Which Tang Dynasty calligrapher was ridiculed by Sun Chang Wuji as "looking like a monkey" because of his ugly appearance?

Which Tang Dynasty calligrapher was ridiculed by Sun Chang Wuji as "looking like a monkey" because of his ugly appearance?

A. Ou Yangxun

B. Zhang Xu

Correct answer: a

Speaking of Ou Yangxun, everyone knows who loves calligraphy and who doesn't. He is one of the four masters of regular script in China. In his seventies, he wrote The Ritual Spring Inscription of Jiucheng Palace, which is regarded as the ultimate rule of regular script, and "European style" is also an unattainable peak in the history of calligraphy in China. It's just that such a talented celebrity is not handsome enough History books say that he is "ugly", which means ugly, but he is intelligent and "understanding". When the North Korean emissary came here to see Ou Yangxun, Emperor Taizong could not help sighing. After reading Ou Yangxun's words, everyone thinks he is a mighty handsome boy. "Does he read his book and call him big and evil?"

How ugly is Teacher Ouyang's mug? Let's go back to a party in the Tang Dynasty. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong got together with his ministers, including Sun Chang and Ou Yangxun. Since everyone is closely related and there is nothing taboo, Emperor Taizong suggested joking, such as laughing at each other's looks. Sun Chang Wuji laughed at Ou Yangxun first, and the original text was: "Bury your shoulders." Who is on the pavilion? Draw this macaque. "You Ou Yangxun cringed and shrugged, like an ape. Ou Yangxun, you're welcome, immediately replied with a song: "My head is warm even my back, and my crotch is full of stomach chills. I'm surrounded by gangs. "You, Sun Chang promise, thick neck, hat and hair directly cover the back, general belly, pie face. You said I was thin, and I said you had a big face. What he said was so damaging to Taizong that Taizong couldn't stand it. He immediately reminded: Mr. Ouyang, enough is enough. Be careful that the eldest grandson queen hears. " Aren't you afraid that the queen will smell evil? "

From this allusion, we can get a general idea of Ou Yangxun's appearance. Although Sun Chang Wuji's poems are somewhat exaggerated, they basically sum up Ou Yangxun's appearance: thin and shrugging. In fact, I gave him a nickname: "Monkey Brother".

A fairy tale is derived from this hurtful joke. This story is called Biography of All White Apes in Bujiang, which tells the story of Ou Yangxun in a wrong way. It's groundless and even personal. But it contributed a legend to China's ghost novels. When Lu Xun edited The Legend of Tang and Song Dynasties, it was included in this article, showing its weight.