Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 138 Lanting Reunion

The ninth year of Yonghe (AD 353), the beginning of late spring.

The ancients had the custom of praying for evil spirits on the first day of March, that is, on the first Shangsi day of March, they would wash themselves with water to remove bad luck.

This year’s Semester Day, the third day of March, all public offices are closed for holiday.

Wang Xizhi, the internal historian of Kuaiji, met with his guests at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin, Kuaiji.

The so-called internal history has responsibilities equivalent to those of a prefect.

Sima Yu was granted the title of King of Kuaiji, and Kuaiji County was granted the title of state for him. Therefore, the local chief official was not called the prefect, but the internal history.

Participating in this event were the famous scholar Xie An, his brother Xie Wan, Xi Chao's uncle Xi Tan, Yu Yun, the son of Yu Bing, the former governor of Jingzhou, Yu You, right army commander Shi Sunchuo, Xu Fengzhi who joined the army, former Yao Ling Sun Tong, etc. etc., as well as Wang Xizhi's sons, nephews and descendants, together with Wang Xizhi, a total of forty-two people.

Of course, the female family members and followers are not among the list of forty-two people.

Today's Jin Dynasty is in a state of turmoil.

Despite the chaos in the north, the situation was excellent, but the unabashed ambitions of the Huan family and his sons made all knowledgeable people in Jiangdong anxious about this.

In particular, Yin Hao, who was responsible for the Northern Expedition, was stubborn and refused to accept honest advice, which made people even more worried.

Previously, Minister Zuocheng Kong Yan had persuaded Yin Hao:

"Looking at the disciples who have descended upon me, they all have human faces and animal hearts. They are greedy and have no relatives. It is difficult for them to have a sense of justice." ’

I hope Yin Hao will not rely too much on those barbarians, but Yin Hao cannot listen.

After all, Yao Xiang will play an important role in his Northern Expedition plan, so how could he miss Yao Xiang's help.

Kuaiji, Shanyin, Lanting.

Wang Xizhi said to the guests:

"Today is full of distinguished guests. It's a rare occasion. You might as well forget the worries of the temple and indulge in the joy of the mountains and rivers."

Although Wang Xizhi and Huan Wen had a friendly relationship, and he also advocated for an easing of relations between Yin Hao and Huan Wen, when it came to his true inclination, he naturally hoped that Huan Wen could support the Jin Dynasty and not do anything against his ministers.

It was precisely because of the difficult times that Wang Xizhi took advantage of the opportunity of Shangsi Xiuxian to relieve the depression in his heart with them.

When the guests heard this, they praised him for his kindness.

Unlike others who travel with their female relatives, Xie Wan's wife stayed at home and did not accompany him.

Xie Wanshi was thirty-four years old, born in the same year as Xie An, but not from the same mother.

His wife Wang Quan insisted on staying at home, naturally because her father had a deep hatred for Wang Xixi.

Wang Quan is the daughter of Wang Shu, from the Wang family in Taiyuan, and has a common ancestor with the Wang family in Langya, the Qin general Wang Jian.

Wang Shu and Wang Xizhi have been equally famous since childhood, but their relationship has never been harmonious.

Wang Shu had previously served as the internal history of Kuaiji, but he resigned due to the death of his mother, and it was Wang Xizhi who succeeded him.

Wang Xizhi mentioned to others several times that he wanted to pay condolences to Wang Shu's mother, but he never made it.

Once, he even walked to the door of Wang Shu's house, but turned around and left before Wang Shu came out to greet him.

Wang Shu believed that Wang Xizhi was deliberately humiliating him, and the two of them were already in the same boat.

As Wang Shu's daughter, how could Wang Quan attend this elegant party initiated by Wang Xizhi?

Fortunately, Xie Wan was not alone. His nephew Xie Xuan was at the table with him.

As one of Xie An's most valued descendants, Xie Xuan was brought here together with his cousin Xie Lang.

Xie Lang is the eldest son of Xie An's second brother Xie Zhi. Xie Zhi died young. Therefore, Xie Yi and Xie Zhi's children were raised by their third uncle Xie An.

Everyone diverted the stream into a meandering stream, and sat next to each other, letting the wine glasses drift along the water. Whoever stopped in front of the wine glasses would drink and compose poems.

