Exhortation on respect
Zhu Xi 1130 - 1200

Wear proper clothes and adopt a solemn expression. Be wholehearted to the classics and respectful to god. Move your feet steady and your hands decently. Find a foothold before taking a step as thread through anthills. Treat others as distinguished guests. Dedicate to day-to-day work as to sacred feast. These are what I dare not to revise. Be discreet in word and vigilant in deed. These are what I dare not to belittle. Don't take east as west; don't take south as north. The laws for a particular thing may not work on another. Don't take three as 3; don't take two as 2. By distinguishing the slightest difference, essence can be grasped. These are the rules of venerable conduct.

In 1403 the Ming ordered seeking master hand in handwriting, upon which Shen was chosen to be a compiler at the Imperial Academy. Enjoyed his calligraphy so much that Emperor Chengzhu praised him “Wang Xizhi of modern times” and entrusted him with transcription the most important official documents. Shen was capable of many styles, but his best point was regular script in small characters. This work, a self-conduct exhortation by Zhu Xi, the founder of Neo-Confucianism, was written in his typical style. His characters are well-shaped; his brushstrokes are clean and calm. Meeting the needs of a script standard in imperial examination, his calligraphy led off the lasting relay of Official Style. His younger brother Shen Can, also a compiler at the Imperial Academy, had a similar hand. Collectively they are known as the Two Shens.