Gu Wangyan [Complete] - 1

In the first chapter, the author uses a dream as a starting point to introduce the divine message. The author,

Dunweng, says:
"This chapter truly gets to the point. The talk of gods and ghosts is precisely the meaning behind the book's title, *Gu Wang Yan* (Anecdotal Remarks). Only in this way can the source be clearly seen. Some might say that a book contains over a hundred characters, but only a few dozen are reincarnated; why not record the rest, whether good or evil, to make it more reliable?" I reply: "If that were the case, it wouldn't be a book, but rather a large register of ghosts." Others might ask: "If that's the case, why not simply not use this passage about gods and ghosts?" I laugh and say: "If I didn't cite the origins of these few dozen characters, many more would appear out of thin air, making it another fabrication. To understand the author's intention, one must see his painstaking effort.

People who believe hearsay are everywhere. Even sages who collect nursery rhymes don't necessarily verify every single one. The brilliance lies in the fact that people believe the fish of Mochou Lake, though it's a myth; and they believe the ghosts of the City God Temple, though they are real, are considered false." Words heard in this world can be true or false, false or true; their truth or falsehood cannot be determined solely by the person who told them. This can greatly broaden one's knowledge.

The first chapter, "The Guiding Spirit's Allegory and the Beginning with a Dream ,

" includes: The Black Nun of the Receiving Temple Receives Extraordinary Arts; The Young Widow by West Lake Engages in Extraordinary Lewdness

. It is said that a strange event occurred in the previous dynasty. Although I have not witnessed it, I have heard of it. You gentlemen may not believe it. But I will speak of it arbitrarily, and you may listen arbitrarily, to dispel your daytime drowsiness. [Chapter 24 originates from these two "arbitrary" characters.] When did this event occur? It occurred during the Wanli era. In Nanjing's Yingtian Prefecture, there lived a lazy man named Dao Ting, courtesy name Tu Shuo. [The first famous character in the book is a lazy man who speaks through hearsay. A lazy man.] He lived inside the Hanxi Gate. He had no parents, few brothers, and lived alone. He had no property and did nothing all day. He only wandered the streets, spending his time listening to the news and talking nonsense. He had a peculiar ability: while the ancients could memorize what they saw, he could remember everything he heard. He could recall every single word of any story he heard, no matter how many. He knew many people, and his reputation for telling tall tales spread throughout the city. Therefore, people gave him the nickname "Mao Kong" (meaning "Hairy Empty").

One day, he was strolling down the street when he encountered four or five idlers walking by, chatting idly. [Again, four or five idlers. Two idlers.] Two or three of them recognized him, [indicating they knew him well.] and grabbed him, saying, "Tell us something in plain language." He feigned haste, struggling to run away, saying, "I have important business today and can't spare the time. Let's talk another day." The man held on tightly, saying, "Tell me what you want, and I'll let you go." He then said, "Just now, some friends said that many fish have recently come out of Mochou Lake, and they've all gone fishing with nets. I'm going home to get a basket to get some to go with my drinks." [This was originally intended to be believable.] After saying this, he hurriedly broke free and ran away. Everyone believed it to be true, [but it turned out to be a lie.] They discussed, "Why don't we all go and see? If we know anyone there, we can ask them for some fish." So, excitedly, they all went out of the Shuixi Gate and arrived at Mochou Lake. They only saw a vast expanse of misty water, filled with wild rice and water shield, and not a single person in sight. They realized they had been tricked. When they returned home, they hadn't caught a single fish and were covered in sweat. Another day, they met him and said, "There are no fish in Mochou Lake! How could you make us go there empty-handed?" He replied, "You all dragged me along, telling me to talk nonsense. I was just talking nonsense. Who told you to take it seriously?" [How clever! How funny!] Everyone laughed heartily.

One day, he was wandering around. As evening approached, finding nowhere to eat, he decided to go home. Unexpectedly, he met a good drinking buddy on the way, [this drinking buddy was nothing more than an idler, just like the third idler.] who invited him to sit down at the wine market. They ordered two small dishes and a few jugs of medicinal wine, and the two drank together. They talked nonsense, exchanged empty slang, played a few rounds of random boxing, and sang a few lines of tuneless singing. After drinking several cups, they became quite drunk and bid farewell to their friend. Drunk and in the dark, they staggered all the way to the ancient City God Temple, where the alcohol suddenly surged up. Seeing the temple gate half-open, they went inside, collapsed at the feet of a clay horse, and fell asleep without realizing it.

Until the third watch, they were half-awake due to their stiff and cold body, in a hazy state between dreaming and not dreaming. [This sentence is good. If it were clearly described as seeing something, it would be like seeing a ghost.] They saw the hall brightly lit, with a royal emperor sitting in the center, [god.] surrounded by many officials, yakshas, and ghost soldiers [ghosts.] lined up in the courtyard. Upon hearing that it was a divine manifestation, they were so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat and dared not breathe. Hearing from afar that it was as if a god was inquiring about matters, he listened intently and stole a glance.

He saw a judge with a black face and a bushy beard step forward and report, "The Ten Kings of Hell have sent Judge Cui, carrying registers and a list of criminals, to Your Majesty for judgment." The king said, "Summon him here." Then a white-faced, bearded deity in a red robe and black hat, after paying his respects under the eaves, stood up and reported, "All criminals, light and heavy, from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties before, and from the Qin dynasty, have been executed in Hell. Since the beginning of the Han dynasty, from Your Majesty's return to the divine, until the Tang and Song dynasties and the end of the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, for two thousand years, people..." The heart is no longer pure, and many have committed grave sins. In the Han Dynasty, figures like Wang Mang, Dong Zhuo, Liang Ji, and Cao Cao; in the Tang Dynasty, figures like Li Linfu, An Lushan, Lu Qi, and Zhu Ci; in the Song Dynasty, figures like Wang Anshi, Jia Sidao, Cai Jing, and Tong Guan; and in the Ming Dynasty, figures like Hu Weiyong, Wang Guangyang, Lan Yu, and Chen Hao—some were destined for the animal realm and have long since been reincarnated; others are eternally mired in hell, suffering various torments in the eighteen departments. Many unsolved cases remain unresolved. Yesterday, the Earthly Official, acting on the orders of the Jade Emperor, went to the Underworld to investigate. "Hey, there are those in prison who are lingering in their cases; their sentences should be swiftly ended. Because various doubtful cases have been uncovered, I order the minor deity to deliver the registers and the prisoners to the Great King's throne for judgment." The King laughed, "In the Hall of Yama, the Mirror of Karma is clear. Besides, the Ten Kings of Hell are all of impeccable character; what is there to hesitate about?" The deity then reported, "The crimes committed by people in the mortal world, whether minor or major, are governed by certain laws and are easily distinguished. In the underworld, judgments must be based on both the circumstances and the guilt to be considered truly impartial. This is unlike the officials of the mortal world, who can act arbitrarily and without leniency." "Among all these cases, there are those crimes that are actually minor but whose circumstances are quite serious, and those that can be forgiven due to circumstances but whose crimes are difficult to pardon. Therefore, it is difficult to put pen to paper." Wang laughed again and said, "What's so difficult about that? For those crimes that are minor but whose circumstances are serious, we can honor them but punish them later; for those whose circumstances are minor but whose crimes are serious, we can also judge them according to the facts. What's so difficult about that? You will present each document and the criminals in turn, and I will analyze them."

The deity presented a book and said, "This is the case of Dong Xian and his son." There was an old man, an old woman, a handsome man, and a beautiful woman kneeling down the steps. The king asked the deity, "Dong Xian's crimes are undeniable; what doubts remain?" The deity replied, "If we say that Dong Xian and his son misled the court and nearly endangered the state, their crimes are countless. However, they have never actually killed or harmed anyone. To classify them alongside Cao Cao and Wang Mang seems excessive. If we punish them leniently, it would serve as a warning to future generations. This is what is meant by 'the crime is heavy, but the circumstances are light.'" The king angrily said, "Dong Gong and his wife failed to teach their son righteousness; instead, they relied on his powerful reputation. If they were to reincarnate him, he would still be a wealthy man, and..." His clan's prestige, enjoyed for fifty years, shouldn't he repay the favor of not harming others? Yet his wife committed adultery and fathered a child, leaving the family line dead. This is a silent retribution; after death, he will suffer in the deepest hell, thus fulfilling his karmic debt. As for Dong Xian, his alluring appearance nearly led to the abdication of the foolish Emperor Ai of Han. For a grown man to act like a lewd woman is already unforgivable. Moreover, he used his wife to serve the court and gain favor and honor; he was both a homosexual and a pimp. Yet he was still listed among the officials and promoted. Sima, even more outrageous. He was still made the adopted son of Dong Gong, and given a hidden ailment that made him exclusively indulge in lewd acts. His wife, being a woman, knew nothing of the three obediences and four virtues, and instead flattered the emperor. Now he is reborn as a woman, still paired with Dong Xian as husband and wife, given a form neither male nor female, to engage in bizarre and lewd acts, and later ensured he does not die a natural death, to atone for the sins of the couple. Letting him enjoy happiness is because his feelings are light; letting him suffer evil retribution is to atone for his sins. Isn't this a win-win situation?" He then asked the god, "Am I right?" The god said, "Your Majesty..." "Jin Pan, not only the minor deity admires him, but even Dong Xian and his son and wife have no room for further discussion." The king instructed the ghost soldiers, "There is a family surnamed Niu here, whose two generations have built a family of meanness and wickedness, inherently cunning yet kind. [Pay close attention to such details.] Make Dong Gong their true son, and Dong Xian their false grandson. Although Dong Xian has many sons, none are of the true bloodline. They will all perish together, extinguishing their lineage and avenging both families. The Niu and Dong families can settle this case together. Dong Gong's wife will be reborn with the surname Gou and will be married to him." With a shout, he vanished without a trace.

The deity presented another scroll, and a young man in a golden sable coat and a beautiful woman in a jeweled crown knelt down. After reading it, the king asked, "Cao Zhi and Zhen Shi's crimes are obvious. The three chapters of Xiao He's law from back then are insufficient evidence. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, those who commit adultery between uncle and sister-in-law should be hanged. What doubt is there?" The deity replied, "They may have had feelings of love, but there was no actual adultery. Moreover, Cao Zhi was once the King of Zhexu, and Zhen Shi was the Fairy Consort of Luopu. We dare not punish them severely, nor can we punish them lightly. It is because their feelings were strong that their crime was light, hence the doubt." The king's face changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Is that so?" What can be said! Even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner. Pu Liugu firmly said, "Does the emperor have a different set of laws?" In the mortal realm, punishments are based on the facts; in the underworld, punishments are based on reason. Although Cao Zhi and Zhen Shi did not commit adultery, their intentions are what truly matter. Did they not desire adultery? That "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" is his crime, not a fabricated charge. Cao Zhi, with his talent and beauty, and Zhen Shi, already an empress, still acted this way; therefore, those who are foolish men and women who have not yet committed adultery are punished even more severely. If he were a king… One is a celestial concubine, only fit for worldly men; I cannot concern myself with him here. Cao Zhi, with such talent, was immoral; now, if he were reborn as a handsome man, he would still be immoral. He was born a king and died a king; to make him a commoner would be too lowly, and to make him an official would be unacceptable. Let him become a fake Taoist nun; at least he would be neither noble nor lowly. Zhen Shi, initially unable to die for Yuan Xi, later lost her chastity to Cao Pi. Since she is said to be a celestial concubine, she could be reborn as a Buddhist nun. I see a couple surnamed Lan who are devout Buddhists; is Buddhism bad? But… There are many good deeds that should be done within the sect, but he, in his own foolishness, considers only supporting monks and nuns as virtuous. Little does he know that among monks and nuns, not one in ten is good, therefore his sins are greater than those who do not believe in Buddhism. Zhen Shi made him her daughter, disgracing the sect, and she had an affair with Cao Zhi to fulfill a past karmic bond. Both died unnatural deaths, thus being guilty of adultery. The deity reported, "This humble deity has heard that offering alms to monks and making donations brings immeasurable merit, equal to the Ganges River. Yet Your Majesty has ruled in this way. This humble deity does not understand the meaning behind it and hopes Your Majesty will enlighten me." [A good question! Without this exchange, the foolish man's delusion would not be awakened.] The king said, “There are countless good deeds that people should do in this world. As the Wenchang Emperor’s ‘Yinzhi Wen’ says: ‘Help those in distress, rescue those in danger, repair centuries-old rugged roads, and build bridges for millions of people.’ There are many such acts. Even removing a stone or piece of wood that obstructs the road is a good deed. If one practices these deeds diligently, one will naturally receive boundless blessings. If one is foolish and deluded, focusing only on offering alms to monks, even if one can support eminent monks, one will naturally receive considerable blessings. But nowadays, how many monks among the thousands can truly uphold the precepts? When there is no other choice, one can only temporarily observe the rules.” He gave him the gift of fasting, which encouraged his lust, alcoholism, and transgressions. He did what laypeople would not dare to do, which was like adding fuel to the fire. Though the evil originated from him, who else but him aided his cruelty? Han Yu said, "The man is the man, the book is the book." This is the same idea. The god said, "Your Majesty's decree is truly unheard of, it has enlightened me greatly." The king looked around and said, "Send this person to the Wheel-Turning King for the transfer, and then reincarnate Yuan Xi as Lin Fu's son, so that Cao Zhi and Zhen Shi will both die at his hands, thus avenging the previous evil." The ghost soldier agreed and took him away. The

