Wang Xun, a minister of the Eastern Jin dynasty, had a vivid dream one night. A celestial being appeared and handed him a writing brush as large as a roof beam. When he woke, he told his colleagues: "Something of great importance is about to happen — something that will require a great writer."
Within days, the emperor died. Wang Xun was entrusted with writing the funeral eulogy, the posthumous title, and all the official memorial documents — the most important literary task of the era. His brush, it seemed, had indeed been as large as a roof beam.
The phrase "大笔如椽" (a brush as large as a roof beam) became an idiom for great literary talent — the ability to write on the grandest scale, for the most important occasions.
珣梦人以大笔如椽与之，既觉，语人云：「此当有大手笔事。」俄而帝崩，哀册谥议，皆珣所草。
珣梦人以大笔如椽与之，既觉，语人云：「此当有大手笔事。」俄而帝崩，哀册谥议，皆珣所草。
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
Great writing is not about length or complexity — it is about the weight of the occasion and the readiness of the writer. When the moment demands a great voice, the great voice is already prepared.
This story is about destiny and preparation. Wang Xun's dream was a premonition — but the premonition only worked because he was already a skilled writer. The celestial brush did not grant talent; it confirmed it.
In modern terms, this story is about readiness. The "brush as large as a roof beam" is the ability to handle the biggest challenges. That ability is not acquired in the moment — it is built through years of practice, so that when the great occasion arrives, you are already equal to it.