After he was able to reach the [opposite] bank, he looked back, but the turtle had left.
(GXSGC, #87. 377; TPGJ, 118. 823–24)
188. MEN IN BLACK
When Huan Miao governed Runan Commandery, someone sent him four black ducks as gifts. His eldest son dreamed of four men in black requesting that he save their lives. When he awoke, he suddenly saw the ducks that were about to be killed. Then he saved them by purchasing meat to replace them. After returning, he dreamed of the four men, who came to thank him and then left.
(GXSGC, #163. 400; TPGJ, 276. 2187–88)
189. RED WORDS ON A FISH’S BELLY
During the Yuanxi reign (304–308) of the Jin, there was an old man who lived in the Guiyang Commandery and had always taken fishing as an occupation.14 Once he went out fishing in the early morning; he encountered a huge fish eating the bait. He pulled the fishing line so quickly that both the man and the boat suddenly fell into the water. His family looked for his corpse at the site and saw that both the old man and the fish were dead and entangled in the fishing line. On the belly of the fish there were some red words, which read,
I heard that Zeng Pool is a delightful place,
therefore I came here from Yan Pool.
I killed this old man,
who bullied me with a fishing pole several times.
He liked to eat red carp,
and today he got what he deserved.
(GXSGC, #148. 396; TPYL, 66. 316a)
190. THE ARCHERY MASTER
During the time under Fu Jian (r. 357–385),15 an archery master passed by Mount Song. He saw a pair of white birds on a pine tree, each resembling a swan yet a bit larger.
Further, when he arrived under the tree he saw a snake, its length about five zhang, climbing up the tree to catch the birds. When it was merely one zhang from the birds, they intended to fly away. The snake opened its mouth to suck them in, so the birds could not leave. Struggling to move up and down for the time of finishing a meal, the birds were almost tired out.
The archery master drew his bow and shot three arrows. The snake fell down and the birds were able to fly away, stopping to comb out their feathers with their beaks one hundred steps away from the tree.
In a moment, the clouds became dark and thunder boomed shockingly. Terrified, the archery master was not able to move a step. He saw those two birds flying back and forth above him and their feathers falling in profusion. It seemed that they were rescuing him. This happened several times; then the thunder stopped and the lightning ceased. The archery master was able to avoid disaster and the birds flew high as well.
(GXSGC, #94. 380; TPYL, 479. 2196 & 914. 4052)
191. AN OX SENDS A MESSAGE THROUGH A DREAM
Wang Hua of Langye,16 the protector general, had an ox. It walked very fast, and Wang Hua often rode on it.
Later the ox became old, and Wang dreamed of it talking to him, saying, “I am feeble and old, and I cannot be loaded heavily. It would be okay to carry two people, but I will definitely die if I carry more than two.”
Hua thought it was a chance dream, and he rode it with two other people returning home. The ox really died.
(GXSGC, #194. 408; TPYL, 900. 3995b)
192. JI HAN’S BLACK BULL
During the Yuanjia reign period, the Governor of Yizhou, Ji Han (372–431), was transferred to govern Southern Xuzhou.17 Previously, he had transported a black bull from Shu. He rode on it from time to time and raised and constantly took care of it himself.
When Han suffered from an illness for many days, the bull was also reluctant to eat. When he died, the bull shed a flood of tears.
Before Mr. Ji’s coffin returned to the capital, the advance party drove the bull to the previous residence. The bull was reluctant to move. They knew that this was abnormal, so they waited for the coffin. As soon as the coffin was unloaded from the boat, the bull followed them to leave.
(GXSGC, #245. 423–24; TPYL, 900. 3995b)
193. AN OX KOWTOWS IN TEARS
When Huan Chong (328–384) was governing Jiangling, it was New Year’s Eve, on which an ox was supposed to be boiled.18 After gazing at the guard commander for a long while, the ox suddenly shed tears.19
The guard commander took an oath, saying, “If you can kowtow to me, I will report to [the governor to] let you live.”
No sooner had he finished his words than the ox kowtowed to him. Everyone felt it was odd.
The guard commander told the ox again, “If you really want to live and you kowtow to everyone, I will go directly [to report].”
