Hidden and Visible Realms

by Zhenjun Zhang

  65. THE MIANYUAN POOL

  At the end of Jin, Huang Zu waited upon his parents with sincerest filiality.71 When his mother was critically ill, he greeted and kowtowed to guests in the yard. In a short while, the Milky Way in the sky was seen broad and bright. An old man, carrying a child and holding a suitcase, announced his own arrival and offered two pills of medication for his mother to take. Suddenly her illnesswas gone. Accordingly, the old man stayed and lodged there.

  During the night, five-colored clouds above the office touched the sky, and the sound of a zither and songs were clear and beautiful. Huang Zu went to see the old man and found him sitting in a square tent. At each of the four corners and the top of the tent there was a goose-egg shaped big pearl, dazzling with bright luster. The old man said, “In the third month of the year, you may come through the Yellow River.”72

  While traveling at the appointed time, Huang Zu saw a gate entitled “Gate of Goodness and Good Fortune.” Inside it was a pool called Mianyuan Pool, in which lotus leaves as big as carriage wheels floated.

  (GXSGC, #154. 397; TPYL, 699. 3120b & 999. 4420a)

  66. CANDY FROM THE IMMORTAL

  During the Taiyuan reign (376–396) period of Eastern Jin, Wang Yin, Zu Anguo, Zhang Xian, and others traveled by boat. They met an immortal who granted them three lumps of candy, which were as large as the bilun coin and two fen in thickness.73

  (GXSGC, #130, 391; TPYL, 852. 3805a)

  67. WHITE-HAIRED OLD MAN

  During the Taiyuan reign of the Jin dynasty, when Gao Heng was the Governor of Wei Commandery,74 he garrisoned in the City of Stone.75 His grandson Yazhi was in the horse stable, saying that a deity had come down.

  The deity, who called himself “White-Haired Old Man,” walked with a radiant stick that illuminated the whole room. Together with Yazhi, he lifted his body lightly and walked on the air. They arrived in Jingkou at dark and returned at dawn.

  Later, Yazhi and his father were wiped out by Huan Xuan.76

  (GXSGC, #127, 390; TPGJ, 294. 2341)

  68. LORD OF THE NORTHERN DIPPER

  In the period of Wu Kingdom (222–280), there lived an old woman who had once “died” of an illness at the age of nine. She died in the early morning and revived in the evening. She said that she had seen an old woman who held her by the arm and flew to an audience with the Lord of the Northern Dipper. There was a dog as big as a lion, with deep eyes, crouching inside the balustrade of the well. The old woman told her that it was the dog of the Lord of Heaven.

  (GXSGC, #57. 368; SLFZ, 8. 154)

  69. MASTER CHEN XIANG

  Master Chen Xiang was a native of Wucheng County, Wuxing Commandery.77 He first saw the Buddhist sutras, and consequently he learned the Daoist arts of ascending the clouds. When he was in a studio of this human world, he heard the unique music that was clear and far-reaching and smelled the wonderful sweet fragrance.

  (GXSGC, #100. 382; FYZL, 36. 1155)

  70. A MAN TRANSFORMS INTO A HERON

  A Daoist priest of Eastern Ba Commandery,78 whose name has been forgotten, strived constantly to serve the Way. One day, he entered his room to burn incense, when the wind came and it began to rain. His family saw a white heron emerging from the room. When the rain stopped, the Daoist priest had disappeared.

  (GXSGC, #196. 408; TPYL, 925. 4109b)

  ____________

      1.  Sun Quan 孫權, styled Zhongmou 仲謀, was the founder of the state of Wu 吳 (222–280) during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280).

      2.  The City of Stone, the capital of Wu. See footnote 61 in chapter 1 for more information.

      3.  For Jia Bizhi 賈弼之, TPYL (364. 1676b) and TPGJ (276. 2183) read Jia Bi 賈弼. Hedong, see footnote 50 in chapter 1.

      4.  Langye 琅邪 Commandery was located north of modern Linyi 臨沂 in Shandong. See Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 3. 51.

      5.  Longxi 隴西 [commandery] is a traditional designation refering to the area west of Long Mountain, including present-day Tianshui 天水 and Lanzhou 蘭州 in Gansu and Long County in Shanxi.

      6.  Qin Jia 秦嘉 (courtesy name Shihui 士會) was a poet and official, Gentleman of the Palace Gate, of Eastern Han. His extant poems include the “Zeng fu shi” 贈婦詩. His wife, Xu Shu 徐淑, was also a talented poet.

      7.  Cai Mo 蔡謨, styled Daoming 道明, was Minister of Education of Eastern Jin from 342 but was accused of having neglected his duty and was degraded to a commoner in 350. His biography is found in Jin shu 晉書, 77. 2033–41.