Black Nun's story is about how he later imparted his magic to Cui Ming, hence the necessity of creating him to receive the Taoist's arts. If this nun wasn't written about, how would the next nun be taught? It also shows that few among this group uphold the precepts. This is not slander, but rather encouragement.

The Emei Mountain Man appears in the first chapter and continues until chapter fifteen. It is evident that this book was written in one go, not pieced together.

The mention of the Taoist priest's connection to Chang Shi, seemingly superfluous, actually carries profound meaning. While the book features many licentious women, it opens with the extremely licentious Chang Shi as a prime example. Chang Shi's licentiousness is unparalleled. She falls ill after meeting the Taoist priest, and later dies after encountering Zhu Sikuan. This shows that licentious women invariably die because of their lust, only differing in their causes. The scene of the neighbor's servant teasing Chang Shi is exquisitely detailed. The boy desires the girl's affection, yearning for illicit union, yet both are young, shy, and timid. They devise a plan: first, a game of guessing, the winner receiving a slap on the hand, then a kiss, gradually progressing to intimacy. One teases the other, the other flirts with the other, until they become intimate, only then daring to act—the behavior of two children. The scene of their teasing is so vivid it cannot be captured in a painting. Even seemingly unrelated passages are not hastily written.

For example, "Black Sister lived in a secluded alley, with a clump of black pine trees at the entrance and a small, round red door; inside was quite spacious." "He came to see her carrying a small reed bottle of white wine, a large piece of sausage, and two pickled duck eggs." This is what is meant by vivid description; there are many similar humorous phrases in the book.

In this chapter, the adulterous women are Little Sister and the Chang family mother and son. Among the adulterous men, only three are known: Daoting, Yu Fu, and the Taoist priest. While there are many others, the number of monks is countless. It's not just about depicting the evil of monks; in fact, these men are even more lewd and poisonous than others.

In this large book of twenty-four chapters, among countless people, the first is an idler; this idler leads to four or five idlers loitering around Mochou Lake; these four or five idlers, in turn, lead to many other idlers who also came to Daoting; these many idlers, in turn, lead to countless idlers looking at flowers. Although there is a Taoist priest, he is still of the idler class. How many idlers are there in the world? Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—each with their own profession—are no longer idlers. Those who spend their days idly will inevitably become thieves. These many idlers lead to countless bandits, all of whom are simply idlers. This is the grand breath of this book.

Within this book, there are loyal ministers and filial sons, friendly brothers and respectful siblings, righteous husbands and chaste wives, virtuous women and chaste mothers, righteous men and benevolent people, heroes and valiant men, honest officials and incorruptible bureaucrats, literati and scholars, merchants and craftsmen, wealthy and powerful men, swordsmen and sorcerers, Taoist priests and monks, immortals, foxes and ghosts, Miao, barbarian, and Liao people, Hui and Hui shamans, widows and orphans, sycophantic fathers and wicked brothers, rebellious sons and cruel brothers, good friends and bad friends, hangers-on actors and actors, gamblers and thieves, as well as lewd monks and heretics, nuns, prostitutes, bad matchmakers, promiscuous women, child prostitutes and prostitutes, corrupt officials and embezzlers, prisoners and violent criminals, lewd maids and wicked slaves, servants and beggars, rebellious scoundrels and powerful bandits—the list is endless. This book contains everything about the world, from people to events. I have read no fewer than a thousand unofficial histories, and none are as comprehensive as this. Do not skim through it carelessly, lest you betray the author's heart.

This chapter, though part of the main text, is like a supplementary passage, like the opening scene of a tale. Though unrelated to the main text, it is indispensable, and the reader should know this.

The opening mentions that the protagonist, who has no parents and few brothers, is introduced later as Zhong Sheng, also without parents and few brothers, creating a stark contrast. One becomes a vagabond, the other a virtuous gentleman, further highlighting Zhong Sheng's unattainability. It also mentions that the protagonist's sole purpose in going to the "listening hall" is to listen to the news and speak vernacular Chinese. Such people are now ubiquitous throughout the land.

The god presented another book, saying, "The Tang family only has this case of Li Yifu." The king said angrily, "Li the Cat! A man who hides a knife in his smile and a blade in his belly, his crimes are unforgivable. Send him to the Nie family as their son. If he can repent, all will be well; but if he remains wicked and unruly, not only will he not have a good end in this world, but he will also suffer retribution after death, which will be enough to atone for his sins."

The god reported, "Regarding Zhao Pu, Emperor Taizu of Song repeatedly appealed to the Heavenly Court, saying that he harmed Dezhao and Tingmei because of a single word, which can be considered extremely wicked. However, examining his career as a physiognomist, it is quite remarkable, so it is also a case of doubt. I present this to Your Majesty for judgment." The king sighed, "What do you mean? The retribution for a heartless person is most severe in the underworld. [I have seen in various books of moral exhortation that it says: 'Those who are heartless are extremely wicked in the underworld.'" "But nowadays, those who are ungrateful are as numerous as cartloads and bushels, yet the underworld may not be able to punish them all. How much more so for someone who betrays the grace of the Holy Lord and harms his own children? He is merely greedy for wealth and status. Now, let him be reborn into the Wu family, and become a wealthy and powerful official, to reward his past achievements. Let him grow old without children, cut off his bloodline, and let his family fortune be divided among the masses. He greedily pursued wealth and status, yet lost both; he harmed another's children, yet also cut off his own lineage. After death, he will never leave hell, suffering the daily torment of having his tongue pulled out—this will be retribution for his flattery and harming of others." He called out, "Yu Huan, come here. I will make you his second wife to settle our past karmic debt." Yu Huan replied, "In my previous life, I was first a queen, then the emperor's second empress. I would rather not have a husband than be married to a mere subject." The king shook his head and laughed, "Don't speak so politely. Isn't he even better than An Lushan?" He then laughed and said, "You don't recognize him? Judge, please reveal Zhao Pu's true form from his previous life." The judge stepped forward and blew a breath. Yu Huan looked and saw that it was indeed Prince Shou, Li Mao. She was filled with shame and lowered her head, speechless. The king laughed and said, "Do you recognize him? Although this is a matter of this life, it is an unfinished karmic connection from a previous life." Zhao Pu was overjoyed, and Yu Huan, her face lowered, left together.

The deity then reported, “All the cases of the Song family’s wickedness have been concluded. Only the case of Qin Hui and his son remains. Yesterday, Yue Fei personally descended to the underworld and told the ten princes, ‘Although Qin Hui’s crimes are grave, he has suffered for many years, which is no small matter.’ He pleaded for him, asking that he be allowed to go to the mortal world for a while to see if he would repent and give him a chance to reform. Because of the gravity of his crimes, the princes have not yet released him. They have instructed me to report this to Your Majesty to see what Your Majesty’s opinion is—whether to release him or not.” The king asked, “Do you know what Yue Fei is thinking?” He said, "How could a lowly official like myself possibly know the Emperor's heart?" Wang laughed, "Back then, Yue Fei was a Grand Marshal. Even though Qin Hui was a treacherous minister, how could he dare to harm him privately? Emperor Gaozong listened to treacherous words and based his decision on the peace treaty; it was mostly Qin Hui's fault. Therefore, Qin Hui can be treated leniently. Besides, if Yue Fei hadn't been harmed by Qin Hui, he would have been just another general like Zhang Jun, Han Shizhong, Liu Qi, and Yang Yizhong, known as famous generals by later generations. How could he have achieved such a high status today, with his blood sacrificed and temples dedicated to him? Look at his tomb in Hangzhou Prefecture, and his hometown in Tangyin County—what..." Wait a minute! His contribution to Yue Fei was also significant. He was the chief culprit against Yue Fei back then, but today he can be considered the greatest contributor. [This is the truth; I wonder if Yue Fei truly shares this sentiment?] Yue Fei wishes to let him return to the mortal world, hoping he might repent and find a new path. This reflects Yue Fei's compassionate and righteous heart, repaying evil with kindness. But what will become of him? Since this is the case, we must not disappoint Yue Fei's good intentions. Let him become a commoner, adopted by the Ai family. If he is able to do good deeds, future generations will gradually elevate him. If he still doesn't repent, he's just a commoner, not even capable of spreading his evil to the masses. To suffer the horrific fate of being killed while alive, only to return and sink to the bottom of prison, never to be released, wouldn't that be a complete loss of both public and private life? This is my opinion; go back and tell him, and let King Yama decide.” The deity said, “This humble deity will obey.” He then reported, “King Yama said: ‘If Qin Hui and his son are sentenced extremely harshly… he is not Qin Hui's biological son; if he is sentenced too leniently, it would not fully express Qin Hui's evil; therefore, the case is also under investigation. He and his son are currently in custody… (375 characters missing)’”

"...Do you know Yan Song's origins?" the god asked. "This humble god is puzzled. When he passed away, he did not go through the underworld. I don't know why. Please explain, Your Majesty." The king said, "He was originally a demon king undergoing tribulations. He ruled over the Kingdom of Insatiable Worries, [and indeed, no wonder he was called the Money-Grubbing King], and even the Sea of Bitterness. He commanded 100,000 demon soldiers and was known as the Insatiable King. He killed countless living beings, and God imprisoned him in the Heavenly Prison. For thousands of years, he showed some remorse and reformed. God was merciful and, seeing that he had some good intentions, could not bear to abandon him completely. Therefore, God allowed him to be reborn in the mortal world, where he held a position as a minister and was as wealthy as a country. Originally, he was to do some good deeds so that he could be elevated to godhood. Unexpectedly, after obtaining a human body, his evil nature resurfaced. He deceived the king, misled the country, murdered loyal officials, and became gluttonous." Greed knows no bounds, leading to self-inflicted evil. Now, out of God's benevolence, I have appointed him as prime minister. If he can be a loyal minister, serving the ruler and benefiting the people, his past transgressions can be forgiven, preventing him from falling into further depravity. However, if he continues his evil ways, he will face retribution in this life. After death, he and his father will be reborn as maggots and flies, never to be reborn as humans again. Be careful! Send him to the Ma family in Guizhou to be a man. Yan Shifan is not Yan Song's son; how could a demon king have descendants? Yan Song begged another's son and raised him, pretending he was his own. His crimes of harming others for personal gain have already been punished in life with beheading and display. His crimes of extravagance and debauchery will also be punished.”