The ox shed tears like rain, and then it kowtowed endlessly.
By chance Chong was drunk, so the commander was not able to report to the governor. Consequently the ox was butchered. When he awoke from drunkenness, Chong received the report. Hearing of this, he sighed, and the guard commander was severely punished with flogging.
(GXSGC, #96. 381; TPYL, 900. 3995b)
194. THE BIRD IN A HONEY LOCUST TREE
In the yard of Yu Wan, a native of Qu’e,20 there was a honey locust tree more than ten arm spans around and more than ten zhang tall. Its branches were luxuriant and well spaced, shading the houses of several families. A variety of birds lived in it.
Once, Yu Wan asked his servant to cut the upper branches of the tree, and the servant fell off and was almost dead. In the air, someone cursed, “Wan, why do you cut my home?” Then the person pushed and threw tiles and stones at him. All his family, old and young, became exhausted.
This lasted for a year, and then gradually stopped.
(GXSGC, #199. 409; TPYL, 960. 4259b)
195. A RIVER DRAGON’S REVENGE
At the beginning of the Long’an reign period (397–401) of Jin, Xie Sheng of Qu’e entered a lake in a boat to pick water chestnuts. Seeing that a river dragon was coming toward his boat, he avoided it. The river dragon then followed him from behind, so Sheng killed it with his pitchfork. Terrified, he returned home.
Several years passed, yet he encountered no calamities.
In the middle of the Yuanxing reign period (363–365), there was a worldwide drought. Sheng walked together with several fellow travelers to the middle of the lake. He saw his old pitchfork there and picked it up, saying, “This was mine.”
The others asked for the reason; Sheng told them the truth. After walking several steps, he then had a pain in his heart. Only one night after he returned home, he died.
(GXSGC, #144. 395; TPYL, 930. 4135b; TPGJ, 131. 927)
____________
1. Dongchang 東昌 County, established at the end of Wu under Luling Commandery; its seat was in modern Ji’an 吉安 County, Jiangxi.
2. This piece was not included in Lu Xun’s GXSGC edition of Youming lu. It is added from Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成 (Shanghai: Zhonghua, 1934), ed. Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (b. 1651– 1752) et al., 514.37a.
3. For 遠視雲際, “Watched the distant edge of clouds,” TPGJ (460. 3770–71) reads 遠瞻雲際. Both are missing in the GXSGC version.
4. Yingchuan 穎川, modern Yu 禹 County, Henan.
5. TPYL (905. 4015a) reads 至江邊伐荻, “went to the side of river to cut reeds.”
6. TPYL reads 犬髣髴涕泣, “he seemed to weep tears.”
7. The end of the TPYL version adds, 後忽失之，二年尋求，見在顯山 (Later it was lost suddenly. Long looked for it for two years, and then found it in a noted mountain).
8. Huan Huo 桓豁, the younger brother of the Grand Marshal Huan Wen (312–373), was the Governor of Jingzhou from 365 to 377. Minister of Works was his posthumous title.
9. Luling 盧陵 Commandery covered the region around modern Yongfeng 永豐 County, Jiangxi (Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 4. 25–26).
10. Yao Xing 姚興 (366–416), styled Zilue 子略, was the Emperor of Later Qin from 394 to 416.
He seized Luoyang in 399.
11. Guiji, see footnote 21 in chapter 3.
12. Mao Bao’s 毛寶 biography is found in Jin shu, 81. 2122. Defeated by Shi Jilong 石季龍 (r. 335–349) of the Later Zhao (328–351), Mao Bao fell into the river and drowned.
13. Zhucheng 邾城 was located 20 li northwest of modern Huanggang 黃崗, Hubei.
14. Guiyang 桂陽 Commandery, the region centered on the modern city of Chenzhou 郴州, Hunan. See Tan Qixiang, Zhongguo lishi dituji, 3. 54.
15. Fu Jian, see footnote 34 in chapter 4.
16. Langye, see footnote 4 in chapter 2.
17. Ji Han 吉翰, styled Xiuwen 休文, was appointed governor of Yizhou 益州 (modern Sichuan) in the third year of the Yuanjia reign (426), and he was in that position for three years with good reputation before he returned because of illness.
