Empress Wu of Liang 梁武后

The Liang Empress Wu Xi was jealous and envious by nature. When Emperor Wu first ascended the throne he had no opportunity to grant titles, so she became enraged and threw herself in the palace court well. The crowd hurried to the well to rescue her, but the empress had already transformed into a ferocious dragon, smoke and flame rushing to the heavens. Nobody dared approach. The emperor lamented her loss for a long time, conferred the title Heavenly Dragon Prince and erected the ancestral temple atop the well.

From Liangjingji.

梁武后

梁武郗皇后性妬忌。武帝初立。未及冊命。因忿怒。忽投殿庭井中。衆趨井救之。后已化為毒龍。煙焰衝天。人莫敢近。帝悲歎久之。因冊為龍天王。便於井上立祠。

出兩京記

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 418.3406:

劉甲

宋劉甲居江陵。元嘉中。女年十四。姿色端麗。未嘗讀佛經。忽能暗誦法華經。女所住屋。尋有奇光。女云。已得正覺。宜作二七日齋。家為置高座。設寶帳。女登座。講論詞玄。又設人之災祥。諸事皆驗。遠近敬禮。解衣投寶。不可勝數。衡陽王在鎮。躬率參佐觀之。經十二日。有道士史玄真曰。此怪邪也。振褐往焉。女卽已知。遣人守門。云。魔邪尋至。凡着道服。咸勿納之。真變服奄入。女初獪喝罵。真便直前。以水灑之。卽頓絕。良久乃甦。問以諸事。皆云不識。真曰。此龍魅也。自是復常。嫁為宣氏妻。

出諸宮舊事。

Chen Dao 陳導

In the Tang era, one Chen Dao, who came from Yuzhang, made his living as a merchant. During the Longshuo regnal era (661-64 CE), he travelled by boat to Chu and anchored one night at the riverbank, he saw a boat moving upstream towards him as if also to spend the night there. Dao moved his boat nearer to the other, and saw a person, with great eyebrows and a large nose. Like a clerk, he was checking official documents on the boat, and had a retinue of three to five people. Dao questioned him as he might a travel companion, asking: “Where is the gentleman headed? It is fortunate that we both stop for the night at this riverbank.” He of the large eyebrows replied: “Your servant travels to Chu on official business. This meeting is indeed fortunate.” Dao then invited him to cross to his boat, and the eyebrows followed him over.

Dao prepared wine and food, and after several toasts Dao asked his family and given names. Large Eyebrows told him: “My family name is Situ, and my name Bian. I have been sent to Chu, but recently completed my mission.” Dao again questioned him, asking: “What duties are these?” Bian repled: “These duties should not be asked about. For this trip the gentleman should not have Chu as his destination; I would rather you just went to a different place.” Dao asked: “Why?” Bian told him: “I am not a human, but an official envoy from the nether world.” Dao spoke, shocked: “Why should I not go to Chu?” Bian said: “I am going to Chu to perform a calamity. The gentleman will be caught up in it. Moved by the gentleman’s kindness, I therefore provide a warning. The gentleman must, however, count up his money and possessions, as these obstruct his salvation.” Dao begged earnestly to be saved, and Bian told him: “Just wait for me to return from Chu. The gentleman should then prepare a gift of ten or twenty thousand strings of cash, and the gentleman’s home will be spared.” Dao promised to do so, expressed his gratitude and said farewell.

That year, a great fire did indeed spread across Jingchu, consuming tens of thousands of households and leaving very few survivors. After parting from Bian, Dao had been consumed with worry, so turned his boat and started back. When he reached Yuzhang, Bian also arrived there. Dao was mean and stingy by character, and, pleading delay by other affairs, had not gathered the money he had promised. The envoy was furious, and ordered his followers to take a letter to Dao. Dao opened it and had not yet read to the end when fire broke out in his residence, consuming all of his possessions in one evening. Not a single other room was touched, and only Jia’s home burned. Bian then vanished. This [2608] was entirely caused by Dao’s miserly breaking of his agreement.

From Jiyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 328.2607-8:

陳導

唐陳導者。豫章人也。以商賈為業。龍朔中。乃泛舟之楚。夜泊江浦。見一舟。泝流而來。亦宿于此。導乃移舟近之。見一人。厖眉大鼻。如吏。在舟檢勘文書。從者三五人。導以同旅相值。因問之曰。君子何往。幸喜同宿此浦。厖眉人曰。某以公事到楚。幸此相遇。導乃邀過船中。厖眉亦隨之。導備酒饌。飲經數巡。導乃問以姓氏。厖眉人曰。某姓司徒。名弁。被差至楚。已來充使。導又問曰。所主何公事也。弁曰。公不宜見問。君子此行。慎勿以楚為意。願適他土耳。導曰。何也。弁曰。吾非人也。冥司使者。導驚曰。何故不得之楚。弁曰。吾往楚行災。君亦其人也。感君之惠。故相報耳。然君須以錢物計會。方免斯難。導懇苦求之。弁曰。但俟我從楚回。君可備緡錢一二萬相貺。當免君家。導許諾。告謝而別。是歲。果荊楚大火。延燒數萬家。蕩無孑遺。導自別弁後。以憂慮繫懷。及移舟而返。既至豫章。弁亦至矣。導以慳鄙為性。託以他事。未辦所許錢。使者怒。乃命從者。持書一緘與導。導開讀未終。而宅內掀然火起。凡所財物悉盡。是夕無損他室。僅燒導家。弁亦不見。蓋 [2608] 以導慳嗇。負前約而致之也。出集異記

Fang Xuanling 房玄齡

During Fang Xuanling[1] and Du Ruhui’s[2] early, humble years, they once travelled together from Zhou to Qin, lodging at an inn in Fushui. There happened to be good food, so they ate together late at night. Suddenly they caught sight of two hairy black hands emerging below the lamp, as if beckoning to make a request. Each then placed some roasted meat in a hand. After a while the hands came out again, this time cupped together. Each then poured a little wine into them. The hands did not reappear. When the meal was over, they turned away from the lamp and went to bed. At the second watch (9-11pm), they heard someone in the street shouting out continuously to a Wang Wen’ang, and the suddenly heard someone reply from beneath the lamp. The voice said: “Twenty li due east the villagers have a bamboo mat deity, and the wine and food is very plentiful; can you come or not?” It replied: “I’m already drunk and dull of wine and meat. I have public duty, and can’t get away, but appreciate the gentleman’s invitation.” The caller said: “You’ve been starving all day; how do you come to have food and drink? You were never a clerk, so how do you have public duty? Why talk such nonsense?” It replied: “I have come into the official world by serving two future ministers, and they granted me wine and meat, so I can’t leave. If things return to normal and you go in future then I’ll come along.” The caller expressed its thanks and departed.

From Xuxuanguailu.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 327.2598:

房玄齡

房玄齡、杜如晦微時。嘗自周偕之秦。宿敷水店。適有酒肉。夜深對食。忽見兩黑毛手出於燈下。若有所請。乃各以一炙置手中。有頃復出。若掬。又各斟酒與之。遂不復見。食訖。背燈就寢。至二更。聞街中有連呼王文昂者。忽聞一人應於燈下。呼者乃曰。正東二十里。村人有筵神者。酒食甚豐。汝能去否。對曰。吾已醉飽于酒肉。有公事。去不得。勞君相召。呼者曰。汝終日飢困。何有酒肉。本非吏人。安得公事。何妄語也。對曰。吾被界吏差直二相。蒙賜酒肉。故不得去。若常時聞命。即子行吾走矣。呼者謝而去。出續玄怪錄

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[1] Fang Xuanling 房玄齡 (578-648 CE, courtesy name Qiao 喬, posthumous name Wenzhao 文昭), a famous Tang-era minister and historian, compiler of the Jinshu 晉書.

