by Pu Songling
Following that, however, he sensed a decline in the nation’s previous power and prestige, and secretly launched an attack on the emperor. The emperor fought back, so She sustained a hand wound, and when he was subsequently captured and bound, he swore his allegiance to the emperor to Governor Cai.
After he arrived at the capital, one night he dreamed of the underworld, and there, the Hell King was angry with him for some betrayal that he’d committed, so he ordered demons to pour boiling water on She’s feet. Then he woke up, and felt an excruciating pain in his feet. They became swollen with blisters that subsequently burst, and then his toes all fell off.
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Hanzhong: Located in Shaanxi province.
Wuju: A successful candidate in the provincial-level examinations for military officers.
Wu Sangui’s rebellion: After having helped to overthrow the Ming dynasty and establish its Qing successor, Wu pushed Ming rebels to the south, then in 1673, established his own power base in southwest China, claiming it as a separate territory independent of Qing rule. His rebellion was put down by Qing forces in 1681 (Perkins 410).
At that point, he was stricken even further by malaria. From his fever, he cried out, “It’s true, I was disloyal!” Then he died.
The collector of these strange tales remarks, “She’s working against the government certainly can’t be said to have been an act of loyalty; moreover, individuals of superior talent must continually repay the gift of that talent by using it to do what other people cannot, and hence talented persons of virtue must comport themselves appropriately. Indeed, one must be cautious and vigilant, in order to avoid serving the emperor’s people unfaithfully.”
215. The Crimson Princess
In the twenty-second year of Kangxi’s reign, I was lodging in Master Bi Cishi’s Capacious Hall. His family’s flowers and trees were at the heighth of loveliness, and in my free time I often accompanied him on strolls through them, freely enjoying the sights.
One day, after we’d returned from walking quite a distance, I was tired, so I decided to have a nap, taking off my shoes and laying down on my bed. I dreamt that two young women, dressed resplendently, approached to tell me, “There’s an invitation we’ve been sent to deliver to you, sir.”
I was stunned by this, so I got up and asked, “Who is it that wishes to see me?”
“The Crimson Princess,” they replied. Although I couldn’t quite make sense of who she was, I quickly followed after them as they left.
Soon I could see a hall and pavilion, so tall that they seemed to stretch up to the Milky Way. A flight of stone steps led up to the buildings, steeply stretching upward, and after we’d climbed more than a hundred steps, we began to approach the top. I could see red-lacquered gates spanning a spacious gap, and then there were two or three beauties who were coming and going routinely.
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The twenty-second year of Kangxi’s reign: The emperor ruled 1662-1723, so this would be 1683/4.
Master Bi Cishi’s Capacious Hall: The reference is to Bi Jiyou, Pu Songling’s employer. Zhu comments that Bi Jiyou, who was retired by then, had this hall built about the time mentioned by the story (2:738n2).
Shortly thereafter, we were standing outside the hall, with its golden trim and jade screens, shining brilliantly before our eyes. Inside, a woman came down some steps towards us, wearing metal jewelry around her waist that jangled as she walked, giving her the appearance of a great princess.
It occurred to me that I should be kowtowing to her, but before I could begin, the princess said, “It’s so polite of you to pay a visit here, sir, that I should express my appreciation first.” She called to those around her to spread out a carpet, as though she was about to greet me with great ceremony.
I became so embarrassed that I could hardly move, so I tried to explain, “I’m a humble man, and already feel quite proud that you’ve given me such an honorable invitation. But for me to be greeted equally by you— it’s guilty presumption on my part, and it’ll consume everything good I possess!”
The princess gave orders that the carpet be removed and that a banquet be set up, then had me sit across from her at the table. The wine made several rounds, and then I confided to her, “Whenever I drink a bit, I always get tipsy, and I’m afraid I’ll do something embarrassing. Why did you direct me to come here? I hope you’ll clear everything up for me.”
The princess said not a word, but took a large cup of wine and quickly began drinking. Over and over again, I asked her for an explanation. Finally, she replied, “I’m the goddess of flowers. My whole family is slender and delicate, and accordingly they live here; time and again they’ve been annoyed by that Feng girl. Now I wish to wage a decisive battle against our enemy, and to trouble you to draft a call to arms for all the plants to join together.”