I asked Yan Shifan, “Did you think it was excessive back then: using a beautiful woman's mouth as a fragrant spittoon for coughing and spitting, using a silver woman as a urinal for urination, and engaging in sexual intercourse with…” The white silk handkerchief was used as a token of your lust; did you not consider the consequences of coming here today? I punish you by sending you to serve as a male servant, to spend your life chasing after filth, to become a beggar in the filth, and even then, you will not die a natural death, to atone for your sins of extravagance and lust. Zhao Wenhua, who took Yan Song as his father, framed Zhang Jing, Hu Zongxian, and others, all through his schemes, and became a court official. He then used a golden tiger to flatter Shi Fan, even having his name engraved on it, earning him the nickname "the official who hangs himself on the throne." You only seek momentary pleasure, do you not fear the shame that will last for ten thousand years? I see your heart is truly different from others. You still have some remaining good fortune; go and enjoy it a little longer, and see if you repent before we judge you. This time, though you will be in human form, you will be of beastly descent; let "Ren" be your name. You must understand the meaning of your name and not stray from it again. [The text then abruptly shifts to a different topic:] Take Dong Xian's wife and... "Since you are a fake woman, you should not have any offspring, so you can only have two adopted sons." The king laughed and said, "In your previous life, you were a man's adopted son, and in this life, man is your adopted son. It's possible to be a fake, so what can't be a fake? It's quite laughable." The god said to him, "Your Majesty's kindness in letting you go and start anew is something you must not betray." The king nodded repeatedly and pondered, "Yan Hu, Yan Hu." Suddenly, he laughed and said, "When the grandfather, grandson, father, and son were alive, everyone called him 'Money-Lacking.' Now, let him become a tortoise, named 'Money-For-Life.' We'll temporarily marry Wei Shi to him, then bring her back to suffer."

As he spoke, the king looked down and saw something kneeling below, neither human nor animal, a strangely shaped creature. He asked, "What kind of monster is this?" [This is a beast-hearted hostage.] The deity reported, “This is Yang Lianjia, the Tibetan monk and national preceptor whom Kublai Khan, the Yuan emperor, supported. Yama, the King of Hell, detests his desecration of the Song emperors' tombs and has subjected him to the torments of the eighteen hells day and night for over three hundred years. Yama says he suffers in the underworld, unknown to the world. He has sent him to the King's throne to receive some visible retribution in the mortal world, before returning to suffer further torment.” The King gritted his teeth and frowned, saying, “This fellow is not human. If I send him to the mortal world, he will kill and rape people again. How can that be allowed? Since Yama has sent him, I have no choice but to let him go. Perhaps making him a monk will at least bring him some compassion.” The heart, or perhaps, will not be harmed. [Your Majesty is mistaken; how many monks truly possess a compassionate heart? These two "or"s already imply that there are none, only the very few.] If they are still wicked, lewd, thieving, and adulterous, may their bodies be reduced to dust to fill the bellies of birds, dogs, and pigs, and then they may return to be judged by Yama. Take them away!

The king said to the god, "The cases of the past are all settled. You may go and report to Yama. If there is anything inappropriate, you may correct it." The god said, "Under Your Majesty's iron pen, not only are there no wronged people, but everyone also believes they are not wronged." He then came down and kowtowed, saying, "This humble one takes his leave." In a daze, he disappeared without a trace.

Then he heard something strange, [narration, "then he heard" is indispensable.] Just as he was in surprise and doubt, he suddenly saw a golden light illuminating half the sky, celestial music filled the air, colorful mists abounded, and strange fragrances were rich. Suddenly, he heard a loud cry from mid-air: "The Heavenly Talisman descends!" The king hurriedly descended from the steps and prostrated himself on the ground. All the ghost judges vanished without a trace. In an instant, a celestial official with a golden crown and embroidered robes descended slowly from the sky, resembling the Three Great Emperors depicted in mortal paintings. Two golden-armored deities, carrying ceremonial staffs, led the way, lining the ground.

The celestial official stood in the center of the palace steps and proclaimed the imperial decree: "The Jianwen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, due to the Yongle Emperor's usurpation, repeatedly appealed to the Heavenly Court, but the matter remains unresolved. Now, the Ming Dynasty's fate is nearing its end. Those former officials who participated in the Jingnan Rebellion, such as Fang Xiaoru and Jing Qing, were either celestial beings banished or gods descended to earth to undergo their destined tribulations. They have already returned to their positions and need not be discussed further. As for those who died unjustly, as well as the chief rebel Zhu Di and his accomplices Yao Guangxiao, all shall be reincarnated to settle the previous cases. Their punishments shall be determined according to the severity of their crimes, and the punishments shall be applied leniently, without excessive killing that would diminish the Emperor's benevolence. This is the decree." After proclaiming this, he ascended into the sky and disappeared. In an instant, the golden light vanished, and the candlelight shone brightly once more. The king ascended the throne again, and the judges of the underworld were once again arrayed.

The king instructed the judges, "Bring all the prisoners, including Yongle, from hell to await their fate." The ghost judges beside him responded in unison, and in the blink of an eye, a man wearing a towering crown and a dragon robe appeared. He had a fierce face, a long beard, and a sorrowful expression. He was followed by many civil and military officials, some wearing shackles and others standing idly by. The emperor stood before the steps, and all the officials knelt down at a distance.

The king said, “It is auspicious that Jianwen has informed you of your usurpation. Your family and the nation's fate are sealed, and you may be reborn. As a traitor, you have slaughtered your descendants and destroyed your family's empire. Your body shall be torn apart to atone for your evil deeds. You painstakingly usurped the throne, and today you will bring chaos to the world. This is the reward for good and evil, which follows like a shadow. Today, a sage has been born, and the imperial regalia has been given to someone else. It has nothing to do with your Zhu family. Those who aided the rebellion will be reborn to follow you and suffer the same fate to appease the wrath of the gods and men.” The emperor said, “I am a prince, born by the Jade Emperor's decree. What crime have I committed to be made a thief? Moreover, I wished to purge the evil ministers from the court, emulating the Duke of Zhou in assisting King Cheng. When Jianwen abdicated, it was mistakenly believed he had committed suicide by fire. At that time, the country benefited from a long-term ruler, and I had no choice but to yield to the people's sentiments. Why now do you make me slaughter my own descendants, destroy my own empire, and bear infamy for eternity? Even if I have sinned, I have already suffered an untimely death in life. My body has been mutilated by thieves, leaving only one leg, and I have borne the pain for over two hundred years. That is my atonement.” "Why should I suffer retribution?" The king roared, "Your words can only deceive people in the mortal world. Now, before me, do you still dare to wag your tongue and use clever words to cover up your wrongdoing? You say you want to cleanse the evil between the emperor's inner circle and the evil in the world. Is there anyone who can tolerate you, a subject, usurping the throne? [Brilliant argument.] You say you are ashamed to be a thief, yet you, a subject, usurped the throne. What else is that but a thief? [An even more brilliant question.] You say you cannot bear to harm your descendants. Aren't the nine or ten clans of those who fought in the Jingnan Rebellion also their descendants? [How can I answer?] You on that day..." Such cruelty is astounding. It would be more satisfying to slaughter yourself than to have others slaughter their descendants. You say you fear being condemned for eternity, but Fang Xiaoru said you would inevitably be branded a 'usurper' after all your descendants. You already have that infamy; why are you still here? [A sigh of relief for Mr. Fang Zhengxue.] You say you fear suffering retribution, but Fang Xiaoru had his teeth knocked out and tongue ripped out, Tie Xuan boiled him in oil, and Jing Qing skinned him and stuffed him with straw. The officials of the Jingnan Rebellion were ruthless and vicious. Didn't you consider that everyone is made of flesh and blood? Did they not feel pain? [Again, for...] The officials who fought in the Jingnan Rebellion breathed a sigh of relief. "You betrayed your sovereign and ancestors, poisoned loyal officials; Heaven cherishes life, yet you are so cruel! Moreover, God appointed you king, already bestowing upon you the greatest favor. Yet you usurped the throne; what excuse do you have? Of all those who usurped and murdered throughout history, none was more wicked than Zhu Wen, and none more vile than Zhao Kuangyin. But you alone possess both wickedness and depravity, and are even worse. Let me now dissect you thoroughly; what can you say in your defense? Jianwen was the grandson of your great-grandfather, personally appointed by him. Before the great-grandfather's flesh and blood were even cold, you usurped him; this is unfilial. [Truly unfilial]" [What is there to argue?] Crown Prince Yiwen has long been the rightful heir apparent, and he is also your elder brother. You usurped his throne and then stripped him of his posthumous title of Xiaokang. You are allowed to be the true emperor, but your brother is not even allowed to receive the empty title after his death. What kind of heart do you have? Empress Lü is your elder sister-in-law, yet you prevented her from dying a natural death, leaving no trace of her remains. What crime did she, a mere woman, commit? You are too ruthless. It seems that if your brother were alive, you would have also usurped and murdered him. This is unfilial piety. [These are words that pierce the heart; this is true unfilial piety. What is there to argue?] Jianwen has been on the throne for four years, and the successor... You usurped the throne, the Son of Heaven. You even used the pretext of searching for the imperial seal to send people throughout the land and overseas to look for it. Besides, since he is the Son of Heaven, who under Heaven is not his subject? How could he not know? Furthermore, you removed his reign title from the records. [The old man said: The years have already passed; it truly should not be removed. Even if the reign title of Jianwen is abolished, and Hongwu is still recorded, later generations will find it inconvenient to speak of it, so they will use the term "abolished," thus the two characters "abolished" still refer to Jianwen. This is the unwise act of the Yan rebel.] You can use the reign title of a usurper, but you cannot use the reign title of a just and righteous successor to the throne. "What are you plotting? It is disloyalty." [How laughable. It is truly disloyal.] In my opinion, you should abolish your own reign title. You usurped the throne and used the reign title of the rebel Fang La, Yongle, clearly identifying yourself as a traitor. [A brilliant satire.] Although you are ignorant and incompetent, it is precisely where Heaven has taken your spirit away. It is truly laughable. What do you have to say today? Very well, you are also a broken star. I will spare you from being displayed in the marketplace. Go and be beaten to death by the villagers, just like being minced meat." The emperor was in tears, bowing his head in silence. The king shouted, "Take him away, and when he is reborn, send him to the Li family in Mizhi County, Shaanxi, to be their son, to settle the previous case." The ghost soldier agreed and dragged him away.

The king then said, "Bring Gao Xu here." The ghost soldier brought a person who looked somewhat human from afar, but his whole body was just a piece of charcoal. The king shouted, “In your previous life, you plotted to usurp the throne of the crown prince, aiding your father in his tyranny. You bear the name of usurper and murderer, and are now a ghost of a wicked death. In your previous life, you were your father's beloved son, and you went with him, becoming his trusted confidant. You died by spear, thus fulfilling your past sins.” The black ghost said, “In my previous life, I merely obeyed my father's orders. Although I usurped the throne from Jianwen, I was not the emperor. Besides, I was already burned to death in a bronze vat; why should I suffer the torment of swords and spears? I beg Your Majesty to forgive me.” The king laughed loudly, “You aided your father in his rebellion against the emperor, and you have not yet repaid your debt. How can you be considered guilty? To suffer the pain of swords and spears now is already a light forgiveness. What more can I say? The ghost soldiers may take you away. You and your father were both reborn as men in the Shi family in Shaanxi. But your hearts are both black, and this black body need not be whitened. [If that is the case, it would be difficult for the black ghost Zizhu.] In your next life, you will still be a great black man.” After saying this, he took him away.

