Zhiguai Translations

An Official Salary Is Predestined 館俸前定

Liu Chaolin of Nancheng had a talent for dreams, and was diligent and gentlemanly in conduct. One night he dreamed that he arrived in a different place, finding, beneath a pair of pomegranate trees, a pit containing a thousand strings of coins. He mused to himself about having led his whole life without such vain desires, and wondered how he’d come to this. Before long, Dai Xunsi (unidentified so far!) summoned him to office to teach the sons and nephews of the court, with a salary of a hundred strings of coins. Entering the residence he saw a pair of pomegranate trees, just like those of his dream. He served there for ten years, and then achieved the civil service degree in a wuxu year, and departed.[1]

Anon., Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.39 (Tale 70):

館俸前定

南城劉巢林夢材，篤行君子也。一夕夢至二所，兩石榴樹下獲錢一窖，凡千緡。自念平生無妄想，何以至此。未幾，戴尋思招之館，教子侄，歲俸百緡。入齋見庭前兩石榴樹，宛然夢中，凡十年，登戊戌第而去。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.) Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986)

[1] Wuxu 戊戌 denotes the thirty-fifth of the sixty-year cycle, and in this context might potentially refer to 1118, 1178 or 1238 CE.

King Qian Manifests In A Dream 錢王現夢

Song Gaozong (r. 1127-62) was the ninth son of Huizong (r. 1100-26). While his mother, the Empress Wei, was pregnant, Huizong dreamed that the King of Wuyue Qian Chu came to call on him.[1] On waking, he marvelled at this. It was the second year Daguan (1108 CE). At Gaozong’s birth, a red light filled the palace chamber. In the second year Xuanhe (1120), he was given the title Prince of Kang. At the turn of the Jingkang era (1126-27), the prince was often sent to the Jin as a hostage and spent time among their troops. When the Jin Crown Prince and the Prince of Kang traded bowshots, the latter hit all three volleys, smashing their arrowheads and leaving them hanging together in bundles. The Jin prince was terrified, believing that he was a deity, and thinking silently to himself: “The Song crown prince has grown up [7] deep within the palace, accustomed to wealth and station, so horse riding cannot be his strong point. Now, such expert archery must mean that the southern court have selected a skilled warrior from amongst their clan to take the prince’s place as a hostage; he must be an impostor. Keeping him is of no benefit; he should be returned. Exchanging him and having the true crown prince come as a hostage would be better.” In this way Gaozong won his release.

Changing his clothes he ran helter-skelter down a side road, and when the strength in his legs eventually gave way to exhaustion, he took a nap between the steps of the Cuifujun Temple. In his dream he heard a spirit telling him “The Jin have sent soldiers here; you must leave quickly.” The Prince of Kang looked all around, unsure what to do, and the spirit spoke again: “There is a horse prepared and waiting at the gate; leave quickly, great prince; you must not be caught.” The Prince of Kang awoke from his dream to find a horse already by his side. Leaping atop his mount, the prince galloped away to the south, covering seven hundred li in a single day. When he came to cross the (Yellow) River, his horse would not advance, and when he looked down he realised that it was made of mud. He then understood how the spirits had helped him. Seeking a crossing, he arrived, extremely hungry and thirsty, at a small village, and received food from a very old woman. She invited him inside, and then went back out in front of the house. Just then a number of mounted soldiers arrived in pursuit, and asked her: “There is an official, dressed like us; has he passed this way or not?” The elderly woman considered these words awhile, thinking about the manner of the man she’d just fed, and replied: “It has been several days since he passed through.” His pursuers beat their riding crops against their saddles, exclaiming: “Alas! Alas!” They then turned back, giving up the chase.

When the old woman went back to him, she said: “I see that the official is no vagabond; could it be that you are a person of the imperial palace? Just now some pursuit riders came asking questions, but I have hoodwinked them and they turned back.” The Prince of Kang replied: “I am fleeing to the south, and have arrived here famished and thirsty. I am indebted to you, but faced with these questions in truth I dare not answer, but wish to keep my secret.” The old woman said: “May the Great Prince please be at ease.” After a little while, she prepared a meal and brought it, also taking out several hundred liang of silver and presenting it to him, explaining: “My son was Li Rushui, and he died as their captive. I wish the great prince to devote this to the service of the realm.” The Prince of Kang was therefore able to flee to Xiangzhou and issue a proclamation recruiting troops to rescue the princes.