Although this only increased my anxiety, I stood up and replied, “I’m an incompetent student, afraid to accept responsibility for such an important duty; however, in thanks for your kindness and generosity in inviting me, I will try sincerely not to look stupid and let you down.” The princess was delighted to hear this, and had writing materials brought to me in the hall.
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That Feng girl: The “enemy” of the flowers is the wind, so Pu personifies the wind here, recognizing that feng is a common Chinese surname.
Once all of the beauties serving her had cleared off the table and brushed the seats clean, I prepared the ink and dipped my brush in, to begin writing. A child then folded a piece of paper in a particular pattern, and placed it beneath my raised wrist. As I wrote a couple brief phrases, a number of individuals crowded together behind me to look over my shoulder.
I was feeling slow and stupid, when at that moment the flow of my thoughts suddenly increased to a surge of ideas. In no time at all, I finished the manuscript, and with the others contending to grab it away, it was opened up and placed before the princess. As the princess spread the document out to review it, she declared it flawless, then turned to accompany me as I returned home.
When I woke up and recalled what had happened, the whole business seemed vividly real to me. Although I’ve forgotten the majority of the words I wrote for the call to arms, here are enough to suggest the substance of the full document:
“With all solemnity expressing the contents herein to the Feng clan: Ruthlessly breaking all rules of conduct, the wind god has demonstrated her jealous nature. She uses her great skills to an evil purpose, as though drunk to the bone with insane envy; from some hidden place she has caused great suffering, employing devious tactics like blowing sand through the air. The Yu Emperor was a target of her foxy seductions, so even Nüying and Erhuang couldn’t have distracted him, though they co-opted her winds to cure the people’s suffering; the King of Chu was so duped by her allure that no genuine exemplar of virtuous talent was able to advise him, which is why she’s referred to as masculine.
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The Yu Emperor: Among the six legendary emperors of Chinese history, Yu the Great is credited as founder of the first dynasty, the Xia (c. 2200-1750 B.C.E.). In accounts of his attempts to combat the annual flooding in China, he often has to combat “gales and thunder” (Yang et al. 238).
“When Liu Bang rose up in arms, he used a poem called ‘Great Wind’ to describe the loss of brave warriors; the poem ‘Autumn Wind’ reminded Han Wudi of the absence of the beautiful women he’d loved. Hence the wind, arrogant and self-indulgent from having been favored by these mighty individuals, refuses to refrain from her reckless violence. Roaring through openings everywhere, the noise could shatter the jade in the imperial palace; when the autumn wind whips up at night, the din makes all the plants shake with fright. Suddenly she shifts and rips through the mountain forests with the force of the tiger; sometimes she blasts against the Yanyu Dui, stirring up waves on the Yangzi.
“Curtains flap as she whips past
tall buildings; bells and chimes hanging from them are suddenly made to clang, waking people from their sleeping dreams. She blusters into rooms, blowing over beds, as though she’s the occupants’ closest friend; then she rushes further on inside to the halls, turning over the owners’ books without permission. Though this impertinent wind isn’t some old friend, she nevertheless forces open the door and rushes into the room; she’s so exceptionally cruel, that at times she’s virtually grabbing the princess’ people and whisking them up into the sky.
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Nüying and Erhuang: Two sisters who were both married at the same time to legendary emperor Shun.
The King of Chu: Qingxiang (298-63 B.C.E.), ruler of the feudal state of Chu, was mocked in the popular Song dynasty-era fengfu, or “Poem of the Wind,” for arrogantly gratifying his own carnal desires while ignoring the problems of the common people (Zhu 2:740n33). The wind in the poem is personified as male, which necessitates Pu’s subsequent comment to justify his allusion to it.
