Riding the wind of rebirth

The Qing History Draft commented on it as follows: "The incompatible brushwork of ancient and modern times is gathered together at the tip of the brush and blended into one. There are southern and northern schools of painting, but they are united in the brush."

"A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River" is a favorite subject for painters both in ancient and modern times. The Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains first appeared in the Tang Dynasty. It is recorded that Li Sixun spent three months painting the 300-mile scene of the Jialing River on the wall. Later, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered Wu Daozi to paint the same subject in the Datong Hall, and it was completed in one day. Compared with the two, each has its own merits.

Wang Ximeng of the Northern Song Dynasty created the "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" scroll in the form of green and blue landscape. Later, Zhao Fu and Xia Gui of the Southern Song Dynasty both created "A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River".

Later, there were Wu Wei of the Ming Dynasty and Wang Hui of the Qing Dynasty, who each created their own "A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River". In modern times, Zhang Daqian's "A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River" is also one of his representative works.

In fact, all the people who painted "A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River" had never seen the full picture of the Yangtze River, especially in ancient times, when it was very difficult for a person to walk from the river head to the river mouth. However, this did not prevent them from creating the scenery along the Yangtze River in their minds, and expressing the magnificent and beautiful mountains and rivers in their hearts through exquisite painting skills.

Moving to the study, Weng Yijun took down a large wooden box, which could almost be called a cabinet, from the top of the bookcase in the study, and put it on the table. After putting on gloves, he took out a large scroll from the wooden box and slowly unfolded it. The masterpieces of famous Qing Dynasty artists were revealed to Zhou Zhi bit by bit.

This is a great honor, because in order to protect the painting, few people can get the consent of the Weng family to display it.

The painting starts from the source of the great river with dense mountains and hundreds of springs, and ends at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River where it flows into the sea. Along the way, there are clusters of mountains, plank roads in the mountains that are connected to the clouds, and steep rocks that are crouching. On the river, there are sails like forests, and boats are running with nets set. On both sides of the river, cities and villages are visible from each other. The peaks and trees are in their most unique shapes; and the number of boats, carriages, and merchants is countless.

The whole picture has a dense composition, thorough texture and coloring, a grand and profound atmosphere, and is more than 50 meters long. It is simply impossible to unfold it directly in the study.

Fortunately, thanks to the perspective technique of Chinese painting, Zhou Zhi put on gloves and cooperated with Weng Yijun in opening the book and appreciating it without any impact.

This painting was recorded by Wang Hui himself in history. According to him, the painting "took seven months to complete", which shows his concentration and hard work.

Of course, like many painters of previous generations who painted "The Ten Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River", Shi Gu had never traced the source of the Yangtze River to investigate, so this painting was nothing more than a solution to the problem, expressing his praise for the magnificent mountains and rivers. Therefore, we cannot apply the geology and geography of the Yangtze River to this painting. Instead, we should appreciate its freehand style, observe its momentum, enjoy its hills and valleys, and play with its brushwork. This is the correct way to appreciate a painting.

This painting was very lucky to have fallen into the hands of someone who knew how to cherish it. It was preserved very carefully and intactly. Except for some normal wear and tear on the edges and corners, Zhou Zhi thought it was the best he had ever seen. He couldn't help but exclaimed: "This is the original seal and mounting. It was probably renovated once during the Qianlong period in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. Then it was renovated again during the late Qing Dynasty or the Republic of China... No, it should have been during the Guangxu period in the late Qing Dynasty. Then it was preserved until now. It is so perfect, which is not easy."

"This was a prize that our ancestor, Duke Wen Gong, was very proud of. His diary contains quite a lot of details: He saw it in a shop on March 26, the first year of the Guangxu reign, but failed to get it because he asked for a price of 1,000 taels. Later, a merchant brought it to him, and he found it more and more beautiful, so he went back to Boguzhai to bargain for it. He offered 300 taels, but the owner refused to sell it. He kept it for four days to admire it, but when he took it away, the shop said he had to pay 400 taels." Weng Wange did not say whether Zhou Zhi's inference was correct or not, and continued: "Duke Wen Gong went back to raise money, and wrote in his diary on April 23: 'Seeing the Yangtze River painting again... I am very happy now!' He finally got it."

