In the long history of couplet culture in China, there are many popular and excellent works. Among them, there is a couplet story about an old veteran on the city wall and the young Ouyang Xiu, which is still talked about by people today. So, how did the young Ouyang Xiu respond to this old veteran on the city wall? This article will reveal the mystery to you.

I. The Old Veteran's Couplet

It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was an old veteran on the city wall who, despite his advanced age, had a profound knowledge of couplets. One day, he saw a young man practicing calligraphy on the city wall and felt a sense of respect, so he approached him to strike up a conversation. After some conversation, the old veteran discovered that the young man was the talented Ouyang Xiu, who was becoming well-known at that time. So, he decided to test the young man's talent by coming up with a couplet: "Fires burn for three months, and home letters are worth ten thousand gold."

II. Ouyang Xiu's Response

Faced with the old veteran's couplet, the young Ouyang Xiu was not intimidated by its grandeur, but calmly pondered over it. After some deliberation, he finally came up with a brilliant couplet: "The sun sets beyond the mountains, and the Yellow River flows into the sea." These two lines have a beautiful artistic conception, responding to the patriotism of the first couplet while also exhibiting a magnificent natural landscape, leaving people in awe.

III. The Old Veteran's Recognition

When the old veteran heard Ouyang Xiu's couplet, he couldn't help but praise it. He believed that Ouyang Xiu was not only talented but also possessed exceptional wisdom and courage. From then on, the old veteran and Ouyang Xiu became good friends, often discussing poetry and songs together and improving their literary skills.

IV. Conclusion

This couplet story about the old veteran on the city wall and the young Ouyang Xiu has been passed down for thousands of years, becoming a treasure of Chinese couplet culture. It tells us that regardless of age, as long as we bravely face challenges and dare to show our talents, we can certainly gain recognition and respect from others. At the same time, this story also shows us the charm of Ouyang Xiu when he was young, as well as his love and perseverance for literature.

　　Disclaimer: The above content is sourced from the internet and the copyright belongs to the original author. If there is any infringement of your original copyright, please inform us and we will delete the relevant content as soon as possible.