He shouted again, "Bring that bald thief Yao Guangxiao up here!" The ghost soldiers brought over a large, fat monk. The king slammed his fist on the table in fury, saying, "You thieving bald thief! Since you've converted to Buddhism, you should abide by your vows. From a young age, you've been lewd and promiscuous; you deserve to go to the hell of hell. Later, you indulged your evil intentions, repeatedly urging the Prince of Yan to usurp the throne. Think about it! Back then, all I wanted was for you to be a founding hero; I never considered how many innocent and loyal people I killed, causing the extermination of entire clans and deaths—all because of you. I see your descendants, the offspring of your wicked deeds, still exist in your hometown. Now, I order you..." "Born into the Yao family, and being the son of your grandson, you are fond of wine and lust, bringing shame upon your family and leaving a stain on posterity. You initially received the Emperor's favor, but later returned to the Prince of Yan to rebel, and were even granted a dukedom by the traitor, fulfilling your wish from your previous life. Therefore, I have destroyed your clan and annihilated your body, and even opened your coffin to mutilate your corpse from your previous life, to avenge your past transgressions, so as to somewhat appease the people and avenge the hatred of Fang, Tie, and the others. Take him away quickly, do not defile my palace for long." A demon stepped forward, grabbed his neck, and forced him down, trapping him between his legs, leaving only his bald head exposed, resembling a large kidney sac. [If a blind healer saw this, he would surely say: "How did you end up with such a large neck? If you offer a generous reward, I will treat you for free." A laugh.] The monk, weeping and wailing, crawled away like a donkey.

A nun suddenly appeared in the crowd, crying out to file a complaint. Wang shouted, "What kind of wild ghost dares to come to my platform to cry for justice? Bring her here!" The ghost soldiers, like eagles pouncing on rabbits, dragged her down from the platform. Wang glared and shouted, "What kind of ghost are you? Who dares to accuse you?" The nun replied, "In my past life, I was a nun who strictly observed the precepts and never broke the vow of celibacy. I was seduced by Yao Guangxiao in every way, and we ended up having an affair. [A strictly celibate nun, seduced in every way, and we ended up having an affair. Amazing.] I even bore him a son. Later, he got what he wanted and abandoned me, so I died with resentment. Now I hear that Your Majesty has ordered me to be reborn, and I beg to go with you to avenge my past." Wang laughed and said, "You committed adultery with Yao Guangxiao, which was his sin of seducing you. And you also had an affair with his brother Guangzhong, whose fault is that? I see that the three of you are not yet finished. You can go to the Gui family and be reborn as a woman, still as Guangxiao's wife, utterly lewd and shameful, to avenge his sins against you in your past life. Then let Guangzhong be reborn as Guangxiao's nephew, your lover, to end the past. All of you will be executed to atone for your adultery." The female ghost left happily.

Wang shouted again, "Bring all the serious criminals who committed treason up here!" The ghost soldiers then pushed a group of people in shackles under the table, pointing at one of them and saying, "Yuan Gong, you are merely a fortune teller, yet you dared to collude with Yao Guangxiao to persuade the Prince of Yan to rebel. Your actions are utterly despicable. Now, I will reincarnate you as the son of You Hun, but since your evil is not yet fully realized, I will spare you from the knife for now. You will die from a carbuncle, as retribution for your crime of instigating treason. Your son, Zhongche, also used his appearance and heretical teachings to harm Zhang Bing and others, thus enabling the Prince of Yan's treasonous plot. His crime is even greater than yours. Therefore, I will make him your son, first subjecting him to the cruelty of his wife, and then subjecting him to extreme punishment, to extinguish your lineage." [Yuan Qi chose two sons-in-law, one who drowned and the other who was killed by a thief.] He only spoke of physiognomy, and his wife immediately scolded him, saying, "If you are capable of physiognomy, why do you judge these two sons-in-law?" Qi had no answer, but said, "I can only judge their faces, not their hearts." The rebellion of the Prince of Yan was truly caused by Yuan Qi and his son; such people have caused considerable harm to the world. He

then called another person and said, "Chen Ying, you are disloyal as a subject, secretly colluding with the rebels, and are attacked by many. Jianwen pardoned you and did not execute you; you should be eternally grateful. You are even more treacherous, using your venomous heart to fabricate stories about loyal and virtuous families; you are extremely cruel. Li Youzhi is just a minor official. He leaked military secrets to the rebels of Yan, hoping to gain merit by assisting them. Did you not consider how many lives you have lost for your own glory and wealth? Although your actions are different, your crimes are the same. Take him to the Ruan family to be raised as their son. Chen Ying's evil of murdering the emperor cannot escape execution; Li Youzhi's evil of supporting the emperor can at least be punished with a full corpse. However, both of you will suffer the retribution of having your wives and children commit adultery, and your bloodline will be cut off."

Also known as Li Jinglong: "You are a close relative of the state, having received the court's great favor for two generations. Yet you have been a disobedient commander, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands on the battlefield. Jianwen spared your life, a favor beyond measure. Yet you have opened the gates to welcome the enemy, an act of disloyalty and filial impiety, solely your doing. You secretly desire to be a meritorious official of Yan, without considering the Yan king's malice. How could he tolerate you in his Qilin Pavilion? Rather than die at his hands and bear the name of disloyalty for eternity, why not join the Jingnan heroes as loyal souls who died for the enemy? You are only driven by the desire for wealth and honor. Now I entrust you with..." Born into the Ma family, he was strangely stupid and stubborn, a beast in human form. Though possessing immense wealth, he knew not how to enjoy it; though the son of a high-ranking official, he was like a puppet, having parents but not recognizing them, having a wife but not knowing what she was. Born of another, his lineage secretly severed, he still met a violent end, to avenge you. You, Zhang Xin, were treated kindly by Jianwen, who granted you a secret edict to capture the Yan rebel, yet you took this as a meritorious act of offering. Now you can live in a humble dwelling, sickly and weak, later joining Yao Guangxiao's staff along with Yuan Zhongche, both to be executed in accordance with the law, to settle the previous case. But Zhang Xin's crime... "This was indeed due to the words of her mother. Her husband and son have received imperial favor for generations. How could she, based on her deceased husband's unfounded words, order her son to commit treason? Since she is a woman, and her actions were ignorant, we will be lenient. She will be punished by being sent to be a maidservant in a wealthy family and eventually become the wife of a merchant. As for the other civil and military officials who followed the rebellion, such as Zhu Neng, Zhang Yu, Tan Yuan, Qiu Fu, and Li Bin, they shall all be reincarnated in various places and brought under the command of the Prince of Yan. Whether they die or escape, they shall be punished according to the severity of their crimes in life." He also said, "The wives and children of Yuan Zhongche, Zhang Xin, Li Jinglong, Li Youzhi, and Chen Ying may also be reincarnated." "They will still be paired as husband and wife, each engaging in illicit sexual relations as retribution for their father's infidelity."

A judge stepped forward and reported, "We have found that Yuan Zhongche had no wife in life. How should we repay him?" The king thought for a moment and said, "The gossipy woman also had no husband. Back then, Qin Hui sent Emperor Gaozong away, becoming an unfilial and disloyal person. Today, Yuan Zhongche sent the Prince of Yan away, becoming an unfilial and disloyal person. They are of the same ilk, so they can be the husband of the gossipy woman. Let them be paired with her." After saying this, he shouted, "Take them all away!" The ghost soldiers rushed forward, grabbed the iron ropes, and all wept bitterly. A gust of cold wind blew, and they disappeared in an instant.

The king then ordered, "Bring up those loyal and righteous civil and military officials." Dozens of people stepped forward and knelt down. The king said, "You loyal and righteous souls, rise and listen to my distribution." The people stood up. The king said, “Zhang Bing and Xie Gui, people are only concerned about not dying a good death. If you died for loyalty and filial piety, what is there to regret? You two were lured and killed by treacherous schemes, and your names are already recorded in history. Now, Zhang Bing, you were reborn into a family of historians, later becoming a minister, sending generals to kill the rebels to vent your anger in life. You also died for loyalty and righteousness, leaving behind an immortal reputation. Do you understand why you could not die a good death?” Zhang Bing said, “I am foolish and ignorant, I beg Your Majesty for your explanation.” The king said, “The Prince of Yan’s rebellion, although his rebellious intentions had been long-standing, was forced to act hastily by you all. How can you be without guilt? Although you are dead, you will be admired by all ages, so what is there to regret? Xie Gui was reborn into a family of musicians, holding the position of Minister, successfully killing the rebels, and his name is recorded in history. He was diligent in his duties to the country and died peacefully in his sleep, which can also repay your previous life.” Qu Neng Beiping has been captured, but Jinglong, jealous of his achievements, prevented him from entering. Ping An, the spearman, struck the back of the Yan rebel, but his horse stumbled, preventing him from stabbing him—a cruel twist of fate. He later died in battle, and was poisoned. Ge Cheng was the Chief Secretary of the Yan vassal state, while you, a member of the imperial family, were unjustly executed for your unfulfilled loyalty. Zhang Yong, the bravest warrior, fought fearlessly, but unfortunately perished in battle. Now, you will all be reborn, united in killing the traitors. You will be righteous men of today, avenging the deep hatred of the past, and thus your regrets will be resolved. Qu Neng will be reborn into the Lin family, possessing superhuman strength and unparalleled bravery. I value you highly because both you and your father died loyal and brave. Your ancestor was a loyal minister of the Yin dynasty; who among us today does not know of Bi Gan? This is the origin of the Lin surname. Your father is also a recluse of today. Therefore, I have made you his heir. You should serve the royal family, repay the country, and bring glory to yourselves to repay your father's hidden virtue. You must not betray the name of Lin Yi. Those who die on the battlefield are precisely to ensure your loyalty and immortality. Do you understand?" Qu Neng shouted, "Your Majesty's kindness is great! How dare I not serve the country wholeheartedly?" The king continued, "Ping An was reborn into the Mu family, with the same martial prowess as in his previous life. Ge Cheng was reborn into the Shang family. You were originally a civil official, and now you are endowed with both literary and martial talents. Embrace the art of economics, possess the courage to charge into battle, advocate righteousness and kill the enemy to fulfill your long-cherished wish. The black flag is raised because you liked to carry the black flag in your previous life, hence this name. You may be reborn into the royal family, and in this life, you will wear a silver spear and white armor. White represents gold, and gold has a murderous aura, and..." "I have the intention to kill the traitors, do you agree?" The black-flag bearer replied, "Your Majesty's kindness is boundless, we will be eternally grateful." The king continued, "Qu Neng's two sons, even in their youth, were able to sacrifice themselves for their country, dying for loyalty and filial piety. Now, you and your two sons are born in the same place, though separated by lifetimes and unable to recognize each other. One is surnamed Zhuo, the other Chang, and they will serve as your subordinates, assisting in the killing of the traitors. As for the other fallen generals, all were loyal and courageous, each will choose a good place to be reborn, all becoming brave generals to avenge their past grievances." He then addressed the crowd, "What do you all think of my judgment?" The crowd unanimously replied, "We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, we are all sincerely convinced. Two hundred years of accumulated resentment have all been dissolved in an instant." They all danced with joy, prostrating themselves in gratitude. Wang Yi stood up and said, "Have the judge prepare banners and canopies to escort the gentlemen away."

Suddenly, a local earth god, panting heavily, rushed over and knelt down, reporting: "This turn is particularly wonderful, like the large-scale fireworks display during the Lantern Festival. If it were just set off once, what would be the point? After it's finished, another burst of sparks suddenly appears before it stops, which is what makes it so captivating. This passage perfectly captures this idea." “I am a woodcutter from Donghu during the reign of Emperor Jianwen. When I heard of the Prince of Yan’s usurpation and Emperor Jianwen’s death, I was filled with righteous indignation and threw myself into Donghu Lake in tears. The Emperor took pity on me, a mere commoner, for my loyalty and appointed me as the local deity of Donghu Lake. Now, more than two hundred years later, my anger has not subsided. I hear that Your Majesty has ordered the officials to avenge our past grievances. I also wish to follow in their footsteps and help kill the traitors to avenge the unfinished hatred of my previous life. I beg Your Majesty’s permission.” The Emperor praised, “Good, good! You, a woodcutter without official rank or salary, died for loyalty and righteousness, leaving no place for those in the world who are loyal subjects. Since you are willing to go, you can go to the Bao family as a son and join Qu Neng and others in killing the traitors. When you are reborn, you will have an official position and salary to honor yourself, a wife and children to live with. I will marry Zhang Xin’s mother to you. You will live a long life and die as a god, which will also be enough to repay your debt.” The local deity smiled broadly and thanked the Emperor repeatedly. The king said, "Go with them." A boy and a girl, holding banners, led the crowd, and a fragrant breeze dispersed them.

