The Calligrapher — Chǔ Suíliáng 褚遂良

Tang chancellor and regular-script master of elegant, balanced strokes.

Tang calligrapher (596–658), master of regular script — Tang master of graceful, tensile regular script favored by the imperial court. Tang dynasty

Cultural Story

倀 is the tiger's ghost. The old tale says a man eaten by a tiger becomes 倀, doomed to lead others to the beast; the phrase 为虎作伥 means to abet the wicked. The character holds the eerie myth of the victim who serves his killer. To write 倀 is to name complicity born of death.

Common words & phrases

• 为虎作伥 help the evildoer

Read the story behind the character

A columnist calls the fixer 为虎作伥 for the corrupt boss; the phrase trends when an aide betrays the public trust. The word now names any servant of evil who walks others into the trap. Complicity, not courage — this character still warns against the helper who knowingly feeds the beast.