Wang Xizhi made a fool of himself and wrote a poem:

"Metabolism moves from level to level, but suddenly it moves around. I am glad that late spring is coming, and the air is gentle and gentle.

"Singing to each other and dancing, we are in the same flow in different worlds. We are together in harmony, and we are in the same mood."

Everyone praised him, and Wang Xizhi drank a glass first, then took another glass and put it in the meandering water. The wine glass drifted with the current and stopped in front of Shi Sunchuo, the commander of the right army.

Sun Chuo once served as Shangshu Lang in Jiankang. After Huan Xi conquered Chang'an, he petitioned to move the capital to Chang'an. Sun Chuo had clearly opposed moving the capital.

He picked up the wine glass from the water, pondered for a moment, and wrote a poem:

"When spring chants are performed on the stage, there is also a sense of flow. I am thinking about cutting down trees, and I am staying here with a good couple.

"Build a bamboo-shaded marsh, and swirl the wind around the hills. Pass through the pond and stir up the rapids, and even the boat will start."

Everyone praised:

"Drink!"

Sun Chuo filled up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Wang Xizhi then took another glass and placed it in Qushui. The wine glass flowed down the river and stopped in front of Wang Xianzhi, who was ten years old at the time.

Wang Xianzhi has little reputation, but he is only ten years old after all. It is really difficult for him to write a poem in an instant.

But the rules are the rules. If you fail to compose a poem, you will have to drink three drinks as a penalty.

Wang Xianzhi got nothing in the end, and punished himself with three glasses of wine amidst the harmless laughter of everyone.

Wang Xizhi took another cup, put it back into the water, and finally stopped in front of Huan Wei, the fifth son of Huan Wen and the fifth brother of Huan Xi.

Huan Wei was fifteen years old and had an honest and honest nature. Although he did not have particularly outstanding military and political talents, he was still quite popular with Huan Wen.

This time Wang Xizhi met friends at Lanting, and Huan Wei represented his father and had the honor to attend the event.

Huan Wei picked up the wine glass, pondered for a moment, and chanted:

"Although the master has no ambitions, he should be noble and dignified. Xuanni Aoyijin is the king of Xiao Ran's heart.

"Several sons expressed their ambitions, and they once sang a cappella. Now I enjoy traveling, and my moodiness is temporarily relieved."

After chanting, all the guests said:

"Drink!"

Huan Wei also filled a glass, drank the wine in the glass, and laughed with everyone:

"It's such a grand event, I just regret that my brother is not here, otherwise I would have had a great time poetically."

Huan Xi had copied a lot of poems before, but most of them were written for boudoir games with Xie Daoyun and had never been shared with outsiders.

Until a piece of comforting work, "Ode to the Chaste Woman of Dai Fulu County Bo Xiang" came out, which was passed down as a good story by people at the time and caused quite a stir in the Jiangnan poetry circle.

Although Wang Xizhi and Huan Xi never met, they had many interactions. After all, Huan Xi often sent people to ask for his words.

Hearing what Huan Wei said, Wang Xizhi couldn't help but nodded slightly:

"What Youdao (Huan Wei) said is true."

Huan Wen's eldest son Huan Xi was Bo Dao, his second son Huan Ji was Zhong Dao, his third son Huan Xin was Shu Dao, his fourth son Huan Yi was Ji Dao, and when it was the turn of his fifth son Huan Wei, Huan Wen was given the title of Young Dao.

As he said this, Wang Xizhi mentioned a past event to everyone. It was Huan Xi who sent him a poem called "The Journey Is Difficult" and asked Wang Xizhi to write it on the folding fan.

Wang Xizhi sighed:

"Of Bo Dao's poems, I love "The Road is Difficult" even more. The road is difficult, the road is difficult, and there are many divergent roads. Where are you now? There will be strong winds and waves, and you will hang your sails directly across the sea! I am willing to encourage you all."

Wang Xizhi only chanted one line, and everyone asked for the full poem. But he had no choice but to recite the whole poem with everyone.

Listening to the praises of the people around him, Xie Xuan couldn't help but puff up his chest:

That's his brother-in-law!

On the side, Xie An said to his brother Xie Wan: "Just hearing it makes people feel heroic."