Liu Bang: Founder of the Han dynasty; the poem referenced here was a motivational song (called dafeng, a strong wind or fresh gale). With a band of insurgents, Liu Bang declared himself Duke of Pei in 209 B.C.E. and eventually gathered followers and momentum, till he was installed as emperor in 202: “Clemency and moderation are said to have been the distinguishing characteristics to which he owed the willing submission” of the Chinese people (Mayers 143).
Han Wudi: The longest-reigning emperor of the Han dynasty, Wudi ruled from 187-140 B.C.E.
Yanyu Dui: A treacherous, precipitous cliff in the middle of the Yangzi River, where it flows through Sichuan province.
“This wind, unmatched in her wild arrogance, dares to take advantage of a halo appearing around the moon as a symbol of her coming; in early spring, she blows through the countryside, shaking the willow trees, saying that she’s delivering letters for the flowers. When a man just like Tao Yuanming resigns his position and returns home to the country, she right away flutters his clothing, playing tricks on him; if visitors climb up on an observation platform on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, happy to get away for a little sightseeing, she deliberately blows their hats off.
“The plant she’s just swept up is about to flutter naturally to earth when once again she blows it high up into the sky; the kite making its pleasant rippling sounds is broken by her mayhem and disappears into the clouds. She shows no respect to the seasons, encouraging the flowers to bloom prematurely, like Wu Zetian; she blows out the lanterns in the middle of a banquet, while the guests are still seated in the halls.
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A halo appearing around the moon: A popular Chinese saying, yueyunzhufeng, means “a halo around the moon foretells a gale.”
Just like Tao Yuanming: Tao Yuanming (365-427 C.E.) is famous for being a scholar who grew disenchanted with official life, and gave it up to pursue poetry, “the pleasures of the wine-cup, and the harmony of his lute” (Mayers 232). He wrote a well-known short utopian narrative called “The Peach Blossom Spring,” and of his two poems sharing the title “Returning to Dwell in the Country,” the second opens, “Long I have loved to stroll among the hills and marshes, / And take my pleasure roaming the woods and fields” (Birch 183).
Ninth day of the ninth lunar month: Another day for visiting the graves of ancestors, including a walk into the hills or mountains.
“What’s more, she can level mountains, as Li He has observed; she can also call up the rain, as recorded by Du Fu. Even just a gentle breeze can raise waves in a river—and though it sounds as innocent as a girl playing the sheng, a west wind that’s merely passing through can cause a cloudburst. A gentle breeze wafting by can flatten every blade of grass; when it comes roaring through, even pottery can be sent flying.
“She doesn’t even have to strike the rivers with much force to drive the fearful river dolphin to the surface to do obeisance to her; she suddenly springs up to challenge heaven’s authority, and chaotically scatters a flock of wild geese. It might have been desirable that she pushed Wang Bo along so he arrived early at Mt. Madang; but when she disturbed the peace in immortal heaven, seeming unkind as well, what was her intention?
“Seabirds depend upon their spirits’ instincts to help them evade the strong winds blowing through the gates of Qufu; and You Lang would wish to be called back there, but only if travelers could remain safe from the wind. In ancient times, there were great men who dared to brave the wind and travel far in all directions; but now with no one willing to fight the wind, is it any wonder that there are so few extraordinary people going out to pursue fame and wealth?
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Wu Zetian: Consort of the emperor Gaozong (649-83 C.E.), Wu Zetian rose in power until she became China’s only woman emperor—and along the way, she charged emperor Zhongzong with treason, and replaced him with his brother, Ruizong, who was only 22 at the time (and hence Pu’s allusion to “encouraging the flowers to bloom prematurely”), as her puppet.
Li He: Li (781-817 C.E.), a prominent Tang dynasty poet whose courtesy name was Zhangji, makes this assertion in one of his poems (Zhu 2:743n54).
Du Fu: In the famous poet’s (712-90 C.E.) “Autumn Rain Lament,” the “Looming rain and reckless wind” are described as the “indiscriminate ruins of autumn” (Hinton 18).
Sheng: A reed-pipe wind instrument.
Wang Bo: A young man who distinguished himself as a brilliant scholar and poet, Wang Bo (650-76), whose courtesy name was Zi’an, was swamped by students who sought his instruction, but tragically drowned while crossing a river (Meyers 263). Pu is blaming the wind for urging Wang into the waters that doomed him.
