[Classical] The Shadow of the Wutong Tree

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

*The Shadow of the Wutong Tree* comprises twelve chapters, its full title being *Newly Compiled Wutong Shadow Lyrics*, also known as *Newly Compiled Wutong Shadows for Awakening the World*. "Lyrics" (词话) is a form of popular literature in ancient China; "lyrics" (词) refers to lyrics, and "narratives" (话) refers to spoken words, i.e., storytelling. Works with both lyrics and spoken words, and both spoken and sung, are called *lyrics* (词话). This term was quite common in the Ming Dynasty, first appearing in eleven Ming Chenghua-era woodblock prints unearthed in Jiading, Shanghai in 1967, as well as famous works such as *Jin Ping Mei Lyrics* and *The Great Tang Qin King Lyrics*. However, this term was extremely rare in the Qing Dynasty, which is noteworthy. This book has a Xiaohuaxuan woodblock print edition, likely published during the Kangxi era, with the author unknown. Judging from the content, the author was probably a Suzhou native who transitioned from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty, and the book is likely a late work.

In ancient Chinese novels, monks and actors are often the targets of satire and ridicule, especially regarding sexual matters, where they are easily attacked.

Monks are renunciation practitioners, supposedly pure of heart and free from desires; however, precisely because they abstain from sexual relations and lack normal sexual life, their long-term sexual repression makes their yearning for sex far greater than that of laypeople. Thus, those whose karmic roots are not purified, whose willpower is insufficient, or who are simply fake monks in robes, repeatedly break the precepts and cannot escape the cycle of sexual immorality. Furthermore, Buddhism (including Taoism) presents itself as lofty and dignified; Buddhist temples have strict rules, making entry difficult. People, out of rebellion against, exposure of, and criticism of religious asceticism, and out of curiosity, are often quite interested in this subject.

Actors are also a target of public attention. In feudal society, men and women were strictly separated, and opportunities for contact were rare. Theatrical actors, however, could flirt on stage and even perform various indecent acts, though for the sake of the plot. The public often viewed them as prostitutes; moreover, actors could indeed become deeply immersed in their "roles," blurring the lines between reality and fiction, or using their looks to seduce audiences, especially the wealthy, in exchange for money. Thus, actors, seen as prostitutes, became popular figures in erotic books.

This book's unique feature is that it brings together two types of lecherous individuals who are of widespread public interest, making them "master and disciple," colluding yet contradicting each other, thereby showcasing the increasingly rampant lewdness of the world and addressing a series of popular topics.

The monk Sanzhuo, though originally fierce and cunning, became a lewd monk due to the instigation of the simple-minded Taoist. The simple-minded Taoist taught him so-called techniques of sexual intercourse and, together with him, engaged in illicit affairs with Widow Zheng and Lady Diao. After Sanzhuo went to Suzhou and made some money, he bought land and built a temple, using it to seduce women, and his activities spiraled out of control. Wang Zijia differed somewhat from the monk Sanzhuo. He was handsome and skilled in singing and dancing, known as "Suzhou's Number One Female Performer." He caught the eye of the wife of a wealthy merchant surnamed Gao, who invited him into a brothel. Gao's lust was intense, and Zijia, lacking the necessary skills, couldn't resist. Hearing of Sanzhuo's expertise in sexual techniques, he willingly offered himself, becoming a male lover. Sanzhuo taught him the methods, and the two became like husband and wife, sometimes sharing the bed, sometimes separately seeking other women. From then on, Wang Zijia promiscuously seduced wives, daughters, and concubines, eventually being expelled from the troupe. However, instead of repenting, he became even more brazen, frequenting wealthy households as a patron, hunting for women.

The two differed in their resources and skills in this regard, each possessing unique strengths. Sanzhuo was deeply skilled in sexual techniques and possessed great strength; Wang Zijia was beautiful and skilled in singing and dancing. The monk Sanzhuo, lusting after Zijia's genitals, wanted to use him to seduce women. So, like squeezing toothpaste, he slowly taught him his skills, gradually enjoying Zijia's male beauty. Wang Zijia, on the other hand, hoped the monk Sanzhuo would teach him more about seduction techniques, sometimes even requiring his on-the-spot guidance, yet he desperately wanted to break free from his control and establish his own school. Their methods of seducing women also differed. Sanzhuo relied on his money and seduction techniques, targeting mostly "petty, wealthy men who owed him favors." His secret was "nothing is impossible if you don't have the nerve," often resorting to force and rape, eventually leading to his arrest. Wang Zijia, relying on his handsome appearance, used his charm and seduction to lure mostly "the wives of wealthy families." Even when discovered, the wealthy families, fearing disgrace, often kept quiet. Finally, "the net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it," and both master and disciple met the same end, investigated by Imperial Censor Li, arrested, and imprisoned. Even at this point, the master and apprentice still argued, "How dare a superior interfere in matters of the crotch!" As a result, they were each given eighty strokes of the cane and died in shackles.

