The Pen of Righteousness

Introduction In "The Brush of Zhongzheng", the author Ni Yamei believes that the reason why Yan Zhenqing gained a prominent artistic reputation is based on certain political reasons rather than purely aesthetic principles. She demonstrates that Yan Zhenqing's important status was artificially created by several powerful literati in the eleventh century who hoped to enhance their own political status by associating themselves with Yan Zhenqing's reputation for integrity. They equated calligraphy quality with character and vigorously promoted Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy style in order to dress themselves up as the same characters as Yan Zhenqing. "The Pen of Zhongzheng" tells a subtle, sophisticated and wise story in the history of Chinese culture, in which people creatively reinterpreted history and used this interpretation as a means to achieve their own political purposes.