Appreciation of calligraphy: Peng Yuanrui's lower regular script "Imperial Farming Poems"
Peng Yuanrui (1731-1803), whose courtesy name is Zhangyi, whose name is Yunmei, was born in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. He was a minister and scholar in the Qing Dynasty, a famous couplet writer and calligrapher. In the 22nd year of Qianlong's reign, he became a Jinshi, changed to a commoner, and was awarded the title of Editor. He was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of Industry and co-organizer of the Bachelor's degree. Yuan Rui was well-known for his erudition and strong memory. When Ji Yun was the chief compiler of Sikuquanshu, Peng Yuanrui was one of the ten vice presidents. Together with Jiang Shiquan, they are known as the "Two Scholars on Jiangyou".
Peng Yuanrui, his father Tingxun, his younger brothers Yuanjuan and Ziyimeng, all three generations of the family were members of the Imperial Academy. The one with greater achievements is Yuan Rui. In the 22nd year of Qianlong's reign (1757), he became a Jinshi and was elected as a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, where he was awarded the title of editor. Emperor Qianlong's handwriting commended him as a "fantasy and talented person", and he successively served as the five ministers of Rites, Gong, Hu, Bing, and Li, and the president of the "Xu San Tong" library, the "Siku Quanshu" library, and the "Qing Huidian" library.
Emperor Qianlong is known as the "Emperor of Couplets", and Peng Yuanrui is also good at couplets. Once, when Qianlong met his Ci minister at a banquet, he wrote half a couplet: "Ice-cold wine, a little water, two dots, three dots of water." Peng Yuanrui said impromptu: "Lilac flowers, prefixed with hundreds, thousands, and ten thousand." In an instant, the four of them were captivated.