He then ascended the Flying Immortal Pavilion within the prefectural garden, took up bow and arrow and, looking at its inscribed board, prayed: “If I hit that tablet, I will ‘pay heed to news from the capital’” (i.e., play a role in governing the realm). He fired three times and did indeed hit three times, and those around him were deeply moved and congratulated one another. He also spoke to the commanding officer: “In the night I dreamed that an emperor removed his imperial robes and gave them to me. I removed my former robes and dressed myself in his gifts; what omen does this carry?” After a little while, the city gates were sealed as the official attendant Qin Zaiji had arrived with an imperial decree hidden within a wax medicine ball. This ordered him to serve as commander-in-chief, and to issue forth with an army. Just as the prince set out from Xiangzhou, an envoy galloped up to report that the Yellow River had not fully frozen over. The multitude all turned pale. The prince prayed to the spirits of heaven and earth and to the rivers. When they arrived at the Zihedu crossing, the river had become solid ice, so they went straight over. At that time, Huizong and Qinzong (r. 1125-27) had already departed on their ‘northern hunt’, and an imperial rescript from Huizong was presented, which read: “It would be better to ascend the throne than come to rescue your [8] father and mother.” Moreover, there was a decree from the Yuanyou Empress addressed to the Prince of Kang, which said, in outline: “Only when the House of Han had suffered ten generations of hardship did the prosperity of Guangwu arise; the lord having been presented with nine sons, only Chong’er (Duke Wen of Jin, 697–628 BCE) remained.[2] This can only be heaven’s will; how could it possibly be by human design?” The Prince of Kang bowed and accepted this, ascending the throne in Nanjing.

Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.6-8 (Tale 8)

錢王現夢

宋高宗，徽宗第九子也。母韋后在娠時，徽宗夜夢吳越王錢俶來謁，覺而異之，時大觀二年也。高宗生於宮中，紅光滿室。宣和二年，封康王。靖康之變，康王常質金人軍中，金國太子與康王同出射，連發三矢皆中，破其筈，纍纍懸於其上。金太子驚以為神，默計之曰：「宋太子生長 [7] 深宮，狃於富貴，鞍馬非其所長。今善射如此，意南朝揀選宗室中之長於武藝者冒名為質，必非真也。留之無益，不如遣還，換真太子來質乃善。」高宗由是得逸。遂易服間道奔竄，足力疲睏，乃假寐於崔府君廟階砌間，夢神人報曰：「金人追兵至，必速去之。」康王徬徨四顧，神曰：「已備馬門首伺侯矣，大王急行，毋為所及也。」康王驚夢，則馬已在其側矣。王踴躍上馬，疾馳而南，一日行七百里，渡河而馬不前，下視之，則泥馬也，始悟為神物之助。暨河渡，至一村莊，飢渴甚，謁飯於一老嫗。嫗延入莊內坐，復出莊前，則有數騎追至，問：「有一官人，狀貌若是，曾從此過否？」嫗思其言狀貌類謁飯者，乃答之：「已過數日矣。」追騎以鞭敲鞍曰：「可惜！可惜！」遂返而不追。嫗歸，語曰：「吾觀官人非客旅也，得非宮中人乎？適有追騎來問，吾已紿之而還矣。」康王曰：「吾奔逃至南，飢渴至此，既承見問，敢不實對，願密之。」嫗曰：「請大王安心。」少頃，辦飯進，因出銀數百兩以獻曰：「吾兒李若水也，已死於虜矣。國家大事，願大王勉之。」康王由此奔相州，揭榜召兵勤王。因登郡圃飛仙亭，視其牌額，持弓矢而祝曰：「若中此牌，則必聞京師音耗。」果三發三中，左右動色相賀。又語幕府曰：「夜來夢皇帝脫所御袍賜吾，吾解舊衣而服（「服」原作「復」，據元刻本改。）所賜，此何祥也？」頃時京師闔門祗候秦仔齎蠟詔來，命為大元帥，速頒兵入衛。時王發兵相州，使臣馳報黃河未凍，衆失色，王禱天地河神。行至子河渡，而河冰凍已合，遂渡河。時徽宗、欽宗已北狩矣，有使臣曹勛自河北竄歸，進徽宗御札曰：「便可即真，來救 [8] 父母。」又奉元祐皇后手詔迎康王，其略曰：「漢家之厄十世，宜光武之中興；獻公之子九人，惟重耳之尚在。茲乃天意，夫豈人謀！」康王拜受，遂即位於南京。

[1] This is Qian Chu 錢俶 (929-88, r. 947-78, courtesy name Wende 文德, known as Qian Hongchu 錢弘俶 until 960), the last king of Wuyue, who surrendered his kingdom to the Song. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qian_Chu.

[2] This seems to refer to the famous and unexpected ascendance of Duke Wen in 636 BCE after a period of turbulence. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Wen_of_Jin.