After saying that, he pointed to the lid of the wooden box and said, "Look!"

Zhou Zhi looked at the wooden box. It was already dark in color, but if he looked closely, he could see there was actually a poem on it: "The picture of the Yangtze River seems to have a god. The old man forgot his poverty when he got it. How many people are pawning their houses to buy paintings nowadays? Don't be angry if you don't go out."

Judging from the meaning of the poem, Weng Tonghe was planning to sell his house in exchange for Wang Hui's masterpiece!

"My home is west of Minshan Mountain, right in front of the source of the Minjiang River. The spring snow in Sanba has just melted, and it flows eastward with many twists and turns.

The river flows eastward for thousands of miles, and people are now wandering in a foreign land.

The misty grass brings me sorrow, the sound of monkeys in the wind and rain breaks my heart."

Seeing the end of the painting, Zhou Zhi recited a poem by Ming Dynasty poet Yang Ji. This was written by Yang Ji after he appreciated "A Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River" that year. Zhou Zhi felt that it was very appropriate to use this poem at this time.

After finishing reciting the poem, I finally saw the signature. First, there was Wang Hui’s inscription, which explained that this painting was created in “the first half of September in the Yimao year of the Kangxi reign.”

"The year is Yimao?" Zhou Zhi said, "No wonder the brushstrokes are as gentle as a spring breeze. This was created not long after I collaborated with Yang Jin and others on the Southern Tour and received praise."

"That's right," Weng Wange said with a smile, "You'll know if you keep reading."

Zhou Zhi then unfolded the scroll and, as expected, found in Wang Hui's signature a work that was created after he received the emperor's praise, and was very happy and energetic. In addition to pointing out the leisurely mentality of "In the autumn of Wuyin, Chang'an moved south, and I had a lot of free time at the thatched window", there was also the boast that "It took seven months to complete, and I feel that the style of my fingers and wrists is still there."

Looking further, there is the postscript written by Weng Tonghe at the end of the scroll, which first says, "I have kept this painting for thirty years, and I dare not write a single word about it," implicitly criticizing the Qing Dynasty's stamp-stamping maniac. Then he says how much he cherishes and values ​​this painting, and only shows it to people who understand painting, not to nouveau riche people. "When I meet knowledgeable and talented people, I always show it to them. Even those with gold ribbons have asked me not to show it to them."

Later, he wrote about the difficulty of preserving this painting. "In April this year, I was released by grace. When I was packing, a nobleman wanted to exchange it for a large sum of money. I said that I would accept other things, but I could not bear to give up this painting and the huge painting of Lutai in my lifetime."

Finally, he wrote about the spiritual enjoyment that this painting brought him, which could not be replaced by any material enjoyment. "When I returned home, I was in a mess, with no money, and the heat and lice were almost unbearable. Every time I opened the scroll in the bright north window, the breeze blew on me, and all my worries were cleared. Is this how the gods in the world should be? The difference between work and leisure is so great that they cannot be combined. This is natural. Zhao Zigu said: Life is insignificant, but the most precious treasure is to be protected. I have known that I am stupid, but am I stupid? Or not? I laughed at myself and wrote this down."

For various reasons, history does not have a high opinion of Weng Tonghe, but a careful examination of his life shows that he was nothing more than a scholar with a lofty character and a clean demeanor.

Some of the later generations made it clear that he was "a literary attendant who was mistakenly appointed as prime minister", but they also admitted that he was "a filial and fraternal gentleman, with a gentle and cowardly nature, and was only suitable to be a prime minister in peacetime who cultivated talents, not suitable to be an official outside the capital, nor suitable to be in troubled times."

The so-called "having principles but not being able to stick to them, following the rules but not being thorough enough, the thought of one's own reputation lingers in one's mind and cannot be shaken off, often being blamed for everything, not seeking justice on both sides, not only harming oneself but also harming the country, causing a serious illness for the father throughout his life."

There is a consensus on historical figures, but when Zhou Zhi sees his writing and calligraphy now, he can't help but secretly praise him in his heart: "After all, he is a great man who won the top prize!" (End of this chapter)