Zhang Xu stroked his beard and said: "Daozi's paintings are pretty good, but what you used to paint were all elegant and beautiful paintings of landscapes, gods, etc. How come you have to paint such a terrifying disguised form of hell to help General Pei's deceased mother?" There seems to be something wrong with the picture, right?"
The abbot of Tiangong Temple said: "Zhang Changshi didn't know something. This "Hell in Disguise Picture" uses the miserable conditions of hell to educate the world. It teaches people not to do evil while alive, so that they will not fall into hell and suffer after death. This painting persuades people The merits of doing good deeds are actually better than the paintings of gods, and there is nothing better than making offerings to Mother Pei."
Wu Daozi also said: "Master Zhang, although you are called the Sage of Grass, you only know a little about the art of painting. Although my paintings of "Landscape of the Jialing River" and "Picture of the Heavenly King Sending His Son" are also good, the landscape may not be the best. After Li Sixun, the character may not be better than Cao Zhongda, but this hell is just a disguised form, but it is an unprecedented system in ancient times. It is truly the joy of my life to complete the painting today."
Zhang Xu clapped his hands and said, "So, today you have become an unprecedented 'Painting Saint'!"
Wu Daozi was not as crazy as Zhang Xu, and said hurriedly: "I don't dare to be a painting saint. I only got this painting by watching General Pei dance with his sword. It can be said that Daozi is most proud of his work."
The abbot of the temple said: "That's right, that's right. Today, the sword sage General Pei is dancing with his sword first, and then the painting sage Wu Daozi is painting the wall. How lucky is this small temple to be able to see two sages offering their skills in one day."
Wu Daozi said: "There is another grass sage here, Master Zhang. Why don't you also write a calligraphy book to complete the three unique skills?"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xu cherished his calligraphy, but was unwilling to write calligraphy and give it away. He had a plan in mind. He suddenly squatted down and held his stomach and said: "Ah, ah, stomachache, stomachache..."
Wu Daozi was both angry and amused, and said: "Zhang Dian, you were fine just now, why do you suddenly have a stomachache?"
Jiang Shuo took it seriously. He stepped forward to help Zhang Xu and asked, "Zhang Changshi, what's wrong with you? Are you suffering from an emergency?"
Zhang Xu was afraid that no one would answer the call. When Jiang Shuo stepped forward, he hurriedly grabbed him and said, "I don't know, but my stomach suddenly hurts. Maybe it's because of the hot and cold weather... Looking back... , let’s go back and write another post another day…”
Li Zhuer said: "What are you afraid of because of the cold and heat? Just buy a dose of rhubarb soup on the street corner and take it." Li Zhuer also noticed that Zhang Xu was cheating and deliberately teased him.
Zhang Xushun continued: "Yes, yes, rhubarb soup is a good thing. It is good for both hot and cold... In the future, you will accompany me to buy two doses and drink them when you get home..."
Wu Daozi said: "It doesn't take much effort for you to write a post. After you finish writing, you still have time to buy rhubarb soup."
Zhang Xu said: "But now I have a stomachache. When my stomach hurts, my mind goes blank and I don't know what to write."
Wu Daozi said: "This is easy to do. Just write about your stomachache now. Zhang Dian, didn't you say that any trivial matter can be used as a post?"
Zhang Xu couldn't resist him, so he had to use pen and ink to write. Unlike Wu Daozi, he wrote letters and calligraphy as he pleased. He did so casually and had no requirements for paper and pen. He grabbed a brush that Wu Daozi had just used. , write directly on a piece of paper until the pen becomes bald and the ink runs out, then dip the ink again and start writing again.
Zhang Xu really wrote about the stomachache, and wrote: "Suddenly, I have a terrible stomachache. I don't know whether it is caused by cold or heat. I want to take rhubarb soup. Both cold and heat are beneficial. What can I do? It's not cold. "
The first three characters are written fairly regularly, and the characters are not connected to each other. Starting from the fourth character, the words begin to be connected together. From then on, each line is written in one stroke to the end, and the faster I write, the faster I write. , the more I write, the more unbridled and unbridled I am, especially the last three characters. The stipples are almost indistinguishable vertically and horizontally.