Southern Xuzhou 南徐州, modern Zhenjiang 鎮江, Jiangsu.
18. Huan Chong, a younger brother of Huan Wen.
19. Guard commander, translation of 內帳都督.
20. Qu’e, see footnote 27 in chapter 1.
7
ANECDOTES OF NOTABLE FIGURES
196. GUEST STAR
Emperor Wu of the Han (r. 140–87 BCE) once dressed as a commoner to travel secretly. When passing by the house of a family, he saw a maid with “beauty that could ruin a state.” The emperor liked her, so he took lodging there and slept together with the maid at night.
There was a young scholar lodged also in the same home, who was good at astrology. Suddenly he saw a guest star moving, overshadowing the seat of the emperor and approaching it aggressively.
Startled, the scholar jumped up and shouted continuously, “Ah, tut-tut! Tut-tut!”
Unconsciously he raised his voice. Then he saw that a man, holding a knife, was about to break down the door. Hearing the scholar’s urgent shouting, the man lowered his knife and ran away. At the same time the guest star disappeared.
Hearing his strange voice, the emperor summoned him and inquired about it. The scholar gave him a detailed account of what he had seen. Realizing what had happened, the emperor said to himself, This man must be the husband of the maid, and he intended to kill me. Then he summoned his bodyguards and revealed to the host, “I am the Son of Heaven.”
Thereupon the servant man [lover of the girl] was caught and put to death, and the emperor handsomely rewarded the scholar.
(GXSGC, #27. 357–58; KYZJ, 83. 596–97)
197. THE JADE GIRL
When Emperor Wu of the Han lived in the Sweet Spring Palace,1 a jade girl descended from heaven and frequently played chess with him for entertainment.
The girl was graceful and pretty, so the emperor liked her and tried to force her to have an affair with him. Thereupon the girl spat in the emperor’s face and left. Consequently, he suffered from a skin ulcer for over a year.
The History of Han says, “To prevent sunstroke, [the emperor] lived in the Sweet Spring Palace.” That was exactly the time when he met the jade girl.
(GXSGC, #29. 358; TPYL, 88. 421b & 387. 1790a)
198. LADY FENG
Lady Feng was the Worthy Lady of Emperor Huan (r. 147–167) of the Former Han. Her beauty was matchless.
More than thirty years after her death, a group of robbers opened her tomb and found that the beauty of the lady was the same as before. Striving to rape her, the robbers consequently attacked one another and all died.
(GXSGC, #44. 364; Diaoyu ji 雕玉集, 14)
199. A FOX INTERPRETS CLASSICS
Dong Zhongshu (179–104 BCE) once lowered his curtain and was chanting the classics to himself,2 when a guest arrived. His bearing, manner, voice, and tone were all extraordinary.
The guest talked with him about the five classics, exploring their subtle and profound aspects.
Zhongshu had never heard of such a man, and thus he suspected that he was an anomaly.
The guest said further, “It is going to rain.”3
Then Zhongshu teased him, “Those who live in a nest know when there is wind, and those who live in a hole know when it is raining. If you are not a fox, then you are a rat.”
Hearing these words, the guest turned pale and lost control of himself. He transformed into a fox and left in a hurry.
(GXSGC, #33. 360; TPGJ, 442. 3611–12; TPYL, 912. 4041a)
200. A ROOSTER TALKS ABOUT METAPHYSICS4
Song Chuzong of Pei State, Governor of Yanzhou of the Jin,5 once purchased a constantly crowing rooster. He loved and raised it in an exceptional way, and always doted on it, placing it on the window sill.
Then the rooster uttered human words, talking with Chuzong. Its talk was extremely metaphysical and it never paused all day long.6
Because of this, Chuzong’s ability to talk was greatly improved.
(GXSGC, #156. 398; YWLJ, 91. 1585; TPYL, 918. 4073; SLFZ, 18. 387)
201. WANG FUSI
Wang Fusi (226–249) annotated The Classic of Changes,7 then laughed at Zheng Xuan (127–200) for being a Confucian,8 saying, “That old man made no good points.”