He thought to himself, "Am I dreaming?" But he clearly heard and saw these words and this large crowd. While he hesitated, [the scene, seemingly dreamlike yet not entirely so, revealed that every word and event was something he had witnessed and heard, not mere fiction. The author's meticulousness is evident in the attention to detail, even in easily overlooked moments.] He was filled with doubt and surprise when he saw a judge in green robes and a red beard present a scroll, like a human document, kneeling and saying, "This is the case of Bai's Golden Boy, presented to Your Majesty for review." After reading it, the king ordered Bai to be brought before him.

The young man was white, with a lifelike face and a sorrowful expression, yet his figure was lithe and his waist graceful. Though they were quite far apart, in the lamplight, he appeared captivatingly beautiful, his radiant face glowing, his golden lotus feet half-revealed, his flowing skirt swaying. [This not only praises Bai Juyi's beauty, but also the later Qian Gui.] He knelt before the altar. The king asked, "Your lifespan is not yet over, why have you come here?" The woman replied, "In my life, I was the daughter of a white spirit in this land. My parents only gave birth to a female ghost, and had no brothers. Because they cherished her like a treasure, saying she was more precious than gold, they called her Golden Boy by her childhood name. I grew to be twenty-nine, but was still unmarried. My parents loved their daughter dearly and found it difficult to choose a husband. Because my time as a woman was over, I was heartbroken. Because of this unfulfilled love, I died with regret." The king said, "Since your parents loved you so much, why didn't they choose a husband for you sooner?" "And what about a son-in-law?" the daughter replied. "My parents see that I am quite beautiful, but they cannot find a man with a decent appearance. They wish to find someone as talented as Cao Zhi and as handsome as Pan An before they will agree to my marriage. This is why you are so difficult to find." Wang laughed and said, "Such discussions are common for a loving daughter choosing a husband. But marriage is preordained by Heaven, and worldly affairs cannot be planned by man. Your father is a pedantic and mediocre man, not worth arguing with. However, although such men are not easy to find, with your looks, perhaps they will not abandon you in the end. If we find you a son-in-law with slightly better talent and appearance, it would not be so bad." "Do you know why she had to sacrifice herself?" the woman replied. "Heaven is most jealous, and cannot have everything perfect. Those who are both talented and handsome are mostly poor. There were once three men who, though they were as beautiful as He Lang and as talented as Li Bai, were also destitute. Although my father was willing to agree, I, the ghost, vowed never to follow them." The king continued, "Those who are both talented and handsome are born of the beauty of mountains and rivers, and are rare indeed. Because Nanjing is a place of strategic importance..." "The landscape is beautiful, hence the abundance of handsome men. Is there not one among the three who suits your taste?" The woman replied, "With my looks, though I cannot rival Xi Shi or Wang Zhaojun, I am still among the most beautiful women of our time. Though I dare not hope to be kept in a golden house, how could I possibly marry a humble scholar? My heart desires only to marry a man richer than Shi Jilun or nobler than Guo Linggong, only then will my wish be fulfilled. Since I am a peerless beauty of this era, I vow to marry the son of a wealthy man from a rival state." [What a strange idea!] Wang couldn't help but laugh loudly, "This is not only rare, but this saying is also unheard of. You don't love those without talent, but instead love those with talent; it's truly laughable. [This is true throughout the world, not just this woman.] I see you are quite beautiful, so why do you have such a vulgar heart? 'Beautiful skin cannot conceal a foolish heart,' is indeed a fallacy. Beauty is often short-lived; since you have some beauty, how can you be matched with a talented man? But there are many wealthy men in the city; why don't you marry them?" The woman said, "There was once a wealthy man's son, surnamed Huang, named Jinse, whose family..." He was immensely wealthy, his riches surpassing even those of the southern capital. Admiring the beauty of this woman, he once asked to expose his belly. He was deeply in love with her and wished to be her devoted wife. [A woman of such high status, betrothed to a man of great wealth, is only natural.] However, her father was stubborn and refused, leading to his death and the destruction of his precious jade. The king asked, "Why did your father refuse?" The woman replied, "My parents said he was like a puppet, with the appearance of a demon. Therefore, although other families had suitable matchmakers, my family was not chosen. I hate my parents, but cannot express it openly. I grieve in secret, my life is in turmoil, and I am tormented by unrequited love." "I am tormented by lovesickness. I had hoped to be like the phoenix and the dragon, but who knew we would be separated? Now, though I have gone to the underworld, I will still feel regret in the netherworld." Wang Bo angrily said, "You did not choose a husband based on talent and appearance, but instead sought a match based on money. You are blind! How despicable!" The woman then reported, "Although the Huang family's son is ugly, he is very affectionate. He heard of my beauty and sought me out several times. My father disliked his ugliness and refused him repeatedly. He eventually fell ill from lovesickness and died, calling out my childhood name twice on his deathbed. When I heard this, my heart died." Because of his deep affection, I longed for him even more. An ancient saying goes, "The one to whom love resides is none other than us." Another says, "A woman adorns herself for the one who pleases her." Since he died for me, how could I abandon him and live alone? Such is my humble sentiment; may the Supreme Sage be mindful." The king said, "Judging from your initial foolish desire to despise the poor and love the rich, you should have been forever condemned to the deepest hell, transformed into a pig or a dog. But out of pity for your later deep affection and gratitude, you can still retain your human form, becoming a blind man or a prostitute."

Just as he was about to make his judgment, he saw three scholars, their clothes tattered, their faces strikingly different. [The obese often wear fine clothes and ride worn-out horses, while the strikingly different are all dressed in tattered clothes; it is truly perplexing.] They jointly presented a petition to the altar, kneeling and lamenting: "When we were alive, we were rich in knowledge and talent, yet we were unable to rise to high positions, confined to our humble dwellings. [Those who are learned are confined to their thatched huts, while those who are wealthy enjoy riches and honors; this is a lament shared throughout the ages.] Instead of receiving praise from wise officials, we were rejected by foolish women. While lust is not the right path, seeking love is a basic human virtue. Each of us suffered from unrequited love, and died with this longing unfulfilled; such is the unbearable pain of dying. Therefore, we jointly submit this petition." The king presented the petitions of the other three men. After reading it once, he laughed loudly, then angrily said, "You scholars possess such talent, how could you not be a vessel for great things? You have character, how could you not be pillars of society? Why throw this away so easily? To abandon yourself like this is what is meant by 'though you have studied, you still do not know how to read.' Even if you die now, you will still be pitiful, but you will only be a laughingstock."

Just then, another person carrying a petition appeared, his face as ferocious as a ghost, his body seemingly human, claiming his name was Huang Jinse, crying out his grievances, his expression tragic. The king asked, "What grievance do you have? What do you accuse me of?" The man replied, "In the mortal world, I admired the beauty of Lady Bai and pleaded with her endlessly. Lady Bai also envied my wealth and readily agreed. However, her parents only loved those who were talented and handsome, pointing out that they had a bright future ahead of them. Little did they know that I was already rich and powerful, and soon I would be wearing an official hat. [Wealth and promotion are the same principles throughout history.] Because of an old, ignorant man, she caused the deaths of my two young children. Moreover, in my life, although I was ugly, I was kind-hearted, without a trace of evil, and had accumulated countless good deeds. [With these qualities, I could be reborn as a person of both talent and beauty, and this is not without reason.] Now I suffer this retribution, and I am deeply resentful. Moreover, human life is of paramount importance, and I beg for a judgment." After listening, the king took up his brush and wrote the judgment:

Lady Bai is rich and beautiful, with a heart as deep as water. She does not wish to marry a talented and handsome man, but only a wealthy one. Beauty and ugliness cannot be distinguished, wealth and poverty are the only factors. An unmarried woman already lovesick; how can a woman's virtue be known? Choosing a husband based solely on wealth and status; what use are relatives? She should have been imprisoned in Fengdu, but now she is leniently banished. Since she loves gold and silver, she should have become a daughter of the Qian family; regardless of beauty or ugliness, she should have been blinded and forced into prostitution. I hate her arrogance and beauty; she wanted to kill three talented men. First, she became a lowly prostitute to repay her past debts. I pity her later steadfastness, willing to sacrifice herself for an ugly man. Finally, she became a virtuous wife, fulfilling her past fate. In this life, she mistakenly loved a rich man; in the next life, she should seek a talented man. The wealthy man, relying on his rich son, desperately sought a wife; the old man of the Bai family only valued handsome and talented men, earnestly rejecting potential sons-in-law. Thus, her fate was thwarted, and this life was wasted. I examine her; though ugly in appearance, her heart is kind. Now, she is reborn into the mortal world, first enjoying fleeting pleasures with the Qian family, then fulfilling her wish to be together. She possesses both talent and beauty to cover up her past ugliness; her family is impoverished to avenge the arrogance of the rich. Qian was to be married to Zhong Qing, who possessed beauty but the blind woman could not see it; thus, beauty is emptiness. Zhong Qing, though he gained Qian, still lacked money, for emptiness can lead to beauty. Though I resent his foolishness, I still pity his love. Out of compassion, I grant him leniency. In these three lifetimes, possessing such talent, he failed to examine himself. He relied on his talent and beauty, thus being reborn as a foolish and stubborn fool to atone for his self-abandonment; he also resented poverty, thus being reborn into luxury and wealth to compensate for his arduous studies. He is thus married to a lewd, ugly, and jealous wife to serve as a warning against lust and recklessness. You, the masses, indulged in pleasure with Qian, fulfilling your past life's desires; you must all turn back to the right path and avoid creating future karmic debts. The iron pen is impartial; this judgment is rendered. [The above paragraph is entirely composed of couplets, unique to this book.]

After writing, it was given to the judge, who loudly proclaimed it once. The king then called out, "Bring those three beasts up!" A ghost soldier brought over a sharp-nosed female monkey, a roaring she-tiger, and a black fox spirit [the original form of a jealous woman, a fantastical character]. They lay beneath the table, seemingly having something to say. The king said, "You three beasts committed grave sins in your past lives, which led to your transformation into animals. Your sins are now fulfilled, and you are to be reborn as women to be paired with these three in their next lives. Although your beastly nature cannot be completely eradicated, if you do not harm them, you can still retain human form in your next life; otherwise, you will fall back into the animal realm." He ordered the ghost soldier to take them to the Hall of Reincarnation. The three beasts nodded repeatedly, as if bowing in gratitude, wagging their tails and shaking their heads, obediently awaiting their next lives, and happily followed the ghost soldier away.

The judge, standing nearby, called out and passed the previous judgment to the ghost soldier, who then led everyone away. Suddenly, a rooster crowed, and they vanished without a trace; in the blink of an eye, it was already dawn. [Well done, the writing style of Chibi is quite laughable.] Dao

Ting pondered intently, the words vividly before his eyes, recalling them perfectly. [A remarkable memory.] Just as he was marveling at this, the temple keeper came out to open the door. [The temple keeper.] Upon seeing Dao Ting, he asked in surprise, "Who are you? Why are you here at night?" Dao Ting explained that he had been drunk the previous night and had fallen asleep here. He then recounted everything he had seen and heard that night. The temple keeper, thinking it a lie, laughed and left. Dao Ting

considered this a strange tale and told it to every friend and relative he met. Even strangers he had only met once told him the story in detail. [This is in line with his nickname "Tu Shuo" (图说).] People didn't believe it, because he was known for spreading rumors and speaking in colloquial language. [This is also in line with his pseudonym "Mao Kong" (毛空).] Although people didn't believe it, they all considered it a strange story and passed it on. There was another kind of person like him, who also loved hearsay, who talked about it everywhere, and it spread throughout the land. Even today, some elders in the village can still tell the story—but that's another story.