Jiang Shuo asked: "What do the last three characters of Zhang Changshi say?"
Zhang Xu put down his pen, picked up the copybook, read it carefully for a long time, and said, "I don't know. Is it not cold? Not critical? Not clinical?" He didn't even recognize the calligraphy he had just written. It was really strange. It's astonishing to the extreme, but even this calligraphy, which seems to have been written randomly, has the trance-like beauty of cursive writing, making it trance-like and unfathomable.
The more Zhang Xu looked at it, the more he couldn't bear to part with it. He folded the note and tried to put it into his arms, but Wu Daozi snatched it away and said: "Zhang Dian, you are so petty. Today I will give this note to Tiangong Temple to complete the work." The Three Saints and Three Absolutes are perfect." After saying this, he handed this "belly pain note" to the host. The host was overjoyed and held it in his hands as if he had found a treasure. He said: "Amitabha, I must keep it well, and I will find a stonemason to carve it on the stone tomorrow. , passing down the wonderful pen of Cao Sheng to future generations."
Zhang Xu is also an open-minded person. Since the post was taken away and handed over to the host, he can no longer snatch it away, so he can only say angrily: "You Wu Daozi, you have been stolen from the mural by Pei Min, but you still want to drag me into trouble!"
However, more than a thousand Luoyang people in the temple shouted together: "In one day, I saw three unique skills! Long live the Sword Saint! Long live the Painting Saint! Long live the Grass Saint! Long live the Tang Dynasty!" The cheers could not be heard, and there was more at the temple door. People kept pouring in, and everyone was blocked inside and couldn't get out.
At this time, a man who looked like a green-robed official entered the palace and saluted Zhang Xu with his hands crossed. Zhang Xu said, "Qingchen, are you here too?"
The man looked to be in his early thirties, fat and plump, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a straight nose and a square mouth, and a short beard on his chin. He had a capable look and crossed his hands to Zhang Xu: "Master Zhang, Ying Fang has long said Yes, but there are too many people and we can’t squeeze in.”
Zhang Xu introduced to Jiang Shuo and others: "This is my disciple Yan Zhenqing Yan Qingchen, known as Ying Fang. Yan Qingchen is good at real calligraphy and running script. He has a reserved personality and cannot write wildly. Qingchen, Master Wu and General Pei must be you. We know each other, but this little friend Jiang Suzhi is the new leader of the Cao Gang. I think he is a young hero, and he was the one who helped me fully understand the wonders of cursive writing yesterday."
Yan Zhenqing was confused after hearing this, wondering how this young man could become the leader of the canal boat people when he looked only fifteen or sixteen years old. Could it be that the rivers and lakes also provide shelter? But I have never heard of any leader named Jiang in the world. And Zhang Xu's cursive calligraphy is the best in the world. How can he ask for calligraphy lessons from a young man?
Jiang Shuo said, "It turns out that you are Yan Zhenqing. A friend of mine likes your writing very much. He read it to me that day. It was vigorous and full of muscles. I really loved it." What he was talking about was Yu Lanzhuo that day. Writing books.
Yan Zhenqing first learned calligraphy from Chu Suiliang, and later became a disciple of Zhang Xu. Now he is just starting out. Although he has created Yan style, his name has not yet been revealed to the world. Therefore, he was quite surprised to hear what Jiang Shuo said. He hurriedly and humbly held his hands and said: "Young Master Jiang, you are stupid." Thank you, Ying Fang's handwriting is not perfect yet, he still needs more guidance from my teacher." After saying that, he saluted Zhang Xu again.
Jiang Shuo asked: "Yan Lang, since you wrote real books, why did you learn from Zhang Changshi?"
