Mei Diaoding's Mei Diaoding (calligrapher

Although the imperial examination didn't study hard:

/kloc-One day more than 0/60 years ago, another man was added to Meijia's family in Cicheng. The Mei family is not a famous family in Cicheng, but it is also a famous family. According to the records in the Guangxu period of Cixi, Mei Kuanfu, the ancestor of Mei family, was a scholar in the seventh year of Xianchun in the Southern Song Dynasty and transferred to Cixi. "After being in charge of the magistrate's affairs, he bravely responded to Wen Tianxiang and died in Changzhou." I don't know if it's because of Mei or the glory of the family. The elders of the Mei family named the boy Diaoding after Plum Blossom by Zhang Lei, a poet of the Song Dynasty, which means that "Diaoding is solid from beginning to end, and flowers on earth are even less fragrant". In ancient times, "adjusting Mei Dingding" refers to the prime minister, which shows that the Mei family wants to be an official.

In order to live up to her parents' expectations, Mei Diaoding, a teenager, began a life journey of "reading, reading, reading a book for 1000 minutes". Because of his cleverness and diligence, he became a doctoral student soon after he passed the exam as a scholar. However, Mei, who was full of knowledge, was disqualified because the writing of the answer sheet did not meet the requirements of the imperial examination when she took the provincial examination. Because the imperial examination requires a "cabinet-style" answer sheet that is "uniform in size, horizontal and vertical, round and smooth", if Mei is a little more in line with the custom, she can answer according to the "cabinet-style"; Maybe Mei will listen to her family and be admitted next time, so there may be another Mei Juren, but there may not be Mei Diaoding in the history of art in the book world.

In fact, from the present point of view, Mei Diaoding is not only a person with great personality, but also an ambitious person. In the feudal world of "everything is inferior, only reading is high", in the face of the defeat of the imperial examination, he did not sink into vulgarity, but wrote a book to challenge the "cabinet style" It is reported that Mei Diaoding, as a beginner of Emperor Yan, deliberately copied the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi when he learned that it could confuse the authenticity ... The difference between calligraphers and writers is that the former is independent and self-sufficient, while the latter just imitates and attaches to others. Mei Diaoding's calligraphy naturally belongs to the former, which is innovative and unique on the basis of learning from others. To this end, experts evaluate his calligraphy as round, elegant, elegant and smart. Deng Sanmu, a modern calligrapher, commented on Mei Diaoding in this way: "It is beautiful and simple, like a young rural girl, natural and beautiful without makeup." Sha Menghai, a contemporary master of calligraphy, praised him: "Not only did no one compete with him at that time, I am afraid that there was no such lofty work in the Qing Dynasty in 260 years."

Although there are only dozens of comments, it embodies Mei Diaoding's painstaking study books for decades, such as "Never leaving your hand, practicing in summer and practicing in winter". In her later years, Mei Baozhen once recited the poem "Get up in the morning": "You can't stay up late at night, but you often get up early in the morning." Going to bed early and getting up early is a habit that Mei has developed for decades. It is reported that the first thing he does after getting up every morning is to write more than 100 small words with a long pen. Anyone who has studied calligraphy knows that sheep hair is the most difficult brush to control. It is a soft pen written on soft paper, especially big wool, which is soft and weak in the middle and not easy to use. In order to master the big soft pen and make it handy and fluent, Mei Diaoding not only practiced diligently without leaving home, but also practiced persistently. What is most worth mentioning is a bitterly cold day. Mei Diaoding often reaches into the snow. After his hands were frozen stiff, he wrote hard until his hands sweated. At that time, the Mei family was already in decline, and life was rather embarrassing. But the brazier in Mei's study never goes out, and there is always a basin of water on it, in order to prevent the water from freezing and not practicing calligraphy. Years of experience in learning books let him know that avoiding the cold and summer is a taboo for calligraphers. Many things happen. After countless frozen days and hot summer days, Mei Diaoding finally became a calligrapher praised by Weng Tonghe, the teacher of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, as "three hundred years without".