Now, let's talk about Dao Ting. One day, in a large crowd, [there were many idle men. Four idle men.] they were talking loudly about this news. Just as they were getting into it, a young man among them asked, "Brother, did you hear these things while you were awake, or did you hear them in your dream?" Dao Ting replied, "I heard them while I was awake." The man said, "Brother, are you speaking while you are awake, or are you speaking while you are asleep?" Dao Ting said, "Your way of speaking is very strange. In broad daylight, I'm standing here talking, how can you say I'm asleep?" The man said, "Brother, don't be offended. Since you are awake, why are you talking nonsense with your eyes wide open?" [There are quite a few people who talk nonsense with their eyes wide open.] Everyone laughed heartily. [Laughter] When Dao was about to argue, another person said, "That's not how it works. Did you hear these words alone, or did someone else hear them?" Dao replied, "In the dead of night, it was just me. Where else could there be anyone else?" The other person said, "Brother, you're wrong. No wonder people are talking." Dao asked, "How am I wrong?" The other person said, "You just said you saw many judges and little devils. You should have grabbed one of them, whether judge or little devil, to testify. Then these ghostly words wouldn't be refuted. Didn't you think of that? Aren't you wrong?" Everyone clapped and laughed. [The laughter is accompanied by clapping.] Dao Ting, in a panic, said, "If I'm telling the truth, you're treating me like a liar, and you're ripping me off like this." One of the men, who recognized him, said, "Mao Kong, if you're going to tell a lie, just let people talk. Why are you in such a hurry?" Another said, "This is the famous Brother Dao! We apologize for our rudeness. We're just talking, but don't be so anxious. Let me find some evidence for you, and I guarantee they'll have nothing more to say." Dao Ting thought this was a good thing and smiled, saying, "What kind of evidence can you find for me, Brother?" The man asked, "Where did you hear this, Brother?" Dao Ting replied, "I woke up under the mud horse's feet inside the gate and heard this conversation." He addressed the crowd, saying, “How about it? I know you weren’t lying. You all told him the same thing, so we have proof.” The crowd asked, “Who is the proof?” He replied, “He said he slept under the feet of a mud horse, but there’s a groom standing there. Let’s go ask him, and we’ll know whether it’s true or not. Why do you all need to argue?” The crowd said, “That groom is a mud figure, how can he talk? You’re just spouting nonsense too.” He said, “You don’t understand, I’m going to ask him precisely because he can’t talk. If he can talk, he’ll accuse you of lying, making things even more complicated.” Hearing this, the crowd laughed so hard they almost fell over. [Initially, it was loud laughter, then clapping, and now it’s almost falling over. The laughter is described in layers, well done.]

When he tried to argue, he couldn’t win against the crowd; if he didn’t argue, he was furious. His face and neck turned red, and the veins in his neck bulged as thick as fingers. [This depicts the image of an anxious person.] A Taoist priest emerged from the crowd. [This Taoist priest was also an idler. Idler number five.] He stepped forward, smiling, and said, “Strange things happen all over the world. This layman may not be telling all lies; perhaps there’s some truth to it. Why are you all so serious? If you believe he’s telling the truth, then listen to this news. If you suspect he’s talking nonsense, then don’t believe him. People pay storytellers to listen to their tales. Now you hear something new and it’s free, why not be happy? Why argue?” The crowd looked at the Taoist priest: thick eyebrows, large eyes, five feet tall, about forty years old, wearing a bamboo hat and cloth cloak, hemp shoes and silk sash—a very neat and tidy appearance. The crowd said, “This master is right. We woodcutters shouldn’t follow the shepherds; let’s each do our own thing.” And they dispersed in a flurry.

Dejected, Dao Ting was about to leave when the Taoist priest grabbed him, saying, "Wait, sir." Dao Ting asked, "What did you say, Master?" The priest replied, "The ancients said, 'Anger ages you, laughter ages you.' [These twelve words are the secret to longevity.] We're just joking, why take it so seriously? What's there to be angry about? Let's go have a few drinks to calm your nerves." Hearing that he was being invited to drink, Dao Ting's anger vanished, replaced by a smile. He swallowed twice and then said, "I don't have a single coin on me today, I'll have to invite you another day, Master." [He had already implied "I'll trouble you today," without saying it aloud, a clever move.] The priest said, "I'm inviting you, sir, why should you spend your money?" He pulled Dao Ting to a tavern, and Dao Ting said, "How dare I trouble you, Master!" Despite saying this, he was already inside the tavern, and they sat down opposite each other.

The waiter brought two jugs of wine and several small dishes. Before the Taoist could even offer his opinion, he downed several cups of wine in one go before asking, "Master, where is your esteemed home? Where do you live? I walk around here every day but have never met you." The Taoist replied, "I am originally from Guyuan, Shaanxi. I practice sexual techniques, which naturally strengthens the body and restores vitality, hence my origin from Guyuan. I studied under a master on Mount Emei from a young age and have been traveling around lately, treating people's illnesses. I have only been here a few days and am staying at Chaotian Palace. Feeling rather bored sitting alone, I came out for a stroll. I noticed you were in a bad mood, so I invited you to have a few drinks with me. Let's chat a bit, which will surely amuse you." "He offered him a few more cups, saying, 'I have no companions at my lodgings. If you have nothing to do, you are welcome to visit my humble abode. I have nothing else to offer but a cup of wine.' Upon hearing this, Dao Ting's face lit up with a smile, and he said, 'Wine is enough. I've heard people say, "Without money, one is carefree; with wine, all is well." [I'm learning this kind of literary style, and I didn't expect Dao Ting to be so adept at it.] What else could I possibly want? If you don't mind, Master, I'll keep you company. I have absolutely nothing else to do.' The Taoist priest offered him wine, and Dao Ting drank two jugs, then opened his mouth to talk.

He talked about everything under the sun, from ancient times to the present, all of which were unheard of, strange, and intangible tales. He spoke with great relish, and the Taoist priest found it refreshing, listening with a slight smile as he rambled on. They drank several more cups together, and Dao Ting's mouth was dry. He couldn't wait for Dao Ting to offer him more, so he poured himself a large cup and drank it all in one go. [An ancient saying goes: "Don't leave a drop when the cup is in your hand," which conveys the same idea.] After eating for a while, he felt a little embarrassed and, taking the initiative, kept offering the Taoist cup after cup of wine. [Has he not heard of the foolish guest yielding to the host?] The Taoist had a considerable capacity for alcohol, finishing cup after cup. The two drank for quite some time, until he was about eight or nine parts drunk, feeling the wine rising to his throat and unable to go down, before finally getting up to say goodbye. [The ancients said: "Life is short, so drink while you can." "If you don't drink, others will laugh at you." He had both.] He mumbled this dozens of times, his tongue short and unclear. The Taoist paid the bill, and they left together; he staggered away.

The next day, he found the Taoist at Chaotian Palace, first to pay his respects, and second to express his gratitude. The Taoist invited him to stay for half a day of wine, but he had nothing to offer in return, only some simple words to repay the kindness. The Taoist, listening to him, didn't feel lonely. Before parting, the Taoist said, "Layman, you are welcome to come and chat anytime." He readily agreed and left.

Having tasted the sweetness of the blossoms, and being a man with nothing to do, he knew that to get to the streets, he had to pass by the Bian Gong Shrine behind the Chaotian Palace. [This was the place where Bian Hu of the Jin Dynasty died, and his tomb was located there; a shrine was built to commemorate him.] Therefore, he would come every three days, and every time he came, he would get drunk; he had eaten there many times.

One day, hearing that peach blossoms were in full bloom everywhere, he went to Shijia Dun, Xiao Taoyuan, Heilongtan, and Hujuguan to see the spectacle. He saw men and women coming and going like a woven tapestry, others in groups of three or five, some carrying spring delicacies, others carrying food boxes, some drinking in wine taverns, others drinking tea in teahouses. The sounds of string and wind instruments, long songs and short tunes, created a lively atmosphere. After watching for a while, his eyes were full, but his stomach grew hungry. Since he had no money in his purse, he wandered around aimlessly, and suddenly came to a peach tree where he saw something gleaming gold hanging on it. He hurried over and took it down. It was a gilded silver flower, which some woman had hung down while passing by. Overjoyed, he didn't even look at the flower, and happily slipped it into his sleeve.

Back home, he took out his money and estimated it: "This is worth seven or eight coins. Five coins can buy a large jar of wine, and the rest can buy firewood and rice—enough for a few days of heavy drinking." He thought: No, [first calculation is not good.] The weather is getting warmer; buying a light jacket is the proper thing to do. Then he thought: No, [second calculation is not good either.] I've bothered this Taoist priest so many times, [in Jiangnan, monks, Taoists, and nuns all call him "Master," while the county magistrate calls him "Great Master of the County."] I'm a little embarrassed. Why not invite him back, return the favor, and then bother him dozens more times? Such a profitable venture, why not do it? This is the best idea. [Third calculation is necessary; one should think thrice before acting. A smile.] Besides, as people say: what you eat is fine silk, but what you wear is nine-tenths fine silk. Why would I abandon the fine silk and go for the nine-tenths fine silk? Many people are like that. [He pretended he hadn't found the item.] He then pondered, "I don't have any bowls, cups, or dishes at home, so I can't come. The food at the tavern is expensive, so I'd better buy a couple of things to tide me over. The peach blossoms at the Jieyin Nunnery are in full bloom these days; I'll invite him there. My sister-in-law is also a good friend of mine. [In *The Jade Hairpin*, the boatman says of Chen Miaochang, "I'm an old man of sixty-nine, and I've never seen a sister-in-law be friends with a scholar." Now this sister-in-law is a good friend, so it's not unusual.] Asking her for tea, water, or hot wine would be cheaper." Having made up his mind, he decided to hold the ceremony tomorrow.

Now, this nunnery, the Receptionist Nunnery, is located in a secluded alley north of the Dry West Gate. A clump of black pine trees stands at the entrance, and a small, round, red door leads inside, which is quite spacious. [An ancient inscription on the painting "Half-Portrait of a Beauty" says, "It's laughable that the skilled craftsman lacks insight, failing to depict the moving details." Now, before even seeing the person, the moving details are already depicted; if a former poet were the examiner, he would surely be first in the exam. This door is usually where monks enter and exit, yet here we hear that a Taoist priest is invited in—a strange occurrence.] Inside, three main halls enshrine the Bodhisattva of Reception, and six side rooms on the east and west sides house only two nuns. The east wing has two bright rooms and one dark room; two are for guests, and one is the old nun's bedroom. [The old nun.] This old nun is over seventy years old, immobile, and sleeps in bed all year round. One room in the west wing serves as a kitchen, [and later, where the nun Zhang the Taoist urinates.], another as a storeroom, and the third as the youngest nun's bedroom. This young woman was only eighteen or nineteen years old. While not exceptionally ugly, she wasn't exactly beautiful either. She had a plump, round face, a deep purplish-red complexion, and a short, stocky build. She was very amiable, always greeting people with a warm smile. Her home was only three or four arrows' distance away, and she often came to visit.

It seemed there was some ambiguous relationship between her and this young woman, but no one knew. The next morning, she took the flower to the money shop to exchange it. Although it was a large piece of silk, it weighed only a little over seven qian (approximately 3.5 grams). She exchanged it for six hundred wen (approximately 300 coins) to make about eighty percent of the jewelry. She bought a large roasted duck, a rotten smoked pork hock, some fruit, and some good tea. She went straight to the nunnery and knocked on the door. The young woman opened it, smiling, and asked, "What are you buying all this for today?" She asked with a friendly tone. When she came in, she closed the door, leaving nothing out. He followed her in and went to her room. He said, "I'm inviting someone here today, so I'd like to borrow your place to admire the flowers. Could you tidy up a bit and sweep under the trees? I'll repay you with some effort another day." The nun smiled, glanced at him, and said, "How many pieces of fat can you eat? You look like a bean sprout. Don't make me belittle you." [The description is extremely unpleasant; compared to this, the Taoist's possessions are only worth a stalk of celery.] Hearing this, she laughed, put her arm around his neck, kissed him, and said, "Don't close the door yet, I'll go buy some wine." A little while later, she brought back a small jar of wine, saying, "Prepare everything, make some tea, and wait. I'll come with the person after breakfast." Saying this, she went out and headed towards Chaotian Palace.