Zhang Xu twisted his beard and smiled and said: "Do you think I can only write cursive script? Since I call myself a calligrapher, I am naturally good at all the real cursive and official seal scripts. Besides, writing cursive script without first learning the real seal script is like a tree without roots. How can water without a source be made?"
Jiang Shuo said: "Yes, if you think about it, it's the same as practicing kung fu but not Qi. Only by laying a good foundation and taking it step by step can you accumulate a lot."
Zhang Xu said: "Yes, yes, yes! It's just like practicing Qi. If you want to teach me how to practice Qi when you have time, maybe Zhang Dian's calligraphy can be improved to a higher level."
Yan Zhenqing knew that Zhang Xu was always talking crazy. Although he didn't understand what he said, he didn't ask further. He just crossed his hands and said to the host: "I heard that Master Zhang presented the note I wrote today to your temple. Can you please let me have a look at it?" ?”
The presiding monk was reluctant to part with it, but he didn't want to appear too petty, so he could only take out the stomachache note from his arms, hold it in both hands and show it to Yan Zhenqing, fearing that he would take it away but not daring to let go.
Yan Zhenqing smiled when he saw this and didn't take it seriously. He read the calligraphy carefully for a long time and asked, "What is the name of this calligraphy?"
Zhang Xu said: "Didn't you see what was written? This post is called 'Belly Pain Post'."
Yan Zhenqing said: "Wonderful, wonderful, this post is well written, and the name is also well chosen. It fits the trivial matters into the post, and the true meaning of the unintentional madness. Congratulations to Master Zhang for your improvement."
Zhang Xu said: "Hey... do you think I'm joking? Yesterday I wrote better when I was a saint, but when I was drunk, I became confused and sent a bunch of calligraphy to the ghost head of the Anqing Sect."
So he told Yan Zhenqing everything about Yun Shao Yuan yesterday. Yan Zhenqing smiled and said: "Only Zhang Dian can do it by holding hair and writing a book. No matter what the writing on the few calligraphy sheets is, this book writing has been done since ancient times." This is the only one I can share." He looked at Jiang Shuo again and thought to himself: This young man seems to be really extraordinary. At such a young age, he can actually express his righteousness in a small way and enlightened the Grass Saint. It seems that he has really fulfilled the words of a hero who emerges from his youth, and He said: "General Pei's sword dance is even more powerful, and he has made the three great masters Gongsun, Zhang and Wu masters unique skills. It seems that whenever I need help, I have to ask General Pei for advice."
Zhang Xu said: "Yes, General Pei's sword dance is more vigorous and vigorous than Aunt Gongsun's, and more like Qing Chen's brushwork. It will definitely be of great benefit to you to watch it."
Pei Min hurriedly said that he did not dare to accept it. He was born in the Wenxi Pei family. Although he was a wealthy family, he practiced martial arts freely and did not study literature. Except for Li Taibai and He Zhizhang, he really had no great literati friends. Therefore, he asked Wu Daozi for paintings and was rejected. , I didn’t expect that I would be favored by three famous calligraphers and painters today, and I was really overjoyed.
Zhang Xu said again: "Qingchen, aren't you serving as a county captain in Liquan? Why are you back to Luoyang?"
Yan Zhenqing said: "The four-year term of Lieutenant of Liquan County has expired. I have just returned to Beijing to take the exam. It has been decided to move to Lieutenant of Chang'an County in the coming year." Liquan is a Zhongxian County. He was from the eighth rank, and the Chang'an county captain was an official in the capital, so he could be regarded as moving to the right. Everyone congratulated him.
Yan Zhenqing added: "People don't have their own lives in officialdom, so Ying Fang is going to take advantage of this rare free time to visit my brother."
Zhang Xu asked: "Where is your elder brother Yan Gaoqing an official now?"
Yan Zhenqing said: "My brother Gaoqing first served as Fanyang Hucao and joined the army. Now he is under the command of An Lushan, the governor of Fanyang and Pinglu towns."
Jiang Shuo and Li Zhuer couldn't help but say "Ah" when they heard this...