[2] Du Ruhui 杜如晦 (585-630 CE), a celebrated minister under Tang Taizong 太宗 (r. 627-649 CE).

Mr Liu 劉氏

In the latter years of Liang Wudi’s reign (502-49 CE), there was someone surnamed Liu; his given name is not known. He saw a thing on the roof of a hall, its face like that of a lion, but with greying hair hanging from both cheeks, around a chi (33.3cm) in length, having hands and feet like those of a human. It very gradually raised a foot, but then instantly vanished. After a short while Liu died.

From Guanggujinwuxingji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 326.2588:

劉氏

梁武帝末年。有人姓劉。而不知名。于堂屋脊。見一物。面如獅子。兩頰垂白毛。長尺許。手足如人。徐徐舉一足。須臾不見。少時劉死。出廣古今五行記

Wang Yao 王瑤

Wang Yao fell ill and died in the third year of the Song Daming era (459 CE). After Yao’s death a spirit appeared, tall, thin and black in colour, chest bared but wearing knee breeches. It kept coming to the house, sometimes singing and whistling, sometimes speaking of scholars. It would often pelt their food with dirt and filth. It also attacked and struck the Yu family, neighbours on the eastern side, while continuing to visit the Wangs. Yu spoke to the spirit: “Having stones thrown at me is nothing to fear. If you were to throw coins, though, that would truly cause suffering.” The spirit then hurled several dozen new coins, which flew and struck Yu in the forehead. Yu spoke up again: “New coins can’t cause pain. I only fear black coins!” The spirit then pelted him with black coins. This happened six or seven times over, after which he had obtained over a hundred cash.

From Shuyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 325.2583:

王瑤

王瑤。宋大明三年。在都病亡。瑤亡後。有一鬼。細長黑色。袒著犢鼻褌。恒來其家。或歌嘯。或學人語。常以糞穢投入食中。又于東鄰庾家犯觸人。不異王家時。庾語鬼。以土石投我。了〈了原作子。據明鈔本改。〉非所畏。若以錢見擲。此真見困。鬼便以新錢數十。飛擲庾額。庾復言。新錢不能令痛。唯畏烏錢耳。鬼以烏錢擲之。前後六七過。合得百餘錢。出述異記

Liu Shulun 柳叔倫

At the beginning of the Song Emperor Xiaowu’s Daming era (457-65 CE), Commander-in-Chief Liu Shulun was lodging in the former residence of the Hengyang Wang. In the fifth year Daming (461 CE), he suddenly saw a footprint, two cun in length (c.6.6cm). Lun had a maid called Xixin, and when he sent her to fetch water to launder clothes, a thing appeared in the empty air, overturning the vessel and spilling the water. Lun drew his knife and called out to the maid, then heard something rush closely past him, so chopped at it with the blade, feeling it strike home. When he shone firelight upon it, blood covered the ground. Twenty days later, the maid fell ill and died. Lun then moved her corpse outside. The following day he went to find the corpse but was unable to find it.

From Guanggujinwuxingji

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 325.2582-83:

柳叔倫

宋孝武大明初。太尉柳叔倫。住故衡陽王故第。大明五年。忽見一腳跡。長二寸。倫有婢細辛。使取水澣衣。空中有物。傾器倒水。倫拔刀呼婢。在側聞有物行聲。以刀斫之。覺有所中。以火照之。流血覆地。後二十日。婢病死。倫即移尸出外。明日覓尸。不知所在。出廣古今五行記

Guo Xiuzhi 郭秀之

Guo Xiuzhi settled in Hailing. In the twenty-ninth year of the [Liu] Song Yuanjia era (452 CE), aged seventy-three, he fell ill and remained in the main room. To the north was a large date tree, more than four zhang tall (c. 13.2m). When a young maid rose early, opening the door and sweeping the floors, she caught sight of a person up in the tree, tall, strong and black in colour, wearing a black wrapper and cap, black leather shirt and trousers. In its hands it held bow and arrows, and it faced directly south. The entire household came to look, and all seeing it understood. Xiuzhi came leaning on a cane to see it. The figure told Xiuzhi: “Your servant has come to summon the gentleman. The gentleman should prepare himself quickly.” At sunrise it was suddenly no longer visible. The same happened over fifty-three days in total. After Xiuzhi had died it ceased.

From Shuyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 325.2581:

郭秀之

郭秀之。寓居海陵。宋元嘉二十九年。年七十三。病止堂屋。北有大棗樹。高四丈許。小婢晨起。開戶掃地。見棗樹上有一人。修壯黑色。著皁襆帽。烏韋袴褶。手操弧矢。正立南面。舉家出看。見了了。〈了字原闕。據明鈔本補。〉秀之扶杖視之。此人謂秀之曰。僕來召君。君宜速裝。日出便不復見。積五十三日如此。秀之亡後便絕。出述異記

Suo Wanxing 索萬興

Suo Wanxing, from Dunhuang, was seated at the eastern side of the government hall when a maid suddenly caught sight of a person, wearing a headwrap and leading a piebald horse, who came straight in at the gate. On his back he bore an item very like a black leather bag that might be used to cushion one’s back. Placing this below the step, he led his horse back out of the gate. The cushion then began to rotate and moved directly into the centre of the building. Reaching the foot of the divan it rose, coming to a halt before Xing’s knees. The leather then unrolled itself in all directions, and he seemed to be surrounded be eyes. These moved and winked in a most abominable fashion. After a long time, it slowly returned to its former shape, went back to rotating, and descended from the divan, sinking to the step and departing. Xing ordered the maid to follow it, but it vanished at the eastern end of the hall. Offended by this, he fell ill and died.

From Shuyiji. 

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 325.2581:

索萬興

敦煌索萬興。晝坐廳事東間齋中。一奴子忽見一人著幘。牽一驄馬。直從門入。負一物。狀如烏皮隱囊。置砌下。便牽馬出門。囊自輪轉。徑入齋中。緣牀腳而上。止于興膝前。皮即四處卷開。見其中周匝是眼。動瞬甚可憎惡。良久。又還更舒合。仍輪轉下牀。落砌而去。興令奴子逐至廳事東頭滅。惡之。因得疾亡。出述異記

Qu Jingzhi 區敬之

In the first year of the Liu Song Yuanjia era (424 CE), Qu Jingzhi, who was from a Nankang County barracks household, boarded a boat with his son to travel upstream from the county. Threading deep into small streams, they reached wild and difficult territory where humans had never before set foot. In the evening they climbed the bank and found a place to spend the night, but Jingzhi suffered a sudden illness and died. His son kindled a fire and guarded the body. Suddenly he heard the distant sound of a voice, calling out “Uncle!” The filial son was suspicious and alarmed, but in the blink of an eye the shouting person was [2571] right there. About as tall as a human, it was covered in hair, right down to its feet, and a great deal of hair covered its face, leaving the seven apertures[1] quite invisible. It then asked the filial son his family and given names, and gave its condolences. The filial son was terrified, and assembled his firewood into a blaze. The thing told him it had come to offer sympathy, and that there was no reason to be afraid. He was about to feed the fire higher, when the figure sat by the corpe’s head and began to wail. When the boy stole a glance at it in the firelight, he noticed that the thing’s face covered the dead man’s, and that the corpse’s was split open down to the very bone. The filial son was horrified, and wanted to strike it, but had no stave or weapon. Before long, his father’s corpse was reduced to a succession of white bones, the skin and flesh having entirely vanished. He never worked out what kind of deity or spirit it was.

From Shuyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 324.2570-71:

區敬之

南康縣營民區敬之。宋元嘉元年。與息共乘舫。自縣泝流。深入小溪。幽荒險絕。人跡所未嘗至。夕登岸。停止舍中。敬之中惡猝死。其子燃火守尸。忽聞遠哭聲。呼阿舅。孝子驚疑。俛仰間。哭者已 [2571] 至。如人長大。被髮至足。髮多蔽面。不見七竅。因呼孝子姓名。慰唁之。孝子恐懼。遂聚〈遂聚二字原空缺。據明鈔本補。〉薪以燃火。此物言故來相慰。當何所畏。將須燃火。此物坐亡人頭邊哭。孝子於火光中竊窺之。見此物以面掩亡人面。亡人面須臾裂剝露骨。孝子懼。欲擊之。無兵杖。須臾。其父尸見白骨連續。而皮肉都盡。竟不測此物是何鬼神。出述異記

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[1] The ‘seven apertures’ qiqiao 七竅 are the two eyes, two nostrils, two ears and a mouth.

A Fuyang Native 富陽人

At the beginning of the Song Yuanjia era (424-53 CE), a native of Fuyang surnamed Wang set up a crab-catching weir in an empty ditch. At dawn he went to look at it, and saw the end of a wooden casket, more than two chi (60cm) long, which had split the trap. The crabs had all escaped. He mended the weir, removing the casket and placing it on the bank. When he went to check on it the next day, he found the casket back in the weir, which was ruined in the same way. Wang mended the weir once more. When he went to look again, what he saw was the same as when he had started. Wang suspected that this piece of wood was a supernatural entity. He therefore put it in his crabbing basket, tied this to his carrying pole and returned. He said to himself: “When I get back I should chop this up and burn it.” Three li short of the house he heard a sudden movement, and turned his head to find that the wood had transformed into a thing with a human face, monkey body, one hand and one single foot. Addressing Wang, it said: “By nature I am very fond of crabs, so I entered the water and destroyed your crabbing weir. We have both already suffered greatly, and I hope the gentleman can forgive me, opening the basket and letting me out. I am a mountain spirit, and we should help one another; I could spread your weir wide and wait for your crabs.” Wang replied: “You bully and abuse people, but that changes now. Your crimes require a death sentence.” The thing turned and stamped, begging to be released, and asked over and over what Wang’s given and family names might be. Wang turned his head but refused to answer. As they came closer to the house, the thing said: “So you won’t release me, and you won’t tell me your name. There’s nothing for it but to await execution.” When Wang arrived at home, he kindled a fire and burned the thing. Afterwards all was still and there was no more strangeness.

Local customs call such things ‘mountain elves’,[1] and report that, if they know a person’s family and given names, they can cause harm to that person. They thus ask with great persistence, in order to cause injury and to free themselves.

From Shuyiji.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 323.2560:

富陽人

宋元嘉初。富陽人姓王。于窮瀆中作蟹籪。旦往視。見一材頭。長二尺許。在籪裂開。蟹出都盡。乃修治籪。出材岸上。明往看之。見材復在籪中。敗如前。王又治籪。再往視。所見如初。王疑此材妖異。乃取納蟹籠中。繫擔頭歸。云。至家當破燃之。未之家三里。聞中倅動。轉顧。見向材頭變成一物。人面猴身。一手一足。語王曰。我性嗜蟹。此寔入水破若蟹籪。相負已多。望君見恕。開籠出我。我是山神。當相佑助。使全籪大待蟹。王曰。汝犯暴人。前後非一。罪自應死。此物轉頓。請乞放。又頻問君姓名為何。王回顧不應答。去家轉近。物曰。既不放我。又不告我姓名。當復何計。但應就死耳。王至家。熾火焚之。後寂無復異。土俗謂之山魈。云。知人姓名。則能中傷人。所以勤問。正欲害人自免。出述異記

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[1] This term is shanxiao 山魈.