It was famous in Japan, and later spread to the United States:

By the heyday of Mei Diaoding, his calligraphy had spread in eastern Zhejiang, and people began to collect his works. At that time, there was a civil servant named Zhang Sigui in Ma Jing Village, the southeast township of Cixi County (now Ma Jing Village, Qiao Zhuang, Jiangbei), who was sent to Japan as a diplomat by the Qing government. The vice ambassador Zhang collected many works of Mei and brought the works carved by Mei to Japan. Yang Shoujing, a famous calligrapher, historical geographer and bibliographer in the late Qing Dynasty, began to spread Mei Diaoding's works in Japan after seeing Zhang Sigui's collection of Mei Diaoding. Yang Shoujing is an important figure in Japanese calligraphy. After his recommendation, Mei Diaoding is not only famous in Japanese book circles, but also known as "Wang Xizhi of Qing Dynasty" in Japanese book circles.

This kind of praise has spread from overseas to China, and Mei Diaoding's fame is increasing day by day. Many officials and wealthy businessmen have come to Cicheng to beg for words. According to records, there was a grand occasion in eastern Zhejiang at that time, that is, "I am willing to pay 22 thousand pieces of silver for friendship." If this is the case all the time, Mei Jia, the head of Lions Gate in Cicheng, will definitely be trampled underfoot, but Mei Diaoding doesn't want her works to be a commodity that others bid up, and she doesn't want her pen and ink to be a "bargaining chip" for others to trade. As a result, Mei Diaoding refused all the officials, big and small, who asked him for words, and found it difficult to express his idea that "poverty depends on wealth and shame on face", so he simply posted a couplet on his doorstep, which read "Laughing without scholars, going back and forth to Ding Bai". Later, I don't know whether Li Hongzhang wanted Mei's words or his subordinates wanted to please him with Mei's words. Several Zhejiang officials tried their best to ask Mei Diaoding to write an article for him. One of them was Yan Xinhou, governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang Trade and Industry. In modern times, Ningbo book circle was full of stars and famous artists came forth in large numbers. Some people compare the book circle in eastern Zhejiang to the continuous mountains, and Mr. Mei Diaoding is the first peak among the mountains, and he created the book style in eastern Zhejiang.

According to calligrapher Qian Han, his original name was Qian Fu. When I was a teenager, I studied calligraphy from Mr. Mei Tiaoding. After knowing that his name was Qian Fu, Mei Tiao-ding said, "Can a man who is greedy for money and thinks about it for fame achieve great things?" After hearing this, Qian Fuwen became diligent and conscientious. According to Mr. Qian's calligraphy requirements of "being affectionate, passionate outside, understandable and difficult to express", he changed his previous learning attitude of blindly imitating and slightly smelling of works, and then became a calligrapher in eastern Zhejiang. In the early 1980s, a Cicheng native moved to the United States. Shortly after arriving at the other side of the ocean, he presented his own collection of Mei Diao Ding and Qian Han's couplets to Meiheng Free Art Museum. When people asked him why this happened, the Cicheng native living abroad said: This is Mei Diaoding's "calligraphy, which is equally important". Third, indifferent to life and not seeking fame and fortune.

When Mei Diaoding was alive, although he refused to ask for words from dignitaries, he was happy to leave Mo Bao to the monk Ding Bai. It is said that when Tianwang Temple was built at Asoka Temple in Ningbo, the monk in charge asked him to write the word "Tianwang Temple". In order to write these three words well, Mei Diao decided to live in a temple and went to Tiantong Temple several times to inspect the brushwork of Miyun, the originator of the mountain. He walked back and forth several times before writing, and posted it on the wall after writing. He looked at it from a distance and tore it up and rewritten it. After so many times, he still feels impossible. Finally, he simply asked the monk's staff to describe Miyun's words and copy them as they are. According to the biography of Mei Diao Ding written by calligrapher Ling, the couplets inscribed by tiantong temple in Ningbo, the couplets on the stone pillars of Ashoka Temple, and the couplets, screens, halls, fans and pot inscriptions written for ordinary people are all exquisitely carved. If you want to ask Mei Tiao Ding to write, you'd better prepare more paper frames. Because he waved his hand a hundred times and didn't hand in the manuscript until he was satisfied. Because of this, Mei Tiaoding wrote the word "Eight Auspiciouss" at the entrance of Ashoka Temple for more than three years, until the temple sent a monk to urge him to finish it.

