From time immemorial the skilled penmen have been Zhang Zhi of the Han, Zhong You of the Wei, Wang Xizhi and his son Wang Xianzhi of the Jin. “On one in the past is worth mentioning except Zhang and Zhong,” Wang Xizhi once said. “My regular script is equally good as Zhong, or just a little better. My cursive script is second only to Zhang. Zhang got his mastery by his diligence - he worked so hard that the pond near his home was inked black. If I had been as engrossed as he was, I might have surpassed him.”

Some say “Skilled as they were, the latecomers fell short of the old-timers - the old-timers are modest but the latecomers are flowery.” The new supersedes the old as time goes on. Handwriting, a trade merely ment to record things, is no exception. Instead of abandoning a richly-ornamented palace for cave dwelling, or giving up a finely-finished carriage for a rude hackery, the sensible attitude we should take today is respecting the ancients while still going with the taste of our age. “Modesty and floweriness blends in a gentleman,“ as Confucius said.

Some say “Wang Xianzhi is inferior to his father as Wang Xizhi to Zhang and Zhong.” This is partially true. Cursive script was Zhang's strong suit and regular script was Zhong's strong suit, of which Xizhi combined - comparing to Zhang he was capable of regular script and comparing to Zhong he was capable of cursive script. Versatility is thought to have the advantage of single skill; in fact each has its own strong points.

Xie An, a skilled calligrapher, did not appreciate Wang Xianzhi much. Once Xianzhi gave him one of his best works, expecting to be collected, but it was inscribed with a comment and sent back. “What do you think of yourself comparing to your father?” Xie asked Xianzhi later. “I should be better,” Xianzhi answered. “Well, others think otherwise,” said Xie. “Because they can't tell,” said Xianzhi. Wasn't Xianzhi away too far? One's success is to honor his parents, besides which, Xianzhi studied under his father, though, knowing as we do, he touched only superficies of his father's profundity. Wang Xizhi later had a trip to the capital. Before his departure he scrawled a few words on a wall. After Wang Xizhi left, Xianzhi erased the words and put in the place his handwriting which he felt not bad. Seeing the duplicate the day came back home, Xizhi sighed, “I must be blind drunk the day I left.” Until then Xianzhi felt ashamed of himself. This proves Xianzhi's inferiority to his father.

Having survived in its original manuscript, this essay is also a classical work of cursive script. “Among those who were after Wang Xizhi's cursive style during the Tang, Sun was matchless,” praised Mi Fu, one of Four Song Masters.