The Taoist priest was about to eat when he saw him arrive. He offered him a seat and said, "Why haven't I seen you these past two days? You've come very early today. Please have a bowl of rice." The Taoist replied, "The flowers have been blooming beautifully these past two days, so I went to see them and that's why I didn't come. I've prepared a cup of wine for you, Master, to enjoy the flowers." The Taoist priest said, "Where did you get the money, sir? How could I trouble you?" The Taoist replied, "Master, I've troubled you dozens of times already. I should return the favor. There's nothing much to eat, just flowers to look at. I've prepared everything. After you've eaten, Master, let's go have some fun." The Taoist priest, seeing that he had brought something, knew that the invitation was sincere and didn't refuse, saying, "I appreciate it." However, feeling uneasy, he invited him to eat with him. The Taoist locked the door and they went out together.

The two chatted idly as they slowly walked to the Jieyin Temple. Before long, they arrived at the gate, and the Taoist knocked twice. After waiting a while, there was no sound from inside. The Taoist priest said, "Why not knock a few more times?" Dao Ting laughed and said, "Master, you're from out of town and don't know the secret signals of the nunneries in Nanjing. Knock twice first, and they'll respond with 'Open the door'; then knock three times, and they'll respond with 'Open the door quickly,' and they'll naturally come to open it. If you knock randomly, they'll hear you and know you're an amateur, and they won't open it." [This is indeed the kind of talk a nun speaks to a kind friend.] Saying this, she knocked three more times, harder than before. Footsteps were heard, and a young nun opened the door. [This is because the Taoist priest could hear and see her. If Dao Ting could hear her, he would know it was the nun even before the door opened.] She smiled and said, "I was tidying up the backyard; I knocked first but didn't hear anything." [Excellent. As before, they didn't hear the words "Open the door."] The Taoist priest looked at her, and a thought struck him. He said, "What a fine furnace! It's an exquisite vessel." Dao Ting invited her in and led her to sit in the guest room in the east wing.

A short while later, the young woman brought tea. He fell in love with the Taoist priest; he was handsome, and she gazed at him intently, smiling. [The text first describes how everyone else noticed the Taoist priest's good looks, but only for a moment. Here, it describes how the young woman, upon seeing his handsome appearance, immediately wanted to befriend him, implying that many men lacked the discernment of a young woman. This foreshadows later events, such as when Zhong Sheng was poor and abandoned by his relatives and friends, but only the blind Qian Gui recognized his talent. This foreshadows something later in the story, which the reader should be aware of.] The Taoist priest also developed feelings for him, smiled at him, and kept glancing at him.

After drinking tea and chatting, they were led to the backyard, which was indeed very clean. The Taoist priest looked at the flowers; there were seven or eight bushes, each as thick as a person's embrace, with blossoms larger than a teacup, bright red and white, blooming beautifully. A reed mat was laid out under the trees, covered with a felt rug, and the two sat on the ground.

Soon, fruit and dishes were brought and laid out, and the young woman went to fetch hot wine. Dao Ting poured a cup and offered it to the Taoist priest, saying, "I have nothing to offer you, Master, please don't laugh at me." The Taoist priest took the wine and said, "You've gone to so much trouble, Master, there's no need for such formalities." The two talked and drank for quite some time, with the nun bustling around serving wine. The Taoist priest said, "Young Master, thank you for your trouble. We feel very uneasy. Please sit down." Dao Ting quickly got up and poured a cup of wine for him. He laughed and said, "I don't drink." He was about to run away when Dao Ting grabbed his sleeve and said, "This Master is not an outsider, what's wrong with having a cup?" [Dao Ting was also an outsider to the nun, but the phrase "this Master is not an outsider" here subtly portrays him as a self-proclaimed gentleman, which is quite clever.] The cup was brought to his lips, and he couldn't refuse. Just as he was about to drink, Dao Ting forced him to swallow it. Dao Ting let go, and he ran away.

The two drank a few more rounds, and the Taoist priest wanted to take a walk, so he got up and strolled around the garden. He walked to a small latrine in the west corner and saw the young woman, her round, dark buttocks sticking out, urinating with her face turned away. Her clothes were pulled up high, and she was looking down at his vulva. [Once upon a time, a widow bathed before her wedding, looking down at her vulva and saying, "Beard, beard, you'll have meat to eat tonight." The young woman, looking at his vulva, probably also said, "Fat mouth, fat mouth, when will you have meat to eat?"] Because her buttocks were sticking up high, her ample bosom was completely exposed, directly in front of the Taoist priest's eyes. [A large, unseemly eye facing two small, see-through eyes—how amusing.] The Taoist priest saw it was indeed a fine thing; the vulva protruded high, like a large steamed bun with a thin crack. [The bun was nice, but the dough was a bit dark.] She turned around and saw the Taoist priest, laughing as she quickly pulled her clothes to cover herself and stood up. The Taoist priest also smiled and withdrew. The young woman tied her trousers and came out, looking at the Taoist priest with a giggle. [A sketch artist.] He went ahead.

The Taoist priest returned and sat down. Dao Ting offered him more wine, and the nun brought him wine, just smiling at the Taoist priest. The Taoist priest, afraid that Dao Ting would see him, also smiled and chatted with Dao Ting. [The two are vividly portrayed.] As dusk approached, the Taoist priest rose to say goodbye, but Dao Ting tried to persuade him to stay. The Taoist priest then said to the nun, "Little nun, thank you for your trouble. I'll treat you another day." She just chuckled and didn't say anything.

Dao Ting saw the Taoist priest out, then came back in and pulled the nun to drink a few more cups. The two embraced and hugged, and in a moment of passion, Dao Ting went to pull down her pants. The nun was also extremely aroused and let him undress her. Dao Ting climbed on top of her and thrust a few times, finishing quickly. It turned out that Dao Ting, acting as the host, had drunk too much and couldn't control himself, and started weeping at the door. The nun, in the throes of passion, saw that he had already finished after only a brief touch. [Bean sprouts are not very interesting, no wonder he did so.] She cried out in frustration, "Strive to move again!" But when she tried to pull away, his penis had already gone limp and withdrawn. [Bean sprouts are indeed limp.] The nun, in her extreme distress, bit his neck a few times and pinched his body a few times. She then felt quite bored, got up, helped him pack up his things, [carefully,] and left in shame.

Meanwhile, the Taoist priest returned to his lodgings, thinking, "Judging from her appearance, this nun seems to have feelings for me. Moreover, she is a rare find; I cannot let her go easily. This is the best way." This Taoist priest was skilled in both yin cultivation and mercury refining. He had plenty of silver and traveled far and wide, using any good vessel he encountered for his own purposes. Today, he found this nun to be a wonderful woman. He had met many women, recognizing them at first glance, but he didn't discriminate based on appearance. He took note, and the next day after breakfast, he went alone to the nunnery. Remembering what he had heard the day before, he knocked twice on the door, and the nun opened it. Seeing him, she greeted him with a warm smile. He was secretly delighted.

This nun, because of her dark and ugly appearance, was unloved; although she had been in relationships with one or two, they were all just casual acquaintances. Yesterday, she had seen this Taoist priest, who was handsome and imposing, and was utterly captivated. Just now, while he was urinating there, he had seen her private parts and had even considered making love to her. [It seems that no young nun is unwilling to make love to someone.] So yesterday, she had feigned a flirtatious manner, only smiling at him. But being aroused by what he had heard, she was disappointed, and her desire burned fiercely. She slept fitfully, her mind in turmoil all night.

Seeing him come alone today, I guessed eighty percent of what was going on. [Old man, you must have something special going on.] So I was secretly delighted. [This delight stemmed from the fact that something good was about to happen.] I hurriedly said, [The word "hurriedly" here indicates extreme joy.] "Master, please come in and sit down." The Taoist priest came in and sat down. He said, "Master, please sit down, I'll go make some tea." The Taoist priest said, "I don't need tea, I'll go look at the flowers instead." He said, "Since that's the case, I'll get something to sit on." So he went to the room and got a felt mat and a small sleeping mat, spread them out under the tree, and said to the Taoist priest, "Please sit on the mat, it's thicker." [Although he had something else in mind.] The Taoist priest said, "Little master, please sit down too." He smiled and said, "Master, please sit down, I don't need it." The Taoist priest said, "Please sit down, I have something to say." He turned his head to let him sit down. He sat down with a grin and said, [Since you're willing to sit with me, you're already willing to do anything.] "What are you saying to me?" [The words "you" and "me" are very affectionate, but too early. Once, a woman privately asked her sister-in-law, "When I get married tomorrow, what will I call your uncle?" Her sister-in-law replied, "At first, we'll just call each other 'you' and 'me,' but after the baby is born, you can point to the child and call him 'eldest son's father.'" The day after the woman's wedding, the new groom's hat was caught crookedly on the door curtain, and the woman called out, "Eldest son's father, your hat is crooked!" This is similar to the "you" and "me" in the story.] The Taoist priest said, "Enjoying flowers is incomplete without wine. Can you buy some wine and food?" He replied, "Wine can be bought. Just say that some ladies from the common folk are coming to enjoy the flowers, and we'll buy them wine. That will do." [This is a method for nuns to buy drinks.] How can we easily buy meat dishes? Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest took out a packet of silver from his waist, opened it, and saw that it contained about twenty or thirty taels. He picked up a piece of silver and gave the rest to the nun, saying, "Take the money and count it out. Get me some good wine, and you can keep the rest." He laughed, "Gold and silver don't pass through my hands, how can I keep them? You weigh some and I'll buy them." The Taoist laughed, "No big deal. If you want it, I can give you everything, but that's about it." [Among the nuns, there might be some who don't love women, but none who don't love money. The Taoist then used profit to entice them, which can be said to be a flawless strategy.] He laughed, "I don't have the fortune to take this much silver." The Taoist handed it to him, and he accepted it. The Taoist said, "Go get the wine, I'll go buy some vegetables. If you go back first, don't lock the door."