Mei Diaoding is as good at calligraphy as she is at poetry. In correspondence with friends in the literary world, he often comments on his articles: "Poetry can't reveal the habits of Sancun, so don't show it, so as not to be laughed at. I have always lacked books and knowledge, but fortunately, I have no walls and am unique. Although the pen is flowing, the words are weak. " In fact, Mei Diaoding's friends have long known his knowledge and poetry. Feng, who was called "the four gifted scholars of Cixi", said: "Reading is fine and detailed. The strange words and sentences that I can't understand in the Six Classics were ironically recited by Mr. Man, and they can be straightened out again. "

In fact, Mei Diaoding's modesty is also quite popular, especially among literary friends. Mei's only adopted son, his marriage was also arranged by his good friend Wang Yaozun. He wrote a letter to Wang Yaozun: "The day before yesterday, I drove my family, and both Yun and my family were married to Ying's family. My brother thinks it's ok to know my son and daughter. The first house is spacious, and we have a career, but our house is not responsible for Guo Zhitian ... Young girls still have rules, but their appearance is not good. In the future, the marriage capital will definitely be weak, and I am afraid that I will not be expected, so I dare not expect anything. Only pray that Sheng Mao will take care of it. " According to the memory of Mei's descendants, there must be a son and a daughter carved by Mei, and the female green fairy looks fair. As a father, he admits that his daughter's bad looks make people feel incredible, but it is Mei Diaoding's character that exposes his shortcomings. It is said that Mei married Hong in the southeast of Cixi County (now) to fill the house. Hong, the grandfather of Hong Pimo, a contemporary calligrapher, now lives in Shanghai. Metidin is very proud of his son-in-law. He once wrote a couplet to encourage him to "read ancient books at leisure". The couplet also reads: "Yi San Xu Xian has been a guest in Shanghai for more than 20 years, and everyone calls him faithful and sincere.". In his later years, Mei Diaoding often chatted on Dafeng in Cicheng. Once, a friend of Dafeng said to him, "Yi San sent someone to Cicheng for advice." Hearing this, he was so anxious that he didn't know what happened to his son-in-law's family and why he kept it from him. I am even more nervous when I think of the folk custom of starting a class to tell fortune when I am in an uncertain mood, and I want to hire a sedan chair to have a look. Unfortunately, the sedan chairs in the sedan chair line were all rented. Mei Tiaoding used his quick wits and went to class to ask why. Later, when I learned that the event was okay, my heart fell to the ground a little, but it was difficult to feel at ease, so I wrote another letter with red paper. Red paper is for good luck. Someone should send it quickly, and at the same time, there must be a reply from her husband.

The Hong family is a noble family, with a relatively rich family. Mei Diaoding takes good care of her son-in-law's family, but she hardly needs his son-in-law's help. Mei's family supported their families by his income as an accountant in Ningbo, Shanghai and other places, and lived in poverty. We can read the degree of poverty one by one from his poems: "Zhu persimmon is full of crisp pears and orange is ripe." I stopped when I was happy to buy it, and I laughed without bronze. "Maybe so. When he was writing a book, the neighbor who went to Mei's house to ask for help secretly stuffed a few copper cymbals into the book basket, but if anyone found out, the money would be returned ... Mei Diao Ding had a sweet taste. If a book seeker holds a dessert such as a cake and waits quietly, he will surely get his masterpiece. The above two things show Mei Diaoding's "eccentric" temper.

But Mei Diaoding's "quirk" is not depressed because of poverty, on the contrary, she enjoys poverty as "wealth". "There are many bamboos in the sky, and peaches and plums are born beside them. Peach and plum are gorgeous for a while, and spring is fragrant. Bamboo has been bitter for several years, and its color has not changed. It is admired by the glorious world, but who wants to taste it? If you are gray, you can only count bamboo. " This is the poem of Mei Diaoding in his later years, and it is also the best interpretation of his life.