Su Shi (蘇轼), called Dongpo Jushi (東坡居士), was the leader of the literary world after Ouyang Xiu (歐陽修) in the Northern Song Dynasty. In addition to his artistic achievements, he could skillfully use his wisdom to solve problems for the people. This story happened during his official appointment in Hangzhou ……
When Su Shi was thirty-seven years old, he was assigned by the court to be the general judge of Hangzhou. One day he was having a banquet with his poet friends at his Home. It was early autumn and the chrysanthemums were in full bloom.
Su Dongpo had to immediately put on his official clothes and open the court to hear the case. It turns out that the complainant is a local merchant, he sued his street neighbor Zhang Er, said he owed a debt and wanted to default.
Su Dongpo said: “Do not rush, tell me the details of the case, I will do for you.
The merchant said: “I want to sue Zhang Er for non-payment. I have worked hard to earn 300 Guan in business, and I lent it to Zhang Er a few months ago as capital for folding fans. But he just won’t pay me back.”
Su Dongpo turned around and asked Zhang Er: “Do you really owe your neighbor money?”
It so happened that my father died this year, and I needed money urgently, so I borrowed 300 Guan from my friend and bought materials to make many folding fans. I didn’t expect it would rain continuously this year, and the weather was cold, and everyone was still wearing robes after the summer solstice! So no one came to buy the fans, the finished fans have been put in the box, are moldy, it is impossible to sell, these days it is raining again, it seems that no one will want, I really can not pay back the money ah! Said the tears like a spring.
Su Dongpo listened to the words of Zhang Er is reasonable, justifiable, but debt is the natural right to pay, but look at Zhang Er business is difficult, no money to pay debts ……
Su Dongpo pondered for a moment and said, “I now break the case: Zhang two, your fan is borrowed three hundred Guan money for the fan, now not sold, so you will give the fan to your neighbors even if the money.”
The merchant cried out injustice: “Master! Then I can’t get my 300 Guan back! This moldy fan is not worth anything! I hope you will tell him to return the money, I don’t want his moldy fan.”
At this Time outside the public court to listen to the trial, watching the public also discussed: Su Dongpo university scholar is famous all over the world, how to judge the case like this?
Su Dongpo then said, “Zhang Er, go home and bring all the moldy fans.” Zhang Er immediately went home and fetched thirty moldy fans, after which Su Dongpo took the fans and opened them one by one on the table, and ordered the attendants to start grinding ink for painting.
Just see Su Dong Po deftly brush a wave! He painted the larger moldy ones as landscapes, and the smaller ones as flowers and trees and inscribed poems on the side, and finished painting all thirty fans in less than half a day.
Shortly after, Su Dongpo pointed to the painted fans and instructed Zhang Er: “You immediately go to the street to sell, say that Su Dongpo painted the fans, and see how well they sell.”
Zhang Er gratefully accepted the fans, understanding that they could be sold for at least a thousand Guan, so he immediately took them to the street and called for them to be sold.
After that, Su Dongpo ordered Zhang Er to pay back the money owed to the neighbors with interest, and then give the remaining money to Zhang Er for the capital to continue trading. In this way, a difficult case was easily solved by Su Dongpo.
And the story of “Dongpo painting fan to settle the case” soon spread through the streets of Hangzhou. Originally, there were only two kinds of paper fans in Hangzhou: black and white paper fans, but since Dongpo drew the fans, people started to learn, some depicting flowers and birds, some depicting people, some depicting landscapes. This not only can take cool, but also can be ornamental, very popular. This action of Su Dongpo created the Culture of painting and calligraphy on the fan in Hangzhou, which has been passed down from the Northern Song Dynasty to the present.
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