Mt. Madang: Located in Jiangxi province.
“Because storm winds are often accompanied by angry clouds, she’s become quite arrogant; it’s the violence of the wind that influences Hebo to cause the flooding that leads to disaster.
“Multitudes of flowers are devastated and ravaged by these strong winds. And once the wind has wreaked havoc on the flowers and trees, what’s to stop her from doing further damage? The trees cry as she breaks off their twigs, creating endless desolation. After the wind blows and the rain pours in the Golden Valley Garden, the flowers’ petals drop off and they’re collected to make cushions for visitors; when the willow catkins, dripping wet, are knocked down from the trees in Glorious Forest Garden, they soon afterwards become dirty from the muddy ground below. As beautiful flowers are laid to rest, their faded remnants are blown, fluttering away; even in red pavilions with carved railings, calamity is the unavoidable result of the wind’s force.
“In the instant when a bit of flower is torn away,some of the splendor of springtime is lost, to our sorrow; as those petals are scattered everywhere, it’s the wind we should hold responsible. The wind blows away the beauty of the flowers and they die, making it a futile exercise for the girls who venture out into gardens in spring to observe them; the girls, who’re longing for someone they have in their thoughts, lead their whinneying horses out among the fragrant plants. Then they return home: some are filled with the feeling that a tragic disaster has occurred, and some, unable to cope with it, turn to music for comfort.
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Qufu: Birthplace of Confucius, in Shandong province.
You Lang: For an account of You Lang’s trials, see Zhu (2:744n62).
Hebo: The ancient god of the Yellow River.
Golden Valley Garden: The Jinru, or “Golden Valley,” garden, was located in Luoyang, in Henan province (Zhu 2:746n68). Glorious Forest Garden: This Hualin, or “Glorious Forest,” garden, from the Three Kingdom era (220-65 C.E.), was situated in Nanjing, Jiangsu province (Zhu 2:746n69).
“The wind knocks the plants down with her ruthless gusts for no reason; indifferent to the damage, she shakes them endlessly till they collapse. She wounds the living trees, till all of their luxuriant growth is stripped away; for a long time now, s
he has offered the multitudes of flowers no protection from her destruction, so who wouldn’t shed tears of sympathy for these beauties? Their petals fall into the mud and wet hedges, a most lamentable fate; the flowers open up in the morning, but by evening have been stripped of their petals, for how can they resist the wind’s mutilations?
“The spring wind distracts girls’ minds with thoughts of love, so she’s cursed by people; while violent winds stir men to rampaging acts that haven’t been sanctioned by the heavens.
“Hence this proclamation declares that the vast multitudes of flowers must join together to challenge the mad wind; all flowers and plants must become soldiers to fight the battle against her. Let no willow say it cannot possibly stand up to the wind, for it could be incorporated into a hedge to withstand her. Wait and see—the warblers and swallows, who live in the trees, will take their places in the struggle against the enemy; the flowers will be joined by their allies, the bees and butterflies, who will arise, pledging their loyalty to the cause.
“The fresh smelling orchids and cassia can undergo military training like that which was practiced at Kunming; mulberry leaves will provide tops for the chariots, while the willows serve to support banners, as we watch the soldiers march out from the gardens. The elegant chrysanthemums have also emerged from their thatched cottages to join the struggle; the big trees will act as generals, agreeing to respond with righteous anger. They will extinguish the wind’s arrogance, and for a thousand years, the injustices that she has done the flowers will be cleared away; her tyranny will be destroyed, dispelling forever the sound of the wind’s anger!”
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At Kunming: Under the direction of Han emperor Wu, who wished to extend Chinese influence into India and figured that Kunming, in Yunnan province, would be geographically significant in that plan, a mock-up of the city was constructed at Chang’an (modern Xi’an), where appropriate tactics of war could be taught and practiced (Zhu 2:748n86). The plan proved instrumental in bringing the tribes occupying the area of modern Yunnan under imperial subjection (Mayers 277).