      8.  Deng Ai 鄧艾, styled Shizai 士載, was a general of the Wei State during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). He was the General Governing the West and governor-general in charge of military affairs in Long-you (Shanxi and Gansu) in 256, but while accompanying Zhong Hui 鐘會 (225–264), the general of Wei, on the expedition against Shu 蜀 (221–263) in 263, he was unjustly implicated in Zhong’s attempted rebellion and was executed with his sons. See Chen Shou 陳壽 (223–297), Sanguo zhi 三國志, 28. 775–83.

      9.  Jingkou 京口, present-day city of Zhenjiang 鎮江, Jiangsu.

    10.  Sima Tian 司馬恬, styled Yuanyu 元瑜, was a member of the Jin royal house. He has been the General Pacifying the North and the governor of Yanzhou 兗州 and Qingzhou 青州. He also inherited the title of Prince of Qiao 譙.

    11.  The name Shu Zhenzhong 舒甄仲 consist of seven characters, 予舍西土瓦中人, “a person inside the earthenware west of my residence.”

    12.  The region of the Yangzi 揚子 and Huai 淮 rivers refers to the area between the Hui River and the Yangzi River in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.

    13.  Dongfang Shuo 東方朔, styled Manqian 曼倩, was a noted scholar-official, necromancer, and court jester under Emperor Wu (140–87 BCE) of Han. He was noted for his humor instead of his knowledge. His biography can be found in Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145–86? BCE), Shiji 史記 [The Grand Scribe’s records], 126. 3205–08; and Ban Gu 班固 (32–92), Hanshu 漢書 [History of the Han], 65. 2841–74.

    14.  “Ming” was added according to Soushen ji, 13. 162. Cf. Zheng Wanqing, Youming lu, 1. 22–23.

    15.  Hailing 海陵 County, present-day Taizhou 泰州, Jiangsu.

    16.  Dongyang, see footnote 58 in chapter 1.

    17.  It seems this is a incomplete story, posing a challenge to readers.

    18.  Wuxing 吳興 County, present-day Huzhou 湖州, Zhejiang. Wuxing Commandery was also in present-day Huzhou.

    19.  Translation of Wu’nan du 無難督 (監).

    20.  Zhang Maodu 張茂度, named Yu 裕, was the Governor of Yizhou 益州 in the first year of the Yuanjia reign (424) of Emperor Wen 文 (r. 424–453) of Song. Wu 吳 Commandery: its seat was in present-day Suzhou. Yizhou covered the area of modern Sichuan and Hanzhong 漢中.

    21.  Xu Xianzhi 徐羨之, Chief Overseer of the Department of State Affairs, Minister of Education, and Governor of Yangzhou 揚州 of the [Liu] Song. His biography is found in Shen Yue (441–513), Song shu, 43.1329–35; Li Yanshou, Nan shi, 15.432–35.

    22.  Fu Liang 傅亮, Director of the Department of State Affairs of the Song. His biography can be found in Song shu, 43.1335–41, and Nan shi., 15.441–43.

    23.  Xie Hui 謝晦, the Governor of Jingzhou of the Song. His biography is found in Song shu, 44.1347–62.

    24.  This was one of the terrible palace coups d’état that occurred frequently throughout the history of imperial China. The original heir selected by Liu Yu (r. 420–422), Emperor Wu 武 of the Song, was his eldest son Yifu 義符, who was only 17 years old when his father passed away. Because Yifu was fond of idling about instead of governing, Xu Xianzhi (Chief Overseer of the Department of State Affairs), Fu Liang (Director of the Department of State Affairs), and Xie Hui (Governor of J
ingzhou) decided together to dethrone him and enthrone Yilong 義隆 (r. 424–453), the third son of Liu Yu. Only two years after Yilong ascended to the throne (426), however, he executed Xu, Fu, and Xie. See Shen Yue, Song shu, 5. 74.

    25.  This piece was not included in Lu Xun’s Guxiaoshuo gouchen edition of Youming lu. It is added from Zeng Zao, Lei shuo [Classified tales], 11.189ab.

    26.  Yang Hu 羊祜, styled Shuzi 叔子, Jin vice-president of the Imperial Secretariat and governor-general of military affairs in Jingzhou. See Jin shu 34. 1013–25.

    27.  Xiangyang 襄陽, present-day Xiangfan 襄樊, Hubei.

  For Qin Min 秦民, TPYL reads Qin Min mu 秦民墓, “Qin Min’s tomb.”

    28.  “Liao E” 蓼莪 [Thick tarragons; Mao #202], a poem from the Book of Poetry one of the five Confucian classics. It expresses the grief of a man who wanted to repay the favor of his parents yet they had died already. See Legge (1815–1897), trans., The Book of Poetry, 350–52.

