Li Yingzhen (1431-1439) was first named Zong, with the character Xing, and later the character Zhenbo. His first name was Weixi, and his other name was Weitai. A native of Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu). In the fourth year of Jingtai (1453), he took the provincial examination, entered the Imperial College, was awarded the title of Zhongshu Sheren, and was promoted to Taipu Shaoqing. Zhenshu learned from Ouyang Xun and Yan Zhenqing, and obtained Cai Xiang's brushwork. Tao Zongyi's "Shu Shi Hui Yao" said: "Shaoqing's calligraphy is really smooth and straight, just like a human being." Both seal script and regular script are also in line, and he can especially use the three-finger tip to pick up the pipe and write quickly with a weak wrist. He is Wen Zhengming's father-in-law. Wen Zhengming learned calligraphy from Li Yingzhen when he was 22 years old. Li Yingzhen told him in his later years that he only began to gain from studying calligraphy for forty years and discussed many principles of calligraphy to Wen Zhengming. Wen Zhengming commented on Ying Zhen that: Gongnan devoted himself to ancient methods, but gained a lot. He should be ranked number one in his country. His ability to pick pipes with three fingertips and his ability to write quickly with a weak wrist is unparalleled by anyone today. It is also said: Not only did the public read a lot of ancient posts, but also had a deep understanding of the three flavors, so he founded his own family and the ancient methods were not lost.
Li Yingzhen's "Executive Script to Wei Yongzha"
Li Yingzhen's "Wuwenwentie" paper, 22.6 cm in length and 41.5 cm in width. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
This is a letter written with a thick and powerful pen and an open momentum, which has the atmosphere of later generations of stele studies. Ying Zhen's rulers and tablets are beautiful and magnanimous, the writing is natural and generous, the horizontal strokes of strokes, strokes, and strokes are all vivid and precise, and the size and thickness of the characters change naturally.