While everyone was talking, Qushui brought another wine glass, but this time, it stopped in front of Xie An.

After thinking for a while, Xie An already had a draft in mind. He picked up the wine glass and chanted:

"We celebrate the festival together, and we share the same clothes. Thin clouds cover the sunny scene, and the breeze flies lightly.

"The Tao Dan Mansion in the mellow wine is as if you were traveling in the Xi Tang Dynasty. A lot of things are mixed up, and you can rest assured that Peng is sad."

Everyone praised him for his kindness and encouraged him to drink wine. Xie An drank it all in one gulp.

Today's gathering can be said to be a gathering of virtuous people. Representatives from the Langya Wang family, the Longkanghuan family, the Chenjun Xie family, the Yingchuan Yu family, the Gaoping Xi family and other high-ranking families in the south of the Yangtze River, as well as the princes of the area, all participated. He drank wine and wrote poems, and got thirty-seven poems in total.

Among them, Wang Xizhi, as the master, composed six poems.

Xie An, Xie Wan, Sun Chuo, Xu Fengzhi, Sun Tong, Wang Ningzhi, Wang Suzhi, Wang Binzhi, Wang Huizhi, Yuan Qiaozhi and others composed two poems.

Xi Tan, Yu You and others also composed a poem.

Of course, there are many people who punish themselves with three cups of wine if they fail to compose poems, such as Wang Xianzhi, who was ten years old at the time, and Xie Xuan, who was eleven years old at the time.

Everyone decided to bind these thirty-seven poems into a book, and Wang Xizhi was asked to write the preface.

After drinking, Wang Xizhi wrote the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" with a splash of ink and a hint of drunkenness.

There is no so-called trembling after writing, or weeping ghosts and gods after the sequence, but everyone who came to watch it took a breath of cold air.

Even Wang Xizhi himself admired this work and had to admit that it was his most proud work in his life.

Everyone here knows how to appreciate it, and Xie An even concluded that this is the best running script in the world.

Xie An is also a master of calligraphy. His calligraphy was deeply influenced by Wang Xizhi and he also had his own style. He had a teacher-student relationship with Wang Xizhi.

Mi Fu, a calligrapher of the Northern Song Dynasty who once wrote "Shu Su Tie", the eighth running script in the world, once praised Xie An's calligraphy, saying: "Wonderful calligraphy in the mountains and forests, heroic feats in the rock corridors, neither writing nor Xi, spontaneous and indifferent to ancient times."

It can be seen that Xie An is also knowledgeable.

Xie An's judgment was echoed by everyone, and many of them asked Wang Xizhi for letters on the spot, including Wang Xizhi's brother-in-law Xi Tan.

Wang Xizhi himself also loved this calligraphy. Just when he was about to reject everyone, he heard Huan Wei's loud voice:

Huan Wei said, "Gentlemen, please listen to me."

Everyone looked at Huan Wei, who bowed to Wang Xizhi and said:

"My brother once offered a bow plow to my father, which benefited hundreds of millions of people in the south of the Yangtze River.

"My father didn't know how to reward him, but he accidentally heard that my brother loved Wang Youjun's calligraphy, so before Huan left, he specifically told me to ask Youjun for calligraphy.

"When I saw the letter written by You Jun today, Huan was shocked when he saw it for the first time. He secretly thought that without this post, he could not repay his brother's contribution to benefiting Li Shu.

"The boy was ignorant and took the liberty to ask Youjun for this post. Please ask Youjun to grant it."

The words were full of emotion, especially the request for this post was linked to Huan Xi's offering of Qu Yuan Li to benefit the people. Even Xi Tan was embarrassed to compete with him.

Although Wang Xizhi himself also wanted to treasure it, Huan Wei had already said it for this reason, so how could he refuse.

Moreover, Huan Wen used one of Wang Xi's calligraphy paintings to reward Huan Xi for his contribution to the Qu Yuan Li, which can also be passed down as a good story by future generations.

Wang Xizhi endured his heartache and happily agreed in front of everyone.

The ink stains had long since dried up, so Wang Xizhi ordered the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" to be framed into a scroll on the spot. After packaging, he solemnly handed it over to Huan Wei's hands and said with a smile:

"I only hope that Huan Zhengdong (Huan Xi) will continue to work hard and continue to benefit all people in the world."