    29.  Chang’an 長安, modern Xi’an 西安 in Shanxi.

    30.  Xie Chi 謝摛, Eastern Jin Governor of Linchuan 臨川 Commandery, modern Fuzhou 福州, Jiangxi.

    31.  Yao Hong 姚泓 was the last emperor of the Qiang 羌 State, Later Qin 秦. After Later Qin was conquered by Liu Yu, he was delivered to the Jin capital of Jiankang and executed. See his biography in Jin shu, 119. 3007.

    32.  Anding 安定 Commandery, centered around modern Jingchuan 涇川, Gansu. See Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 4. 55.

    33.  Shi Hu 石虎, the third emperor of the Later Zhao 趙 (328–351).

    34.  Emperor Xiaowu 孝武 of Jin, Sima Yao 司馬曜, was the ninth emperor of Eastern Jin.

    35.  Zheng Wanqing (Youming lu 47) mistakenly punctuates 令知所以。居少時而暴崩 for 令知所以居。少時而暴崩.

    36.  At that time, Xie Hui was the governor of Jingzhou; its seat was Jiangling (modern Jingzhou). See footnote 23 in this chapter for Xie’s bibliographical information.

    37.  In the third year of the Yuanjia reign (426), Emperor Wen of Song launched an expedition against Xie Hui. Both Xie Hui and Zhou Chao 周超 were sentenced to death.

    38.  Jiaozhou 交州, modern Guangdong and Guangxi.

    39.  Zheng Wanqing, Youming lu (50) mistakes wang (died) for zhi (stop).

    40.  Sima Xiuzhi 司馬休之 was the governor of Jingzhou at the end of Eastern Jin. In the eleventh year of the Yixi reign (415), Liu Yu attacked Jingzhou; Xiuzhi was defeated and fled to Later Qin. When Liu Yu exterminated Later Qin, Xiuzhi died on his way to Wei.

    41.  Nankang 南康 Commandery; its seat was in Gan 贛 County, modern Ganzhou 贛州, Jiangxi.

    42.  Zhuge Zhangmin 諸葛長民 was an impoatant general of Eastern Jin and the governor of Qingzhou 青州 and Yuzhou 豫州. He joined Liu Yu’s expedition against Huan Xuan 桓玄 (369–404) but was killed by Liu in the ninth year of Yixi 義熙 (413).

    43.  Mao Xiuzhi was the Commander Pacifying the West of the Liu Song.

    44.  Huan Xuan was the son of Huan Wen (312–373), the notorious usurper of the Jin. He was enfeoffed the Duke of Nanjun 南郡.

    45.  TPGJ reads 晉商仲堪曾從桓玄行 (Shang Zhongkan of Jin once traveled along with Huan Xuan).

    46.  TPGJ reads 堪即以所乘牛易而取之 (Right then Kan replaced it with his ox).

    47.  For 至寧陵駛非常, TPGJ reads 至寧陵溪，牛忽駿駛非常. Here the rendition follows TPGJ.

    48.  For the last sentence, TPGJ reads 堪心以為怪，未幾玄敗，堪亦被誅戮焉 (Kan felt it was strange. Soon afterward Xuan was defeated and Kan was also excecuted).

    49.  Xi Hui 欷恢, styled Daoyin 道胤, was Governor of Yongzhou 雍州 in Eastern Jin.

    50.  Yongzhou 雍州, eastablished by Emperor Xiaowu (r. 372–396) of Eastern Jin at Xiangyang 襄陽, modern Xiangfan in Hubei.

    51.  Yin Zhongkan, the Governor of Jingzhou. He opposed the government of Sima Daozi 司馬道子 (364–403) as the regent and planned to attack the capital with Wang Gong 王恭, Governor of Qingzhou and Yanzhou 兗州, and Huan Xuan, Governor of Guangzhou 廣州. Xi Hui disagreed with them.

    52.  Henan 河南 Commandery; its seat was in Luoyang 洛陽.

    53.  Goushi 緱氏 County belonged to Henan Commandery; its seat was in modern Yanshi, Henan.

    54.  Liu Bin 劉斌 was one of the associates of Liu Yikang 劉義康 (409–451), the Prince of Pengcheng 彭城 of the [Liu] Song. In the thirteenth year of Yuanjia (436) he was appointed the governor of Wu 吳 Commandery (seat in present-day Suzhou 蘇州, Jingsu).

    55.  Lou 婁 County; its seat was in present-day Kunshan 昆山, Jiangsu.

    56.  When Emperor Wen suspected Yikang in 440, as Yikang’s associate Liu Bin was put to death.

    57.  Xinye 新野 County, modern Xinye, Henan.

    58.  Hengyang 衡陽 Commandery, the area west of modern Changsha 長沙, Hunan (Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 3. 33–34).

    59.  Wang Zhongde 王仲德, named Wang Yi 王懿, was General Governing the North during the Yuanjia reign of Liu Song. His biography is in Song shu, 46. 1390–93.

