said: "Sir, I am not asking for myself, but for my nephew..."
"oh?"
After Zhang Youzhi heard what Zhang Yue said, he couldn't help stroking his beard and smiling slightly: "In the past, there were eight dragons of the Xun family, and now our Zhang family is also prosperous."
"Come to my house tomorrow with your nephew, and I will inquire personally."
Zhang Yue said happily: "Thank you sir."
Zhang Youzhi said slowly: "Hey, since the Chinese dynasty, fathers, sons, brothers, uncles and nephews have been famous and recommended each other to officials and gentry. There are so many people who are called each other at that time. Brothers are like two Lu (Lu Duan and Lu Yuqing). This is true for father and son, such as the two Song Dynasties (Song Xiang and Song Qi), as well as San Su, who is famous for his literary talent in Beijing recently."
"Although I have no intention of becoming an official, I should try my best to support my nephews and descendants! What's more, your brothers and nephews of Erlang and Sanlang will fall short."
Zhang Yue bowed and thanked him on his face, but said "maybe not" in his heart. In the end, Zhang Yue figured out that he didn't have enough time, so he had to ask Cewen about it next time.
The next day, Zhang Yue and Zhang Qiu brought gifts to Zhang Youzhi's house to visit him.
Zhang Youzhi chatted with Zhang Qiu, but when he saw that the other party responded fluently, he was very happy.
Zhang Yue also asked Zhang Youzhi for tips on strategy. Zhang Youzhi taught him carefully and told Zhang Yue not to make empty words, but to have practical words to help the world and the country.
Although it is a matter of asking for advice, the most important thing is sincerity.
As for Zhang Yue's impatience, Zhang Youzhi immediately taught him a few words, thought about them, studied them in detail, and then formulated a strategy, and then repeated them after he was familiar with them. Zhang Youzhi gave Zhang Yue a few questions and asked him to read the history books in detail. When he was familiar with them, he would write the questions and finally show them to him for review.
Zhang Yue read the title and thought it was no problem. He used to spend all day on forum forums, and he had read a lot of research on this Zhuan family. His historical skills were pretty good, and he was pretty good at citing classics.
Zhang Yue and Zhang Qiu returned home, and saw Zhang Shi standing at the door of their house, waiting with the door open.
At this moment, several neighbors were chatting with Zhang Shi.
"Sanlang is a sensible man. I think he can like the daughter of the Lu family."
"Sanlang is not young anymore."
"I'm just too much of a student. How can I like the daughter of the Lu family? I think she should at least be..."
While they were talking, Zhang Yue and Zhang Qiu had already arrived.
Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Everyone in the neighborhood is discussing my life-long events again!"
There was a burst of laughter from the left and right, and one person said: "That's not it. Saburo is so talented and he is also a student..."
"Stop it, stop it, I'm not a student yet."
"Hey, is it a matter of time or later? Imperial students will be able to serve as officials in the future."
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "Then I have to accept your good advice. Uncle Chen, can your teeth grow back if they fall out?"
"Ah? How can you look so old?"
Zhang Yue said: "Yes, Uncle Chen also knows that teeth fall out at an old age and cannot grow back. We can't say that it is true, right?"
The neighbors burst into laughter.
"Sanlang really has a clever mouth."
"I will definitely be able to coax a wife in the future."
Zhang Yue immediately brought Zhang Qiu into the house, and said to Zhang Shi: "Brother, you are really right. In the past, when the second brother was in the county school, you praised the second brother so much, saying that it was easy to become a Jinshi and the number one scholar. It’s also within easy reach. Now it’s my turn, right?”
Zhang Shi said with an unhappy look on his face: "My brother has made great achievements, why don't you allow me to praise you for you?"
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, you are not praising me, you are flattering me, and it will make me jealous. The second brother I just thought about has also sent a letter to my family. I think it was all forced by you."
Zhang Shiyi couldn't help but say, "What did you say? In the final analysis, it's not because you didn't live up to expectations in your previous studies..."
At this time, Mrs. Yu came over with tea soup and handed it to Zhang Yue, saying, "You two brothers, please say one less thing. Uncle, how is Xi'er's study going?"
Zhang Yue took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "It's better that my sister-in-law makes tea soup."
"From now on, if uncle likes it, he will burn it for you every day."
Zhang Yue said with a smile, "My sister-in-law knows that although Xi'er is a little young, he is very talented, so he has chosen him. After the snow melts in spring next year, he will be able to study at Nanfeng Academy."
"Is it true?" Mrs. Yu was filled with surprises. "There won't be any mistakes this time. I really don't know how to thank uncle."
Zhang Yue waved his hand and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, you don't have to be like this. For the sake of Xi'er's intelligence, my husband also said that all the children in our family are good at reading."
When Mrs. Yu heard this, she was so happy that she didn't know where she was. She sat on the chair and shed tears.
Zhang Shize said very calmly: "Isn't that right? Xi'er is the eldest son and grandson of the Zhang family."
Zhang Yue sneered secretly when he heard this.
Zhang Qiu looked at Zhang Yue and said, "Third uncle, did you really praise me as a reading seed before? What does reading seed mean?"
Zhang Yue smiled and said: "It means reading materials, just like beautiful jade, but even beautiful jade needs to be polished."
"Well, this is the principle of 'if a jade is not polished, it will not become a useful tool'." Zhang Qiu nodded repeatedly.
Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Yes, so you have to study harder and practice harder, so as not to let it down."
"Third uncle, I don't have to worry about it. In the future, I want to be like you and my second uncle." Zhang Qiu said in a childish yet firm tone.
While the family was talking, a carriage from Suzhou stopped far outside Zhang's house.
