Zheng Xie (1693-1765), better known by his art name Zheng Banqiao, was a celebrated painter and calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty. A native of Xinghua in Jiangsu Province, he became one of the famous “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou” — artists known for breaking from convention with bold, expressive styles. His poetry, calligraphy, and painting were so admired that people called them his “three masterpieces.” He was especially renowned for his orchids and bamboo.
But among the stories told about Zheng Banqiao, one reveals something beyond artistic skill.
Two artists’ studios on the same lane
In his early years, Zheng lived in Suzhou and opened a painting studio at the eastern end of Taohua Lane to support himself. At the western end of the same lane, another artist named Lü Zijing ran his own studio.
Lü’s circumstances were difficult. He had failed the imperial examinations, suffered from chronic illness, and had elderly parents, a wife, and children depending entirely on his income. His family’s survival rested on what he could earn from his brush. Lü specialized in painting plum blossoms.
Zheng Banqiao painted bamboo, birds-and-flowers, and landscapes — but never plum blossoms.
When patrons asked him to paint plum blossoms, he would smile and say: “Mr. Lü Zijing excels at painting plum blossoms. You should seek his work instead.”
He went further. Zheng often praised Lü’s art in public, telling people: “Even if I studied Lü’s plum blossoms for eight or ten years, I might still not paint them as well as he does.”
Fifty taels of silver
One day, a senior minister with a deep appreciation for art approached Zheng with a commission. He wanted a painting titled Plum Blossoms Blooming Alone in a Secluded Valley and offered 50 taels of silver — a substantial sum that could support an ordinary family for months.
Zheng declined.
“When it comes to painting plum blossoms, Mr. Lü Zijing is truly the master,” he said. “His plum blossoms are worth fifty taels of silver. Mine would be worth five at most.”
The minister took his silver to Lü Zijing instead.
The artists’ farewell gifts
Three years passed, and Zheng prepared to leave for Yangzhou. Before his departure, Lü came to see him off. The two friends exchanged paintings and poems as keepsakes.
Zheng gave Lü a painting of plum blossoms.
Lü stared at it for a long time. The blossoms seemed alive — delicate, graceful, and masterfully rendered.
Finally, he spoke: “Brother Zheng, your plum blossom painting is so skillful. Why didn’t you teach me sooner?”
Zheng smiled. “I feared your modesty would lead you to stop accepting plum blossom commissions, and you would earn far less.”
Lü suddenly understood. For three years, Zheng had deliberately avoided painting plum blossoms — not because he couldn’t, but to preserve that income for his struggling neighbor.
“So you refrained from painting plum blossoms to leave me a way to feed my family,” Lü said, his voice full of gratitude.
A different kind of mastery
In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of yi (義) — often translated as righteousness or doing what is right — extended beyond grand moral pronouncements to quiet acts carried out in everyday life. Zheng Banqiao’s decision was never announced or celebrated during those years. It existed simply as a private choice to step aside so another could stand.
Artists in imperial China often competed fiercely for patronage and recognition. The art world was a marketplace where reputation meant survival. Yet here was someone who had mastered not only the technical skill of his craft but also the harder art of knowing when to set the brush down.
The story comes to us from the Yuanjian Leihan, a Qing Dynasty collection of anecdotes and historical accounts. Like many such stories, it was preserved because it illustrated something people found worth remembering — a moment when talent chose discretion over display, when success made room for another’s need.
Whether Zheng’s plum blossoms were truly worth 5 taels or 50, we cannot know. What remained in the telling was the gesture itself.
Translated by Eva
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