"Tai Shang Dong Xuan Jing of Eliminating Disasters and Protecting Life", without any research, should be an early work by Liu Gongquan. It was written in the fourth year of the Tang Dynasty and appeared completely in the form of Zhong Yao.
Liu Gongquan (778-865), the last great calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, was born in Huayuan, Jingzhao (now Yaoxian County, Shaanxi Province). From the palace to the crown prince's young master, he was called "Liu Shaoshi" in his old life. He passed the Jinshi title at the age of twenty-nine and worked as a low-level official in the local area. Later, Emperor Mu Zong of the Tang Dynasty accidentally saw his handwriting. As soon as he became a calligrapher, he was summoned to Chang'an by the court. At that time, Liu Gongquan was already in his forties. Mu Zong asked Liu Gongquan how to use the pen, and Gongquan replied: "Use the pen with your heart in mind, and if your heart is upright, your pen will be straight." At that time, Mu Zong was in a state of desolation, so he changed his appearance and understood his advice on writing. His calligraphy has always been valued in the three dynasties of Muzong, Jingzong and Wenzong of Tang Dynasty. He lived in officialdom and served as a scribe, grew up in the court, and had a prosperous official career. He first learned calligraphy from Wang Xizhi, then read modern calligraphy, learned from Yan Zhenqing, and incorporated his own new ideas. Then he became his own calligraphy style and created his own unique Liu style, which became a model for generations to come. His calligraphy is balanced, thin and hard, resolutely pursuing the Wei stele, his stipples are crisp and straight, his bones are strong and his body is tight. "The more expensive the calligraphy is, the thinner and harder it is, the more it can communicate with the spirit." His regular script is slightly more uniform, thinner and harder than his Yan style, so it is known as "Yan Jin Liu Gu". Liu Gongquan died at the age of eighty. He served seven emperors in total, from the 13th year of Dali of Tang Dynasty (AD 778) to the sixth year of Tang Yizong's Xiantong year (AD 865). Finally, he died in office as the crown prince and young master.
(Ancient books) Select pages
The latter rubbing (ancient book) has seven pages in total, each page is about 19.5 cm high and 9.5 cm wide. The text has 29 lines, each line has 11 words, and each word is about 1.4 cm square. The last three lines are 9 characters, 8 characters, and 8 characters respectively. Sign in 40 words. The name of the monument has 9 characters. A total of 370 words. Only a few words are slightly lost, and the rest are clear.
There are many kinds of rubbings of "Tai Shang Dong Xuan's Sutra for Eliminating Disasters and Protecting Life" written by Liu Gongquan. It remains to be verified whether these two rubbings are Liu's original works, but in any case, they can be regarded as a calligraphy treasure.
