Light Ink Records

Author: Li (from the Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Li, styled Wuzeng, was from Xiushui, Zhejiang. He was a member of the Boshu Hongci (Imperial Academy of Scholars) and had the collection Qiujin Shanzfang Ji. In Chibei Outan: Fang Erzhi's stories were often amusing. One day, he wrote a letter to Li Wuzeng, deliberately adding a character. Li saw it and said, "Sir, you are mistaken. The character is Wuzeng, not Zeng." Fang replied, "I was just afraid people would misread it as 'layer'." Zhang Pengchong, styled Tianfei and styled Nanhua, was from Jiading. He was talented and read like a practiced scholar. He passed the imperial examination in the Dingwei year of the Yongzheng reign and was later appointed as a Cizhishi and then a compiler. Pengchong was quick-witted and, while working in the academy, composed thirty seven-character poems about wild geese before sunset. He was also skilled in painting, with speed comparable to his poetry. In the Dingji year of the Qianlong reign, he passed the imperial examination in the Qianqing Hall. That day, the other scholars saw the sun was not yet at noon, and one who submitted his essay said, "It must be Nanhua," and indeed it was. Earlier, Heaven had bestowed upon him many talents, and his writing was without revision—few in the court could match him in rhyme. Yet he was highly praised and ranked first, rising to the position of Zhengjian. Huazhenglu says: Nanhua's landscape painting followed the style of the Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty, especially excelling in the methods of Ni and Huang. His peaks are high and thick, his sands and waters deep and secluded, his brushwork clear and ink smooth, blending the styles of Lutai and Shigu. Truly, he is a successor to the great painters.
In the, the Dragon Stick's shadow has grown cold, and the pool is clear. The sound of pipes and cranes still lingers in the moonlight. The red furnace is quiet with the roosting of the phoenix, and the official Zhang Ruoceng. The pearl banner is surrounded by clouds, and the green platform is vast under the dome. The essence of the gathering is fragrant, and the Taiji pine is covered in mist. The celebration in the capital is admired, and the imperial poem is composed. The serene sea is vast, and the flying birds are distant. Together, we watch the beauty of Zhao's ice-skating, as if it were the arrival of spring in Jiangnan. Accompanied by the imperial entourage, we follow the princes and ministers, and the official Lü Chi. The gate has long been opened to the ancient bamboos. Qianlong has set new standards, and the old nets are woven. Unlike the empty princes who only sent sons, the official Sun Hao. Today, even in distant lands, all show loyalty. The sword has been sold for a thousand calves, and the arrows are still hidden in eight scrolls. The leopard tail has been fortunate in expressing gratitude, and the dragon script is honored with great grace. The Zhanxi is widespread in the north of the Tianshan, and the harmony returns to the east of the Bohai. The laughter of flowers is sweet and auspicious, and the imperial poem is composed. The high joy is like the bursting of firecrackers, and the flourishing is great. Huang Xuan, styled Koukou, was from Renhe. In the Jichou year of the Qianlong reign, he became the top scholar. As a scholar, he often ranked highly in exams. In the Yiyou year, the imperial scholar Liang Yao was deeply impressed by his talent and recommended him as a selected scholar. On the day of the exam, he felt dizzy and could not write a single character. Liang had no choice but to replace him with Wu Hongling, a student from Qixing County. After the results were announced, he recovered, and from then on, he gave up on fame and fortune, hoping only to become a county assistant or prefectural magistrate, which would suffice. Three years later, he succeeded in consecutive exams, even passing the final court examination. Meanwhile, Wu Hongling, far away in Xishui, died of typhoid, ending his life as a selected scholar. Shen Tongwei of Wu Gate said: Scholar Tongyin, while traveling in Wushan, encountered rain and stayed at a village farmer's home. An old man asked him to write on a fan. Tongyin, thinking it trivial, carelessly scribbled on it. The brush stand and tea stove were written, but the character for "stove" was mistakenly written as "turtle," and the characters for "peacock" were reversed. Guessing the old man was unlearned in literature, he did not correct it immediately but instead claimed it was written in the name of his fellow scholar, Huang Xuan, and returned it. The old man looked at the fan and smiled, "I have long struggled to find a perfect match for the words 'wine' and 'tortoise,' but now, 'tea' and 'turtle' on the fan—could this not be heaven-made?" After examining it for a long time, he said, "The village fool, lacking education in his youth, does not know what 'peacock' and 'hole' are. I suppose they are like the 'laborers of the grain storehouse'?" Then, he solemnly bowed and said, "Scholar Tongyin's talent and fame are unmatched in the world. Why must you borrow the name of a minister? If you insist on writing his surname, the address should be carefully considered. Huang Xuan is indeed my disciple." Tongyin, hearing this, broke into a sweat and asked for his name and home. He learned that the old man was a famous scholar from Zhejiang who had lived in Wu for ten years.
The examiner's essay was fragmented in the Jiamao year of the Qianlong reign. The chief examiner was Zhang Daotao, a compiler, and the deputy examiner was Qi Jingchuan, a bureau official, and Cheng Lao, the prime minister of Wujin.