Zheng Sixiao (1241-1318, 1239-1316) was a poet and painter of the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. Zi Yi Weng, a native of Lianjiang (now part of Fujian). Once an Etheric student should be erudite Hongzi test, conferred the jing academy mountain chief. After the death of the Song Dynasty, he lived in seclusion in the temples and alleys of Pingjiang (present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu). He was indignant at the demise of the Southern Song Dynasty and changed his name to "Si Xiao", which alluded to Zhao Song; changed the word to "Sonam", and sat down to face the south; he inscribed the name of his book "Ben cave world", and moved the strokes of the "ben" character ten times into the "cave" character, which constituted the two words "Great Song". He was first and foremost a poet, authoring "History of the Heart", "Collected Poems of Sonam", etc., and he was good at painting, although he could not paint orchids and bamboo in ink, but it reflected his inscription poems, but it meaningfully and deeply expressed his nostalgia for the song dynasty. Its ink bamboo has not been passed down, but from the perspective of the ink orchid made, it is often sparse flowers and leaves, and the roots do not touch the soil. The man was surprised and asked him, and he said, "The soil is taken by the people, bear with him?" A county official in Jiading asked him to draw Lan and coerced him with labor, and Zheng Sixiao was arrogant: "The hand can be broken, but the lan cannot be obtained!" On his paintings, the white article on the side that is often covered is: "I can't ask for it, I don't ask for it or with it, the old eyes are empty, and the breeze is ancient and modern." "Its wind and bones are so!
"Mo Lan Tu" is the only surviving work left by Zheng Sixiao, and it is also a representative work that reflects his creative ideas and artistic achievements. "Mo Lan Tu" roll picture several orchid leaves, two orchids, the composition is simple, stretched, the orchids are full, the orchid leaves do not cross each other, with a pen calm and smooth, straight and strong, gentle and changeable, showing the orchid leaves straight, tough, rigid and soft quality. This is a very lyrical literati freehand ink painting, depicting Lan's wild elegance, not afraid of wind and frost, lonely and proud, and no one to spend his own noble character. The author borrows pen and ink to express the breath in his chest, which is a portrayal of his own ideological character.
There is an inscription poem in the volume: "I have always bowed down to ask the Xi Emperor who ru was in this township, and before the painting was opened, the ancient fragrance floated in the sky." The author borrows Orchid's self-narration to express his otherworldly, high-minded and proud bosom. This kind of expression with poetry and painting, lyrical, deepens the meaning of the theme, and is also a technique commonly used by Zheng Sixiao. In the lower left corner of the painting there is a calligraphy printed "Ask for it, don't ask for it or with, the old eyes are empty, and the breeze is eternal." He said that his paintings were not easily given away, especially by Yuan Dynasty officials, and that "the head can be broken, and Lan cannot be obtained". As for the common people, they may be given voluntarily. He once inscribed a poem on a chrysanthemum picture: "It is better to die with incense on the branches, and He once blew down in the north wind." (The North Wind refers to the rule of the Yuan Dynasty) to express his indomitable patriotic feelings.