Literature Anecdotes: Mi Yuanzhang Spirit

Someone with the surname Zhao lived in the Wuhu place. He was good at painting and copied Mi Yuanzhang’s painting style. Mi was a northern painter from the Song dynasty, 1051-1107. Zhao also perfected a baked on effect so the stained paper looked aged. Thus, Zhao soon became an expert at counterfeiting Mi’s paintings. Even those who were familiar with Mi’s artwork could not distinguish any difference between the original paintings and Zhao’s fakes. Many northern and southern antique homes bought Zhao’s forgeries enabling him to make a living.

One day, Zhao became tired and drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, a man wearing a Tang robe and apparel from the Song dynasty appeared in his room and chided him, “I am Mi Yuanzhang! You studied my paintings and acquired a very superficial understanding. Now you fabricate counterfeit paintings to acquire money through deception. In thousands of years, people will not think highly of my paintings. My identity and name will be ruined because of you!” Mi took a stone from his sleeve and struck Zhao’s right arm. Zhao felt a surge of pain and was scared awake.
From then on, every time he picked up a pen, he felt acute wrist pain. Strangely enough, whenever he picked up chopsticks or counted money, there was no pain at all.

In the end, Zhao corrected his evil ways. Never again did he dare to (or could he physically) fabricate the paintings of Mi Yuanzhang from the Song dynasty for profit!

文苑逸事：米元章显灵

文 / 郑重
芜湖地方有个鲍某，擅长作画，专学米元章，竟然能学到他的大概，而且又能烘染纸张，使它变成陈旧的颜色，那些识货的也不能辨别，不少南方北方的古董家，都购买他的画，他因制作赝品，而发财致富。

有一天，他作画倦了，便坐著瞌睡起来。忽见一人戴著唐巾，穿著宋朝服饰，来到他的庭前，斥责道：“我是米元章（1051—1107北宋书画家）也！你学我的画，仅仅得了些皮毛，而冒充是我的作品，这样欺骗世人，获得不义之财，将来千百年以后，以为我米元章的画也不过如此，那么我的身分姓名，都被你糟蹋了！”因而从袖子里，拿出一块石子，一扔，击中了他的右肱。鲍某觉得酸痛，一惊吓，便即醒了。

从此，他握起笔来，就腕痛难熬。但很奇怪，拿筷子、数钱，依然和从前一样，没有什么不舒服。

后来，鲍某改邪归正，再也不敢（也不能！）仿制宋人米元章的画作，去行骗了！
（据清代袁枚《子不语》）