    60.  The Sun En 孫恩 Rebellion was a religious-led antigovernment movement that occurred in 399–402. Sun believed in Wudou mi 五斗米 [Five-bushel millet] Daoism.

    61.  Wuxing, see footnote 18 above in this chapter.

    62.  The temple of Jiang Ziwen 蔣子文, Commandant of Moling 秣陵 (modern Nanjing) 尉 at the end of Eastern Han. For how Jiang became a deity, see SSJ, 5. 57–60, and DeWoskin and Crump, Jr., In Search of the Supernatural, 5. 53–6.

    63.  For Gui 晷, TPYL (704. 3142a) reads Lue 略. Guangling 廣陵, present-day Yangzhou 揚州, Jiangsu.

    64.  Chen Min 陳敏 occupied the Wu and Yue 越 during the reign of Emperor Hui 惠 (290–306) of Jin. Xunyang 尋陽, administrative seat Chaisang 柴桑, was southwest of present-day Jiujiang 九江, Jiangxi.

    65.  Translation of “gu guzhi Fo Shenzhou jing” 故穀紙佛神咒經.

    66.  The three characters, Ji Xin’an 及新安 (west of Luoyang), are added according to BTSC 142.

    67.  This is another story of traveling to the land of immortals. The marvels in the immortal land here are not beautiful fairy maidens, but rare treasures like the dragon saliva and dragon pearl.

    68.  Zhang Hua 張華 was the Minister of Works of the Jin and the author of Bowu zhi 博物志 [A treatise on curiosities]. He was considered the most knowledgable in his time.

    69.  Jiaozhou, see footnote 38 above in this chapter.

    70.  Kun 昆 Mountain refers to Kunlun 崑崙 Mountain. Legend has it that the goddess of Kunlun is Queen Mother of the West.

    71.  For Jin mo Huang Zu 晉末黃祖, TPYL (699. 3120b) reads Jin Zhu Huangzu 晉朱黃祖.

    72.  Chinese people believed that the source of the Yellow River was connected to the Milky Way in Heaven.

    73.  Bilun 比輪 was a kind of round coin.

    74.  Gao Heng 高衡 was a general of Eastern Jin and Governor of Wei Commandery. In Western Jin the seat of Wei 魏 Commandery was located at Ye 鄴, modern Linzhang 臨漳 County, Henan. During Eastern Jin, Wei Commandery was temporarily established at Xiangyang 襄陽 instead of Jianye (as depicted here).

    75.  The City of Stone, see footnote 61 in chapter 1.

    76.  As Zheng Wangqing (Youming lu, 154) notices, this ending differs from the depiction in Jin shu (84. 2192), which reads, [劉敬宜] 與廣陵相高雅之具奔慕容超 … 旬日而玄敗 ([Liu Jingyi] and Gao Yazhi, the Magistrate of Guangling, both fled to Murong Chao to seek shelter.… About ten days later, Xun was defeated
).

    77.  Chen Xiangzi 陳相子, “Master Chen Xiang,” is not found in other texts. Wucheng 烏程 County (modern Huzhou, Zhejiang)was the seat of Wuxing 吳興 Commandery.

    78.  Badong 巴東 Commandery, administrative seat in modern Fengjie 奉節, Sichuan.

  3

  THE SPECTACLE OF MONSTERS

  71. RETURNING SHOES

  In the first year of the Taining reign (323–325) of the Jin, a man of Yuhang surnamed Wang—his forename has been forgotten1—went to a first-class hotel. When passing by a Buddhist temple, he entered it to beg for good fortune. After leaving, he noticed he had lost his shoes.

  Since he had already walked five or six li, he did not feel like going back again to fetch them. But a person in white came after him, saying, “My superior sent me to return these to you.” The person then transformed into a swan and flew into the field.

  (GXSGC, #83. 376; TPYL, 697. 3111a)

  72. THE MAIDSERVANT PINA

  The maidservant of Wei Qianzu of Shangyu County,2 called Pina, was beautiful. Xu Mi liked her. Then a rat showed up with Pina’s appearance, approached Mi, and secretly slept with him. In doubt, Mi stroked her four limbs with his hands, and he felt them become smaller and smaller. Then the girl changed into a rat and fled.

  (GXSGC, #228. 419; TPGJ, 440. 3588)

  73. STRING MUSIC AND SONGS UNDER THE RIVER

  Emperor Wu of the Han feasted with the entire body of his ministers in the Endless Palace.3 He was about to eat broomcorn millet meat soup when he heard someone say, “This old vassal would like to appeal at the risk of his life.” Yet his physical form was not seen. After searching for quite a while, the emperor saw an old man eight to nine inches tall on the roofbeam. His face was red and wrinkled, and his beard and hair were hoary white. Walking with a stick and a bent back, he looked extremely old.