During the reign of Emperor Qi Gao (Xiao Daocheng), an extraordinary calligraphy contest took place within the imperial palace. One of the contestants was Emperor Xiao Daocheng himself. Originally a general of the imperial guard, Xiao somehow developed a passion for calligraphy. Despite the constant turmoil of military life, he diligently practiced and, by the time he ascended the throne, had actually become quite skilled. He often wrote characters and bestowed them upon his ministers, and some sycophantic officials would lavish extravagant praise, claiming his writing was peerless in the world. Over time, Emperor Gao truly came to believe that his calligraphy was the best in the land.
The other contestant was Wang Sengqian, a renowned master of calligraphy who served as a senior official (Shizhong) in Emperor Gao's court. A fourth-generation descendant of the "Sage of Calligraphy," Wang Xizhi, Wang Sengqian had both inherited the techniques of his ancestor and innovated upon them, earning the reputation of being the "best in the world."
When Emperor Qi Gao heard that some people were praising Wang Sengqian's calligraphy as the "best in the world," he felt deeply aggrieved. He immediately issued an imperial decree summoning Wang Sengqian to the palace to compete in calligraphy. Wang Sengqian readily accepted the challenge.
This greatly alarmed Lady Wang, his wife. She scolded her husband: "You are truly foolish! How could you agree to compete with the Emperor? If you win, you will bring disaster upon yourself! It would be better to find an excuse and not go at all." Wang Sengqian shook his head: "I have already received the imperial command; I must go." His wife thought for a moment and suggested, "Then deliberately write poorly and just admit defeat." Wang Sengqian shook his head again: "Since it is a competition, I should give my full effort. If I fake incompetence to flatter the sovereign, wouldn't that be a loss of personal integrity?" Though his wife remained deeply anxious, Wang Sengqian himself seemed quite relaxed: "Don't worry, I have my own way to handle this."
Inside the palace, civil and military officials had all gathered. In the center of the main hall, the "Four Treasures of the Study" (brush, ink, paper, and inkstone) were already prepared. The contest began, and naturally, the Son of Heaven took the stage first. He stepped briskly to the table, lifted his brush with his right hand, rolled up the sleeve of his robe with his left, and concentrated intensely as he wrote. The moment he set down his brush, the assembled officials prostrated themselves, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and praising his work in unison.
Hearing the cheers of his ministers, Emperor Gao was extremely pleased. He turned to Wang Sengqian and said, "Minister Wang, your turn."
"Your servant obeys." Wang Sengqian dipped his brush deeply into the ink, then began to write with evident delight. His brushstrokes flowed like dragons soaring and snakes writhing, completing the piece in one continuous, masterful sweep. The surrounding officials burst into genuine admiration, though mindful of the Emperor's presence, they kept their voices considerably lower.
Emperor Gao, seated majestically on his dragon throne, asked in a stern voice, "My ministers, please judge: whose writing is better, mine or Minister Wang's?" A few sycophants quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty's writing is superior! Your Majesty is the best!" Beaming with pride, the Emperor glanced at Wang Sengqian and said, "Minister Wang, you tell us, who is first?"
Without hesitation, Wang Sengqian answered loudly, "It is your servant's writing that is first." This statement shocked everyone in the hall. Several officials who were friendly with Wang Sengqian silently thought, "Wang Sengqian, Wang Sengqian, aren't you provoking the Emperor's wrath and asking for trouble?" Indeed, the Emperor's expression darkened. He was furious that Wang Sengqian had claimed superiority over him in front of the entire court, robbing him of imperial dignity, and his anger flared. Just as he was about to explode, he heard Wang Sengqian add, "However, Your Majesty is also first."
"How so?" the Emperor asked, perplexed. "How can there be two 'firsts'?" Wang Sengqian replied, "Since ancient times, there are rules for rulers and rules for ministers; how can ruler and subject be compared? Your servant's calligraphy can be called the best among all civil and military officials. As for the characters Your Majesty has written, no emperor in history has surpassed them. Therefore, Your Majesty's calligraphy is the first among emperors."
This explanation caused Emperor Qi Gao to nod repeatedly. "Well said! Indeed, no emperor throughout history has written better than I. I shall not decline this title." Seeing that Wang Sengqian had given him face, the Emperor gracefully accepted the outcome, and his vanity was thoroughly satisfied.
Thus, the crisis was deftly averted by Wang Sengqian's brilliant words, and this unprecedented calligraphy contest concluded successfully.