Traitorous And Unfilial 悖逆不孝

In the village of Cunluo, in Yangzhou, within Shu, there was a man surnamed Wang who had once turned against his father and mother. People mocked him, the officials punished him, but he would not repent. One day he became seriously ill. Nearby was a temple devoted to a powerful spirit, and this addressed him in a dream: “If you approach my hall, burn incense and promise offerings, you will recover.” The betrayer dragged his exhausted body out of bed and departed. When he fell to his knees in prostration, a great snake suddenly emerged from beneath the altar. With a red crown and a black body, it was over a zhang (3.3m) in length, and wound itself around his body, keeping its head stationary before his face and licking it all the while. He cried out to the spirit for help, swearing on his life that he would never again dare to be insolent. The snake drew back, unwound itself and departed. From then on he changed resolutely into a filial son.

The unfilial are punished by the spirits, and the nether world is indeed to be feared!

Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.21 (Tale 36):

悖逆不孝

蜀洋州村落間有姓汪者，嘗悖逆其父母，人諷之，官罪之，皆不悛。一日病甚，近有威靈廟神，夢之云：「汝可來吾祠下，燒香許祭即愈。」悖逆之人扶憊而去。方跪拜間，神坐下忽有一大蛇出，紅冠黑質，長一丈餘，絞其身，仍以頭對其面而舐之。其人遂拜告於神，誓死不敢無狀，蛇方逡巡脫去。自後痛改為孝子。不孝為神所譴，冥冥間可畏也。

Unfilial Service To In-Laws 事姑不孝

The mother of Li Sheng, of Xingzhou, was old and somewhat blind, and Li Sheng served her with great filial piety. Whenever he went out, he worried that his wife, née Jin, might fail to serve her properly, so always repeated his instructions to her several times, only setting off after he had done so. The lady Jin did not heed her husband’s advice, and did not observe the proper manners. His mother complained and grumbled about her a great deal, and Jin resented this. When she was preparing to bake shaobing biscuits to give to her mother-in-law, she noticed that dung from their baby son lay next to her. Jin took this and added it to the flour of the biscuit filling. Li’s mother had eaten half of the biscuit when she became aware if a horrible smell and could eat no more, leaving the rest and waiting for her son to return. When Li arrived, he saw that his mother had been fed with filth, so took up a cane and beat Jin until she fled, vanishing into the distance. Suddenly, a disembodied voice reported: “Yesterday the fugitive entered the King Guan Temple.” When Li Sheng went to the temple, he saw a dog lying beneath the offerings table, glowering so fiercely he did not dare approach. He then called for Jin’s mother and father to come and see, at which the hound wept streams of tears and explained: “I ought not to have served up filth to my mother-in-law in such an unfilial manner. When I entered the temple I suddenly turned into a dog!” Several days later she died.

Long ago there was a woman called A Li, whose son travelled for trade, sometimes not returning for years at a time. Her daughter-in-law, Qisao, stayed in the home. Whenever this woman cooked she prepared two dishes; coarse grains for her mother-in-law, but white rice for herself. Li was troubled by the woman’s disobedience, but had to endure her insults. Even accepting the inedible meals presented to her, as Li did not dare speak up. One day the wife went to a neighbouring house, leaving her mother-in-law at home. A monk came holding his alms bowl and begging for rice, but Li said: “I can’t fill my own belly! How can I give alms?” When the monk pointed to the white rice in the kitchen, Li said: “That is what my daughter-in-law Qisao eats. I daren’t give that away. I worry that she would certainly humiliate and insult me when she comes back. I had coarse rice for my breakfast, and have a little left over to prepare for lunch; you could take that.” Before the monk could answer, they heard Qisao arrive outside. When the woman saw the monk eating, she said, quite furiously: “If you want my white rice, you should take off your kasaya robe[1] and hand it over in exchange.” The monk then removed his robe. As the younger woman picked it up, the monk suddenly [21] vanished. The kasaya wrapped around her body and turned into cowhide. Imprisoned within, she could not take it off. A growth of cow hairs grew across the chest opening, and, gradually, body, head, face, all transformed. Her parents were hastily summoned, but when they arrived she had entirely transformed into an ox!

Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.20-21 (Tale 35)

事姑不孝

邢州李生母，年老目盲，李生事之至孝。每出外，慮其妻金氏侍奉有闕，必再三囑付之而後往。金氏不聽夫語，不盡禮，母甚埋怨，金氏憤之。恰值燒餅欲進母，傍有小兒阿糞，金氏乃以麵裹糞為餅餡以進，母食既半，覺臭穢不可食，遂留以待兒歸。李生歸，見其以穢物食母，持杖擊之，金氏奔走，尋邏不見。忽有人報云：「昨日奔入關王廟中。」李生入廟，見一狗伏於案下，睜目不敢親近。遂呼金氏父母來看，此狗流涕自稱曰：「我不合以穢物奉姑不孝，忽入廟中化為狗矣！」數日而卒。

昔有婦人阿李，有子出外經商，累年不歸，止有兒婦七嫂在家。婦每飯則兩炊，姑飯以麥，婦自白飯。李稍與婦忤，必受辱罵，至於麥飯亦不進食，李忍辱而不敢言。一日婦往鄰家，留姑守舍，有僧持缽至門乞飯，李曰：「我自不能飽，安有捨施！」僧指廚中白飯，李曰：「此我兒婦七嫂自吃底，我不敢以施人，恐歸必辱罵我。我但有早食麥飯，尚有一合留備午餉，如用即取去。」僧未答，聞七嫂外歸。婦見僧乞飯，大怒曰：「汝要我白飯，可脫袈裟換。」僧即脫下。婦纔披之，僧忽 [21] 不見，袈裟著身變為牛皮，牢不可脫，胸閭先生牛毛一片，漸變身體頭面。急執其父母至，則全身化為牛矣！

[1] On this robe, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasaya_(clothing).

Lightning Strikes The Unfilial 雷擊不孝

In Wugongkou, in Wen, there were two criminal youths intending to make trouble. As each still had a mother, they plotted together that each would kill the other’s parent, and they could then stage an uprising. The chief plotter [20] was one Chen Wusi, who was then apprenticed in a restaurant as a cook, but not yet being allowed to prepare food, was stationed at the rear of the kitchen. A shepherd boy, called Wang Zheng, suddenly saw a person, a full zhang (3.3m) in height, enter the gate bearing a brocade-wrapped document. Everything went hazy for a while. It then came back out grasping the youth. There was the sound of a thunderclap. Wusi’s kerchief was pierced through, a hole visible deep into the crown of his head. He leaned against the wall and died.

Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.19-20 (Tale 34):

雷擊不孝

溫之吳公口有二惡少，謀欲生事，尚各有母，欲假手於同謀者互殺其母，而後舉事。其主謀 [20] 者陳五四者，正在練店內烹飪，尚未得食，立於竈後。有牧童王正，忽見有丈身之人攜錦皮簿書入門，恍惚間，先攜小童出門外，霹靂一聲，五四頭巾穿破，頭頂上一竅穿透，靠壁而死。

Entering Water, Saving Mother 赴水救母

When Su Song (1020-1101)[1] was Governor of Wuzhou, his mother, Lady of the Wei Realm, boarded a boat to visit him at his place of work, and the gentleman had set out to meet her. While going upstream on the Xiang River, they encountered a rapid torrent, and the boat turned side-on to the flow and threatened to capsize. The gentleman cried out, and without fear of the water swam out to save her. Before long, the boat suddenly recovered its alignment, allowing the lady to climb onto the bank. It then capsized. It is certain that, moved by his earnest filial piety, the spirits acted to shield and support her; this is the only explanation of this occurrence.

Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 前1.18 (Tale 29):

赴水救母

蘇頌知婺州日，其母魏國夫人方乘舟而來任所，公往迎迓。偶泝湘江，水暴迅，舟橫欲覆，公哀號，不懼水漲，赴水救之。未及，舟忽自正，及夫人甫出抵岸，舟乃覆。信知孝誠所感，神物護持，方能至此。

[1] On the polymath Su Song 蘇頌, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Song.

A Disobedient Horse in Jizhou 濟州逆馬

At the beginning of the Zhenghe era (1111-18), a horse belonging to a villager in Jizhou gave birth to a foal. After seven days, it was just as big as its mother. On its forehead was a single eye, with two eyeballs; its nose had a snout like that of a dragon. Around its snout and on its hooves were markings like those of a tiger. In colour it was bright red, and from both of its forelegs arose fleshy flames. One evening, it ate its own mother, leaving not the slightest trace of skin or bone, and escaped into the fields. The populace feared that it might cause trouble, so gathered several dozen people to pursue and kill it. A painter living nearby painted it to show people. This beast can indeed be numbered among the ungrateful children!

Hong Mai 洪邁, He Zhuo 何卓 (ed.), Yi Jian Zhi 夷堅志 (Record of Yi Jian) 4 volumes (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1981), iv, 丁, 7.592:

濟州逆馬

政和初，濟州村民家馬生駒，七日，大與母等，額上一目，中有二晴，鼻吻如龍，吻邊與蹄上斑文如虎，色正赤，兩膊皆起肉焰。一夕，食其母，皮骨無遺，逸出田間。民慮其為患，集數十人追殺之。近邸畫工圖其形以示人，蓋獸中梟獍也。