On New Year's Eve, the City Lord Mansion was exceptionally lively. Lanterns had long been hung in the courtyards and corridors. Xie Xun wrote poetic couplets and pasted them on both sides of the main gate with Fengyu. Xie Xun's calligraphy, bold and vigorous, was particularly well-suited for adorning the gates.
Originally, the couplets were being written by Xie Jue and Fengyu. Xie Xun, who preferred swordplay and martial arts over literature, typically had little interest in writing. For the New Year, the City Lord Mansion needed a great number of couplets. Xie Jue, known for his exquisite penmanship, attracted many admirers, including those from the government office who came specifically to request his couplets. With time to spare, Xie Jue would grant these requests, both as a pastime and as a gesture of goodwill.
Seeing this, Xie Xun volunteered to write one himself and hung it on the main gate, giving the original couplet prepared by Xie Jue to Nangong Heng.
