Yu Shaozhi, known in his childhood as Daofu, who lived in Xinye under the Jin, served as Prefectural Chief of Xiangdong and had a strong sentimental attachment to his maternal cousin, Zong Xie of Nanyang. Shao[zhi] fell ill and died at the end of the Yuanxing era (402-5 CE), but during Yixi (405-19) he suddenly manifested and visited Xie. In appearance and clothing he seemed just as he had in life, except that both of his feet were in shackles. On his arrival, he removed the shackles, placed them on the ground and sat down. Xie asked him how he had managed to return and visit, to which he replied: “I received a temporary pass to return, and because of my fondness for the gentleman, came to call.” Xie enquired about the affairs of spirits and deities, but the replies were always vague and sketchy, not particularly coherent. He would only say: “One should be diligent in advancement, and must never take life. If you are unable fully to break off, you must not slaughter cattle, and, when eating meat, avoid swallowing the heart.” Xie asked: “Do the five organs[1] therefore differ from meat?” He replied: “The heart is the secret residence of the spirit, so the crime is especially severe.” He then asked after his relatives, so they discussed worldly affairs. Towards the end, he again requested wine. Xie was then in possession of prickly ash wine,[2] so laid this out for Shaozhi. The latter reached for his cup but did not drink, remarking that there was a dogwood spirit. Xie asked: “Is it evil?” He replied: “The lower ranks all fear it; I am not alone in this.” Shaozhi’s voice and character was loud and strong, and as he said this there was little difference from his character in life. After a short while, Xie’s son Siuzhi approached. When Shao heard the sound of clogs, he took on a look of great fear. He told Xie: “I have overstepped the limits of my vitality and can afford to stay no longer. I will only be parted from the gentleman for three years.” He then bowed to Xie and rose, vanishing as soon as he had crossed the threshold. Xie later served as Permanent Gentleman-Attendant, and indeed died after three years.
From Mingxiangji.
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, 321.2547:
庾紹之
晉新埜庾紹之。小字道覆。湘東太守。與南陽宗協。中表昆弟。情好綢繆。紹元興末病亡。義熙中。忽見形詣協。形貌衣服。具如平生。而兩腳著械。既至。脫械置地而坐。協問何由得來顧。答云。暫蒙假歸。與卿親好。故相過也。協問鬼神之事。言輒漫略。不甚諧對。唯云。宜勤精進。不可殺生。若不能都斷。可勿宰牛。食肉之時。勿啗物心。協云。五臟與肉。乃有異耶。答曰。心者藏神之宅也。其罪尤重。具問親戚。因談世事。末復求酒。協時與茱萸酒。因為設之。酒至杯不飲。云有茱萸氣。協曰。為惡耶。答云。下官皆畏之。非獨我也。紹之為人。語聲高壯。比言倫時。不異恒日。有頃。協兒邃之來。紹聞屐聲。極有懼色。謂協曰。生氣見陵。不復得住。與卿三年別耳。因貫械而起。出戶便滅。協後為正員郎。果三年而卒。出冥祥記
[1] I.e., the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys.
[2] On this plant, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanthoxylum_ailanthoides.
Zhiguai Translations 