The implication of Liu Gongquan's sentence "Use the pen to the heart, and the heart will be straight will the pen be straight" is to explain his attitude towards calligraphy creation on the one hand, and on the other hand, he also skillfully uses the spirit of calligraphy art to give advice.
1. Original text:
During the reign of Emperor Mu Zong, the memorial was written by Secretary Xiazhou. The emperor said: "I have seen your handwriting in the Buddhist temple, and I have thought about it for a long time." He paid homage to the scholar who served as a calligrapher on the right. The emperor asked Gongquan about his writing skills, and he replied: "If the heart is upright and the pen is upright, it can be used as a law." The emperor changed his appearance and realized that he used the pen to advise.
2. Translation:
During the reign of Muzong of the Tang Dynasty, Liu Gongquan’s identity as secretary of Xiazhou was revealed. Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty said: "I once saw your handwriting in a Buddhist temple, and I have missed (you) for a long time." Then he worshiped Liu Gongquan as a scholar of calligraphy. Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty asked Liu Gongquan how to use calligraphy brushes. Liu Gongquan replied: "If you have a correct mind, you can use the pen correctly, and only in this way can it become a law." Tang Muzong changed his face and understood that he was using calligraphy to give advice.
3. Appreciation:
Tang Mu Zong liked the calligraphy of the great calligrapher Liu Gongquan and wanted to meet him for a long time. Therefore, when Liu Gongquan came to the court to play an important role, Mu Zong immediately appointed him an official and asked him for advice on how to use the pen. Liu Gongquan killed two birds with one stone. He not only answered the emperor's question about how to use the pen, but also fulfilled the minister's duty to advise the emperor. He did not lose the opportunity and was just right. The beauty of the article is that the person who gives the advice does not say it bluntly, and the person who accepts the advice also understands without saying anything.
4. Introduction to the author:
Liu Gongquan (778-865), courtesy name Chengxuan, Han nationality, was born in Jingzhao Huayuan (now Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province). He was a famous calligrapher and poet in the Tang Dynasty and the younger brother of Liu Gongchuo, Minister of War. When Liu Gongquan was 29 years old, he passed the Jinshi title. In his early years, he served as secretary of the Provincial School Secretary and was incorporated into the Li Ting shogunate.