No book, no sword

No book, no sword

"If you can't learn calligraphy, you can't learn sword", meaning: if you don't learn calligraphy well, you can't learn swordsmanship well. Learning is nothing.

source

Xiang Yu's biography in historical records: "Xiang Ji is a person of lower prime minister, and the character is Yu. At the beginning, it was twenty-four years old. His Ji father Xiang Liang, whose father was Xiang Yan, a general of Chu, was killed by Wang Jian, a general of Qin Dynasty. Xiang's surname is Xiang's, because he was granted the title of general of Chu. When Xiang Ji was young, he couldn't learn calligraphy, but he couldn't learn sword, which made Xiang Liang angry. The book is enough to remember the name and surname. One man's sword is not enough to learn, but to learn from ten thousand. " So Xiang Liang was a teacher of the art of war. He was very happy. He knew the meaning slightly, but he refused to learn it. Xiang Liang, who had a taste of the arrest in Liyang, invited Cao Jiu, the governor of Qi prison, to write to Sima Xin, the governor of Liyang prison. Xiang Liang killed people and avoided feuds with Ji in Wuzhong. All the scholars and bureaucrats in Wuzhong came to Xiang Liang. Every Wuzhong has a large corvee and funeral, Xiang Liang is often the host, Yin to the art of War Department of the guests and children, so know its ability. Emperor Qinshihuang traveled to Kuaiji, crossed Zhejiang Province, and both Liang and his native place saw it. Ji said: "it is advisable to replace it." Liang covered his mouth and said, "don't talk nonsense, the family is gone!" This is a wonderful book for Liang. It's more than eight feet long. It's capable of carrying the tripod. It's very talented. Although the children of Wuzhong are afraid of being registered. "

Examples

Zhang Dai's self serving epitaph in the Ming Dynasty says, "it's impossible to learn books, swords, festivals, articles, immortals, Buddhas, farmers and gardens."