The author deeply abhorred these two types of people, saying through gritted teeth, "The most shameless in the world are actors; the most lewd and vicious are bald thieves." His joint biography of the two is quite meaningful; he believed that the entire social atmosphere was corrupted by these two types of people. Finally, after eliminating these two scoundrels, the author happily wrote, "The customs of Jiangnan are gradually improving. In the homes of villagers, rules are strict; actors and male prostitutes only serve in the front hall, and are not allowed to leave without permission on days without banquets..."

This book truly takes awakening the world as its mission; the first chapter almost entirely copies from *The Post-Awakening Zen* (i.e., *The Carnal Prayer Mat*), repeatedly stating that greed and indulgence in lust will never end well. The second chapter describes how the monk Puzhan of Huashan Temple in Suzhou seduced and raped a respectable woman named Hua, and then imprisoned her husband, Ye Xin'an. Just then, Hai Gong, traveling to the temple, discovered the affair, rescued the Ye couple, and executed Puzhan and the other lewd monks. The third chapter recounts how, during the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty, a simple-minded Taoist priest taught Wang Yi the art of seduction and sexual intercourse at Yongxi Temple. Wang Yi indulged in these techniques, eventually dying of consumption due to lust. These three chapters are equivalent to the "introduction" in vernacular novels. However, while "introductions" are usually brief, a twelve-chapter novel has three "introductions," accounting for about a quarter of the entire book—a rare occurrence in Chinese novels.

The author arranged it this way because "the author of this novel originally had a compassionate heart, wanting to preach to the world, advising people to restrain their desires, not to indulge in them; to keep lust secret, not to promote it. Readers should not misunderstand his intentions."

The author's incessant preaching against lust stemmed from the fact that "the lewdness in Jiangnan was extremely rampant." In the work, not only are Sanzhuo and Wang Zijia lecherous and adulterous, but many women are also unrestrained. Some actively seek pleasure and, once they taste the sweetness, refuse to let go; others are coy and hesitant. In the seventh chapter, the monk Sanzhuo sees a woman with a certain plumpness, rushes up to her, and boldly embraces her. The woman initially resists but then gives in, and "he takes advantage of her." There is another woman who is even stranger. She is made up and stands alone. Sanzhuo goes up to chat her up, and the woman says, "I'm ignoring you!" and turns to leave. Sanzhuo follows her into the house, and the woman says again, "I'm ignoring you!" Sanzhuo hugs her and kisses her, but the woman still says, "I'm ignoring you!" Sanzhuo pulls down her pants and pushes her onto the bed, but the woman still says repeatedly, "I'm ignoring you!" Sanzhuo inserts his penis into the woman's vagina, and the woman cries out, still saying, "I'm ignoring you!" Even after the passion ends, the woman still says the same thing, repeating it ten times. Even Sanzhuo, laughing heartily, went out, thinking all the way, "People say I've heard this joke, but I never imagined I'd see such a woman in person!"

Two sisters-in-law, both infatuated with Wang Zijia, arranged to meet him secretly. Zijia, wanting to learn seduction techniques, brought Sanzhuo along. Neither sister-in-law was satisfied with Sanzhuo's appearance and insisted on having Wang Zijia, so they had to draw lots. Unexpectedly, upon hearing that the man before them was the monk Sanzhuo, the sister-in-law refused to draw lots, choosing "talent over looks," and took the initiative to have intercourse with Sanzhuo first. After an hour, seeing "Sanzhuo's fierce battle and the sister-in-law's unusual allure," the girl also switched allegiance and engaged in battle with Sanzhuo. In the end, both women were attracted to Sanzhuo and kept him, engaging in continuous battles for four nights, leaving Wang Zijia utterly bored.

Such licentiousness, such worldly affairs—no wonder the author cried out in anguish. However, no matter how earnestly the author pleaded and repeatedly proclaimed his "using eroticism to stop eroticism," the Qing government still included it in the list of banned books, and it was banned and destroyed in the 18th, 24th, and 7th years of the Daoguang reign.

It should be noted that the story of Sanzhuo and Wang Zijia is a true story from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The "Biographies of Women Who Opened Examinations" (also known as "Complete Collection of Newly Collected Strange Tales from Wanhu Spring"), compiled by Zuo Chen of Qishan during the Kangxi reign, also records this event, except that Sanzhuo is referred to as "Sanzhuo" and Wang Zijia as "Wang Zimi".

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