At night, Wang suddenly heard the sound of wooden clogs. In a short while, a man entered, calling himself Zheng Xuan. He reproached Wang, saying, “You are still young, how could you give strained interpretations and draw far-fetched analogies, and absurdly ridicule Laozi?” He looked extremely angry, and after finishing his words he withdrew.
Wang Fusi was terrified and upset. Not long after that, he died of pestilence.9
(GXSGC, #98. 381–82; YWLJ, 79. 1349; TPYL, 883. 3924b)
202. WEN WENG
Wen Weng was once felling a big tree,10 intending to cut it at the point eighteen feet above the ground. He made a vow to the gods first, saying, “If I can eventually have a salary of two thousand bushels [of grain],11 my axe will hit that point.” Then he threw his axe at the tree, and it precisely hit the point.
Later he truly became governor of a commandery.12
(GXSGC, #34. 360; TPYL, 763. 3387)
203. HE BIGAN
He Bigan of the Han dreamed of a noble guest, and his residence filled with carriages and horses.13 After awaking, he told his wife.
Before he finished talking, an old woman, who was about eighty or more, asked to take shelter from the rain. The rain was very heavy, yet her clothes were not at all wet.
Bigan went forward to let her in and gave her a courteous reception. Then she said, “Your ancestor was from [the clan of] Hou Ji, and assisted Yao. The inward effect [of his deeds] will reach down to the Jin era. Today heaven grants you these records [of their deeds].”
The records were like bamboo slips, nine inches long, and totaled nine hundred and ninety. She gave them to him, saying, “His offspring who are able to put on such a slip will be rich and honorable.”
Having said that, she went out of the gate and disappeared
(GXSGC, #36. 361; TPGJ, 137. 982)
204. DIVINING FOR A GRAVEYARD
The father of Yuan An (d. 92) of the Han died.14 His mother sent him to call on a diviner with chicken and wine to inquire about a graveyard.15
On the way Yuan An met three young scholars who asked him, “Where are you going?” Yuan An told them everything. The scholars said, “We know a good graveyard.” Yuan An treated them with the chicken and wine.
After that, they told Yuan An the place, saying, “You should bury your father at this place.16 By doing so your family will be nobles from generation to generation.” Then they said good-bye to him. After they had walked away several steps, Yuan An looked back yet could not see any of them.
Yuan An suspected that they were spirits, so he buried his father at the place they suggested. Consequently, he ascended to the position of Minister of Education. His sons and grandsons were prosperous, and five dukes appeared in his family within four generations.
(GXSGC, #40. 362; TPGJ, 137. 984)
205. THE SEAL OF T
HE MARQUIS OF LOYALTY AND FILIALITY
Zhang Hao,17 a native of Changshan Commandery,18 was the Prime Minister of the State of Liang.19 Once immediately after a rainstorm, a mountain bird resembling a magpie flew down and dropped to the ground. While people were striving to pick it up, it became a ball of stone.
Hao broke it with a stick and obtained a golden seal, which read, “The Seal of the Marquis of Loyalty and Filiality.”
Hao reported this to the royal court. The emperor took it and hid it in a secret chamber. Hao reached the position of Defender-in-Chief in the reign of Emperor Ling of Han (r. 168–189).20
(GXSGC, #42. 363–64; YWLJ, 46. 819; CXJ, 27. 646)
206. PURPLE AIR ABOVE A TOMB
Sun Zhong was a native of Fuchun of Wu Commandery and a descendant of Sun Wu (c. 575–470 BCE).21 Zhong made a living by growing watermelon. When his watermelons began to ripen, three men approached him,22 begging for watermelons to eat. Thereupon Zhong led the three men to his thatched cottage, prepared food, and plucked watermelon to feed them.23
Having finished eating, the three men told Zhong, “We have accepted your great kindness, yet have nothing to repay you with. Please allow us to find a graveyard for you.”
Then they led him to a hill.
The men asked him, “Do you want to be enffeoffed from generation to generation, and be the Son of Heaven for several generations?”
Zhong replied, “Yes.”
Thereupon they pointed to a place, saying, “You should bury your parents there.”
Hidden and Visible Realms Page 22