Huan Wei took it carefully and expressed his gratitude to Wang Xizhi.

Xie Xuan on the side was also very happy. His third uncle Xie An praised it as the best running script in the world. Now it has become the collection of his brother-in-law. When he goes to Chang'an, he can see it if he wants.

Of course, the happiest person is Huan Wei.

Huan Wen indeed asked him to ask for calligraphy from Wang Xizhi, but even Wang Xizhi's own works have never reached such a high level.

Huan Wei had seen his brother's folding fan. Huan Xi was still cautious at that time, fearing that they would ruin his collection by being careless.

But in Huan Wei's opinion, the walking on the folding fan is difficult, and in terms of calligraphy skills, it is really not as good as this "Preface to the Lanting Collection".

Huan Xi did not know that Huan Wei had begged for such a treasure for him. At this time, he was taking his family to wash it on the bank of the Weishui River to remove the bad luck.

When Huan Wei returned to Jiangling with the "Preface to the Lanting Collection", Huan Wen felt regretful after seeing this calligraphy treasure and wanted to keep it for himself.

The next day, when he was at the General's Palace in Zhengxi, Huan Wen showed off this matter to everyone. He smiled and said:

"The Preface to the Lanting Collection should be regarded as the masterpiece of Wang Youjun's calligraphy collection."

Unlike Van Gogh, whose works were praised by the world only after his death, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy is recognized as the best in the world, and even his predecessors are difficult to match.

When everyone heard this, they felt itchy and wanted to see the masterpiece of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy.

Especially Xi Chao, who had already heard about this from his uncle Xi Tan's letter. He finally waited for Huan Wei to come back last night, but something happened and he was unable to visit.

Xi Chao was also a calligrapher. Dou Xie (jì), a calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, named him Liu Xi together with his grandfather Xi Jian, father Xi Min, uncle Xi Tan, cousin Xi Jianzhi, and cousin Xi Hui. He was especially good at cursive calligraphy.

Wang Dao Wang's great-great-grandson and Wang Xizhi's grandson, Liu Song calligrapher Wang Sengqian, believes that Xi Chao's cursive calligraphy is second only to Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi and his son.

Of course, Wang Sengqian was born in the Liu Song Dynasty and the Southern Qi Dynasty. I wonder if there would be Zhang Xu and others in later generations.

After finally getting through to the next shift, Huan Wen couldn't resist the requests of the generals and subordinates, and agreed to take them back to his hometown to appreciate the calligraphy treasures.

Everyone left the military mansion in high spirits. Xi Chao also specially asked people to go home and sent the wine he had collected for many years to the Linhe Duke's mansion to drink with everyone.

However, while everyone was waiting in the front hall, Huan Wen could not find the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" in the back house, and he was so anxious that he was sweating.

He was not worried that he would not be able to produce the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" today and would not be able to explain it to everyone. After all, there was a difference between superiority and inferiority.

Huan Wen was worried that a thief had stolen such a precious calligraphy treasure from his home.

After searching for a long time, Sima Xingnan came in and asked:

"Old slave, what are you doing?"

Huan Wen said while rummaging:

"Maybe there was a theft in the house, and the calligraphy that Youdao brought back was stolen."

Sima Xingnan waved his hand and said:

"Stop looking for it. I collected it and prepared to send it to Xi'er."

Huan Wen was startled when he heard this and said angrily:

"Why not discuss it with me beforehand!"

Sima Xingnan's eyes widened, and Huan Wen instantly withered.

Just listen to Sima Xingnan scold:

“I saw you falling so hard for it last night, and I knew you wanted to make it your own.

"Youdao asked for this for his brother. How can I allow this old slave to get his hands on it?"

Huan Wen had no choice but to move out and the generals were waiting outside, so he borrowed it for everyone to have a look at and sent it to Huan Xi immediately tomorrow.

Seeing this, Sima Xingnan went to the side room and took out the "Preface to the Lanting Collection" and told Huan Wen:

"Be careful, don't dirty my son's treasure!"

　In fact, the concept of the best running script in the world was proposed by Mi Fu.

　　Chapter 1 tomorrow at 1pm.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)