"Ahem! Mr. Li has a sharp eye, so that boy told the truth!"
In the Yunshan Villa, Li Zexuan coughed twice in embarrassment, and then told the truth: "I want to ask the gentleman for a few words, but because he has been confined at home by His Majesty recently, it is inconvenient to go out, so I have to ask the gentleman to come over!"
Li Gang was speechless and said: "There are only a few steps between our two families. Even if you go out, can your Majesty still make trouble for you? Besides, there are no outsiders on Yunshan Mountain. Who would be so busy that he would worry about such a trivial matter?" Inform His Majesty?"
Li Zexuan was sweating for a while. Who knew that his father-in-law had just spoken to him "sincerely" two days ago, so he would naturally become a little more careful in doing things!
"Ahem! Since His Majesty asked this boy to reflect at home and behind closed doors, then he must be sincere!"
"Ah!"
Li Gang shook his head, obviously not believing it, but he was too lazy to study further. At this time, he said: "In terms of calligraphy, I am far inferior to Deng Shan (Chu Suiliang) and Bo Shi (Yu Shinan). How can the mountain leader know how to calligraphy?" Come to me?"
"Haha! What I seek is your artistic conception and your spirit. Your husband is noble and upright. I must hang your calligraphy at home and study it all the time!"
Li Zexuan flattered him.
In fact, this guy wanted to use Li Gang's calligraphy as a family heirloom for future generations!
Although Li Gang's name is indeed not as famous as Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang's, Li Gang's reputation is no less famous than those two. Besides, he is in "confinement" now, so how can he go out to invite Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang? How about writing? It is unrealistic to send someone to invite them to your house, because the friendship between the two parties has not reached that level yet!
"Haha! Chief, please don't put your hat on me. If you need me to write anything, just say it. When the time comes, just don't dislike my ugly handwriting!"
Li Gang waved his hand and smiled helplessly.
Li Zexuan nodded to Xiaohe, who turned and left. Soon she came back with two rows of red paper in her hands.
Li Zexuan said to Li Gang: "It's the Chinese New Year right now. I want to hang two pictures of "pleasant" characters in front of the door to make it appear festive. However, these characters are a bit difficult to express in an elegant manner, so I asked Mr. Li to come over and write the inscription!"
Li Gang frowned and said, "This is so good. Chief, what are you going to inscribe?"
"I call this couplet, because the New Year is coming soon, so I also call it Spring Festival Couplet!"
"Couplet? Chief Shan, please tell me and listen!"
It cannot be said that there are no couplets in this era, it is just that there is no such thing as "couples" yet.
In fact, as early as before the Qin and Han Dynasties, there was a custom of hanging peach charms during the Chinese New Year. The so-called peach charms are the names of the legendary ghost-conquering gods "Shen Cha" and "Yu Lei", respectively written on two peach boards and hung on the left and right doors to drive away ghosts and suppress evil spirits. This custom lasted for more than a thousand years. It was not until the Five Dynasties that people began to inscribe couplets on peach boards.
According to the "History of the Shu Family in the Song Dynasty", Meng Chang, the lord of Shu after the Five Dynasties, "every year, he ordered a scholar to compose a poem, write a peach charm, and place it near the door of his bed. In the last year of his life (AD 964), the scholar Xing Yinxun wrote a poem, and Chang used it as a poem Non-gong, the title of the self-titled pen says: New Year's greetings, the festival is called Changchun."
This is the earliest display form of couplets and the earliest Spring Festival couplets in my country.
After the Song Dynasty, it has become quite common for folk to hang Spring Festival couplets during the New Year. The sentence in Wang Anshi's poem "Thousands of households always replace old talismans with new peaches" is a true portrayal of the grand occasion at that time. Since the appearance of Spring Festival couplets is closely related to Taofu, the ancients called Spring Festival couplets "Taofu".
That's why Li Gang was confused when he heard couplets and Spring Festival couplets!
Li Zexuan was already prepared, and he said without thinking:
"The first couplet is called "Everything goes smoothly and every year is good," and the second couplet is called "Everything goes well and everything goes smoothly," and the horizontal line says: "Lucky stars shine brightly!"
This couplet does not have much literary talent, but what stands out is that it is festive. It can be regarded as a relatively widely circulated Spring Festival couplet in the modern Spring Festival.
When Li Gang heard this, he narrowed his eyes. After pondering for a moment, he nodded in appreciation and said: "Although it is not new in reading, it is better because of the neat contrast, and these two sentences are also suitable for the occasion! But what do I think, your couplet and Tao Fu? Are there some similar approaches but the same purpose?"
"Peach charm?"
Li Ze I think couplets are more suitable for it than peach charms!”
Li Gang shook his head, unable to comment. The old gentleman put the red paper on the table, and Li Zexuan quickly asked Xiao He to grind the ink next to him, using the finest pine smoke ink.
The Tang Dynasty was a period when ink-making technology developed rapidly. From the "ink pills" made of lacquer smoke and pine coal that appeared in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, they gradually became popular and finalized in the Tang Dynasty. Various kinds of ink pills were prepared with pine smoke and glue juice. The quality of solid ink ingots in various shapes is getting better and better. Famous inks such as Zu Min, Li Yangbing, Xi Chao, and Xi Tinggui made inks with "rich flesh, smooth texture, and luster like lacquer". They were all sent to the royal family as tribute.
Li Gang held the brush and concentrated on it. The brush strokes suddenly appeared, and sixteen big characters suddenly appeared on the paper. Li Zexuan looked at it and found that Li Gang's calligraphy was not as bad as the old man said. It was different from the changes in Chu Suiliang's calligraphy. It is flat in length, wide and sparse, and is different from the dignified, free-spirited and graceful calligraphy of Yu Shinan. Li Gang's calligraphy is as round as jade, graceful and elegant. Perhaps this is really like his character, and a gentleman is like jade!
"Good calligraphy! Good calligraphy! Xiao He, send it to the workshop quickly and let Uncle Fu frame it with fine glass. During the Chinese New Year this year, we will install this couplet in front of our house and pass it down from generation to generation!"
Li Zexuan put his hands on his hands and laughed.
Speaking of which, his future descendants, even if they are prodigal sons, should be able to live and drink without worries just based on this couplet, right?
"Yes! Master!"
Xiao He responded, and then she and Xiao Xi carefully dried the ink on the red paper and took it to the workshop.
Li Gang burst out laughing and said helplessly: "Captain, don't be ridiculous. In terms of calligraphy, Mr. Li is far inferior to Dengshan and Boshi. I really don't understand why you want me to come and inscribe!"
Li Zexuan waved his hand and retorted: "Sir, what you said is wrong. When calligraphy has reached the level of you, how can we say who is good and who is bad? At most, they all have their own merits!"
"Haha! When it comes to speaking skills, I, Dengshan and Bojia are no match for you, Chief Shan!"
Li Gang pointed at Li Zexuan with a smile and said.
Li Zexuan was helpless, what he just said was not flattery, "Forget it, let's not talk about that! Sir, sit down and have a drink!"
"Well! Now I can finally relax and drink! Haha!"
Li Gang made another joke and said.
.…………………………
First update!
My fingers hurt a lot. I type code during the day and code at night. It seems I can't bear it any more. I'm considering whether to resign and take a month's rest. Alas, I feel a little scared when I see a computer keyboard now...
(End of chapter)
