Zhou Ju’an of Ancheng passed the civil examinations when very young, and was first employed as registrar and constable of Songzi in Jiangling. One night within a few months of taking up the post, his father Zhou Hongbo dreamt that the sage protector Zhenwu addressed him, saying: “Your son began his official career very young, but in recent days fox spirits have transformed into seven women bringing complaints in order to turn his head; you should deal with the matter.” As soon as he awoke, he told his son about the dream. Ju’an waited until dawn to see to the matter, first, having already summoned military officers to the government office, he waited for them to arrive. Suddenly, when he had started to judge cases, seven women came to make speeches presenting their complaints, and the constable-registrar judged the cases with composure. Before long the hubbub and noise became extreme, at which he shouted to the soldiers, who shackled and jailed them, although two had already slipped away. The five people all changed into foxes, but said: “You should not kill us, killing us would not be auspicious.” The registrar-constable did not answer, but eventually had them flogged to death, reporting the matter to the government office.
At that time the Vice Grand Councilor Bie was a prominent judge in Jiangling, and was especially pleased to receive his report, soon writing a proclamation that he would come and commend Constable-Registrar Zhou at his office. The Zhous, father and son, on receiving this proclamation, were more than a little surprised, and wondered whether there might be some other reason behind it. On his arrival, Vice Grand Councilor Bie, seeing them, said: “Your Honour passed the civil examination very young, at a similar age to your servant. Your servant too, on first taking office, had fox spirits come having transformed themselves into women, and immediately had them executed. Your killing them, sir, was entirely fitting.” He then proclaimed that [Zhou] serve as a judge among his subordinates. When the time came for the constable to set out and take up this post, he prepared his cap and clothing and said farewell to his ancestral temple. Suddenly he saw, in front of him as he walked, an elderly fox sitting upright with some dignity in the hall. It spoke: “The gentleman has killed five of our people, and ought to be killed for this; as the gentleman is moving away, the rich and powerful of near and far must order the taking of five people from the gentleman’s family.” The constable was angry, and struck out at the old fox with the tablet he was holding, at which it died.
Within two years, his two younger brothers died, his two younger sisters died, his father died, and people said this was the fox spirit’s vengeance. Why? One’s life and death is a matter of fate; how could a fox spirit [252] wrest this away? This was merely chance. Ju’an later rose to the seventh grade in Nanxiong, and eventually died.
Anon, Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi, 後2.251-52 (Tale 453):
妖狐陳狀
安成周居安，少年登科，初任江陵松滋簿尉。之任未數月，乃父周洪伯夜夢所事佑聖真武告之曰：「汝子初仕少年，來日有妖狐化作七婦人告狀，以惑汝子，可治之。」翌早，洪伯以所夢告其子。居安待旦視事，先已約束兵使在衙，待其來矣。方判事間，忽有婦女七人來陳狀詞，簿尉判事自若。未幾喧嘩之甚，遂喝兵使縛之，枷鎖入獄，已失其二。五人盡變為狐，卻云：「不可殺我，殺我不祥。」簿尉不答，竟杖死之，以其事申府。時別參政之傑判江陵，得申狀極喜，尋檄周簿尉過本府稟儀。周之父子當被檄之時，不無驚訝，疑有異故。及至，別參政見之，乃云：「足下少年登科，與某登科年相若也。某之初任亦有妖狐化婦而來者，當即殺之。君殺之甚宜。」遂檄為椽屬。尉捧檄啟行之時，具冠裳辭家廟，忽見前所走之老狐踞坐公廳云：「公殺我五人，本合殺公以去，富貴方遠，必公家取五人之命。」尉怒，以所執手版擊之，老狐隨斃。二年之內，二弟死，二妹死，其父死，或曰「曰」原作「者」，據明刻本改。妖狐之報也。吁！夫人死生有命，豈妖狐所 [252] 能奪也，第偶然爾。居安後得七秩南雄而終。
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).
Zhiguai Translations 