He took a basket, went out for a while, and bought a lot of smoked chicken, cured meat, roast duck, cooked trotters, and good fruits, filling the basket to the brim. He pushed open the door and came in, locking the door behind him. [Details.] He saw the young nun standing at the door of the west wing. The Taoist priest brought the food to him and said, "Young monk, please tidy up." The young woman went to his room, and the Taoist priest followed her in, saying, "So this is your bedroom." Seeing the many fruits and vegetables, the young woman laughed, "You bought all this? Are you treating someone?" [A rhetorical question, why not just say: Are you paying respects?] The Taoist priest laughed, "Yes, I'm treating you specially, and also to repay you for yesterday's meal." She laughed, "We monks don't eat meat." The Taoist priest laughed, "You can break your vows if you want. I've seen female monks elsewhere who don't abstain from meat, or anything at all." [A clever remark, yet the truth.] The young woman glanced at him a couple of times and laughed, [Charming and seductive.] "Don't be so presumptuous, you see?" Saying this, she hurried off to tidy up. The Taoist priest

sat down under the flowers for a while, then went to relieve himself in the small lattice by the west wall, when he heard a laugh from inside the north window. The Taoist priest peeked inside and saw his sister-in-law warming wine in the kitchen. Hearing a noise outside the window, she looked out and saw the priest urinating while holding his penis. She deliberately laughed, letting the priest know she was admiring it. [Yesterday, the priest saw the sister-in-law's thing here; today, the sister-in-law saw the priest's thing here—a true reciprocation. The sister-in-law's laugh reminded me of a joke. A mother and daughter were going out. The mother told her daughter, "That boy across the street is very wicked; you mustn't let him take advantage of you." The daughter agreed. When the mother returned at dusk, she asked her daughter, "Did that boy come after I left?" The daughter replied, "He did, but today I took advantage of him." The mother asked why.] The woman said, "As soon as he came, he hugged me and kissed me, and I kissed him twice. He carried me to the bed, pulled down my pants, and caused a lot of blood." The mother exclaimed in surprise, "You suffered such a loss, and you still say you gained an advantage?" The woman said, "I wasn't finished yet. After a while, I even pulled out his brains, didn't I gain an advantage?" This nun probably wanted to take advantage of him too. The Taoist priest, judging by appearance and expression, knew that something good was likely going to happen, and was secretly pleased. He

turned around and went to the flowers, where he saw a large tray with many bowls and plates, as well as a wine pot, a pair of chopsticks, and a cup. The Taoist priest said, "Little master, please sit down." He stood leaning against a peach tree and smiled, "[An ancient poem says: 'The peach blossoms and the maiden's face are reflected in each other's redness.' But this nun's face is dark, which is inappropriate.]" "I won't sit," the Taoist priest said, pulling on his sleeve, "I originally invited you, it would be a disappointment if you didn't sit." He smiled and sat down. The Taoist priest poured him wine, but he refused, saying, "I don't know how to drink; please enjoy it yourself." The priest insisted, saying, "How did you eat yesterday? And today you're pretending to refuse again." He said, "I'll get another cup." The priest said, "No need, just take turns with this one." He smiled and drank it. [For the nuptial wine, the two of them only used two cups, one cup, making them even more intimate.] The priest poured another cup and brought it to his lips, saying, "Good things come in pairs, another cup." He said, "You should have a cup too." The priest forced it to his lips, and he took a sip. The priest took it from him and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "So fragrant and sweet." [A seasoned flirt, quite amusing.] He glanced at him with a smile and then offered him some food. He initially refused, but the priest insisted, so he ate for a while.

After three cups, the nun was a little tipsy, her heart stirred with desire, her eyes watery and squinting. [If her upper eyes are like this, what about her lower eyes?] The Taoist priest offered him wine, but he laughed and said, "I won't drink anymore; too much wine makes me feel unwell." [This reminds me of a joke: A woman was standing idly at her door when two young men passed by. One said, "What a lovely woman, but she's a bit too plump." The other said, "And what a scabbard!" The woman went inside and asked her mother, "Just now, one of those two said I was plump; what did he say?" Her mother said, "He said you were fat." The woman then asked, "And the other said I had scabies; what did he say?" Her mother, not wanting to answer, lied and said, "He saw some scabies on your hands." The woman believed him. One day, the mother and daughter went to a neighbor's house for a feast, and the host offered them wine. The woman said, "I dare not drink; scabbard will make me itchy." Therefore, she felt unwell after drinking.] He smiled and insisted the Taoist priest drink. Seeing his flirtatious behavior, the Taoist priest grew impatient and chuckled, "You're just making me drink without eating. If I get drunk and can't get home, how will you get rid of me?" He laughed and said, "If I can't get home, I'll sleep under this tree." The Taoist priest said, "This garden is empty, no one to keep me company. If you're willing to sleep with me, I'd be happy not to go." He glanced at her, [his flirtatious manner was captivating], and smiled without saying a word. [This "smile" also implies an urgent need for closure.] The Taoist priest then forced him to drink another cup, but he declined, saying, "I've had enough wine." [Once, a woman asked her mother, "People always talk about wine and women. Wine is drinking, but what is women?" The mother didn't know how to answer and said, "Women are eating." One day, she went to a relative's house and was treated to wine and food. After drinking several cups, when offered more, he said, "I've had enough wine, let's talk about women." This nun probably had the same idea.] The Taoist priest, seeing the woman's state, realized he was also quite drunk, his face flushed and purplish, his eyes glazed, and he kept chuckling. He thought to himself, "The time's right, I'll make my move." He said, "Since you've had enough, let's rest a bit before we eat again." He stood up, and the nun also stood up.

The Taoist priest feigned drunkenness, pretending to stumble, and leaned against her. The nun, thinking he was drunk, stepped forward to support him, and the Taoist priest, taking advantage of the situation, threw himself into her arms, their lips meeting in a kiss. [There's an old joke: A man met a woman on the road, went up to her, embraced her, and kissed her. The woman was furious. The man said, "Grandma, please calm down. I was afraid you would do this; why would I do this?" The Taoist priest probably also feared the nun would do the same.] The nun laughed and pinched him, saying, [How shameless!] "I was trying to help you out of kindness, and you're so ungrateful." [Those who help out of kindness intend to take advantage of this.] The Taoist priest grabbed her and said, "Since you're so kind, let me kiss you a few more times." The nun just smiled and pushed him away, without getting angry. Seeing that things were going well, the Taoist priest reached out to touch her lower body. [The Taoist priest was about to enjoy his steamed bun.] She stopped him with her hand, saying, "If I yell, you won't be able to do it." The Taoist priest didn't listen, hugged her, laid her down on the mattress, [and only then did he use it properly. The mattress that was brought for the Taoist priest to sit on was actually used by himself to sleep on. I wonder if he brought it there intentionally?] He pressed her down on top of him and kissed her several times, saying, "You're with me, [and I also intend to be friends with you.] I have a great benefit for you to repay your kindness." The nun was also moved and didn't utter a sound.

The Taoist priest took advantage of the situation and pulled down his pants. When he tried to cover himself again, they were already down, revealing his plump buttocks. He just smiled with his eyes closed. The Taoist priest quickly took out his penis and inserted it; it was incredibly plump and juicy. With several thrusts, it went all the way in. [A book that allows adulterers and promiscuous women begins with a nun and a Taoist priest, showing that few of these people uphold the precepts, thus serving as a warning to them.] The Taoist priest lay on top of him without moving. The nun saw that it wasn't very large when he inserted it, but after a while, it became hot and swollen inside, swollen full. The glans inside was like a snake flicking its tongue, constantly poking and prodding, causing unbearable itching and tingling, making her giggle incessantly. He had never tasted such a strange object before, and he ejaculated instantly. The Taoist priest sucked out all the yin essence, paused for a moment, and then began to thrust wildly again. His buttocks twisted, his brows furrowed, as if he was experiencing some unbearable discomfort. He just smiled with blurred eyes, and soon ejaculated again. The Taoist felt there was more yin essence this time and drank it with great pleasure. The nun ejaculated twice in a row, feeling completely refreshed, and said, "That's enough, [enough wine, then lust; enough lust, then what?] Pull it out and rest." The Taoist laughed and said, "It's stuck, I can't pull it out." She said, "You told me to rest and breathe, why are you just being shameless?" The Taoist said, "Just pull it out." She pushed the Taoist up with both hands, her buttocks pulling back, and sure enough, his penis was swollen inside her and couldn't be pulled out. The nun became anxious and said, "What should I do? Try to pull it out with some force." The Taoist laughed and said, "I don't have the strength, you climb on top of me and try to pull it out." She picked her up and flipped over onto him, straddling him, [first the Taoist rode a donkey, now the nun rode an ox, how interesting.] She placed her hands on the Taoist's shoulders, knelt down, and tried her best to pull upwards, but it was stuck tightly. She twisted and pulled her buttocks wildly, stretching her vulva painfully, but she still couldn't pull it out. [The Taoist priest later had relations with the Chang family and also had affairs with the women of the Yao household, but this was never seen again. Why was this nun the only one to behave this way? Because the two were the first adulterers, implying their union was like dogs. Through these two, the author condemns all adulterers in the book as dogs, hence the omission of their descriptions.] The Taoist priest said, "You can lie on me now, you'll come out in a while, what's the rush?" He had no choice but to lie down, and the Taoist priest held him tightly, telling him to stick out his tongue and suck it tightly. His penis throbbed inside her again, feeling the coldness of her tongue, and he lost control once more. The vaginal fluids inside were even more abundant. The Taoist priest, having satisfied him, let out a sigh and said, "Try pulling it out again." He leaned forward, straining his buttocks, and lifted himself up, hearing a soft sound, like a child squirting a blister, as it was already pulled out. [Many novels depict lewd acts, but none are as bizarre as this metaphor.]

The nun was startled when she saw his penis. It was over seven inches long, and the base was only about one circumference thick, while the upper half resembled a large cucumber. Therefore, although it filled her vagina, it didn't hurt. [This is what is meant by a small, round red gate, which is quite spacious inside.] At first, he held his breath; it was as hard as iron, the penis thick, the vagina small, like a dog leash, [I'm specifically mentioning this to avoid people not noticing; did I agree with my previous assessment?] Therefore, it couldn't be pulled out. After releasing it, it softened slightly, so it came out easily . The nun said, "How come you have such a strange thing? It wasn't very thick at first, how did it grow into such an ugly shape in such a short time?" The Taoist priest said, "I am a living treasure that has been refined. It can be big or small. When you first start playing with it, it goes in easily. After being touched by yin energy, it grows bigger. It grows according to the woman's vagina. It grows as thick and long as the woman's vagina is deep and big. It can even play with a virgin. It can play with any vagina, no matter how deep or big." The nun was so happy that she held it in both hands and admired it carefully for a while, not wanting to put it down. The Taoist priest said, "I've seen many women, and this thing of yours is a treasure." The nun laughed, "Which woman doesn't have this flat thing? How do you know mine is a treasure?" The Taoist priest said, "Other women's yin essence is abundant the first time, less the second time, and almost nothing the third time, sometimes even unbearable. Yours is more abundant each time, inexhaustible; isn't that a treasure?" The nun laughed, put on her trousers, and reheated the wine. The two, unlike before, sat side by side, arm in arm, intimately sharing a sip. After

a while, as the sun began to set, the Taoist priest laughed and said, "I've troubled your treasure enough; I'll come to see you again in a few days." He got up to leave. The nun also laughed, "I'm so grateful for your hospitality; no need for thanks. When will you return? Take the money with you." [Such meticulousness is key.] The Taoist priest said, "Here's some money for your travel expenses; I'll definitely come to see you in five or seven days." The nun was reluctant to part, seeing him off at the temple gate. Even after the Taoist priest had gone far away, she still stood watching him go. Seeing someone approaching from afar, he retreated inside to tidy up.

The Taoist priest returned six or seven days later, [after the period of rest, it would take seven more days before he could gather again.] He brought wine and other accompaniments, his sleeves billowing as he drank with her. In high spirits, they engaged in sexual activity under the flowers. [This was called "A Beautiful Encounter Under the Flowers."] Later, when the flowers withered, she made her pleasure nest on his meditation bed. He loved this nun a hundredfold, and she loved him equally, their affection boundless. After about half a year of this, the nun's vitality waned. The Taoist priest, fearing he might harm her, intended to leave.

One day, he said to her, "I find you honest and pleasing. I have a unique method to teach you, one that you will benefit from for a lifetime." The nun asked, "What method will you teach me?" The Taoist priest said, "I have a method of sexual intercourse; I will teach it to you. Once you learn it, you will reap many benefits." They then went to his bed, and he whispered many secrets in her ear. The nun was overjoyed and said, "Don't go back tonight, so I can teach you properly." The Taoist agreed. [After half a year of close friendship, he stayed overnight before parting, something not found in any book.] He stayed for four or five days. Seeing that she had learned it, he gave her some more instructions, explaining the advantages and disadvantages in detail. [The advantages and disadvantages are implied here, to be elaborated on later when the nun gives her instructions—brilliant.] Then he said, "I've taught you this method, which will also make up for your past relationship. I'll leave you tomorrow." He then gave her twenty or thirty taels of gold. The nun was shocked to hear that he was leaving. She grabbed his hand, tears streaming down her face, and said, "How can you bear to leave me after all the kindness we've shown each other these past few months?" The Taoist said, "I've been here for you for half a year, which isn't long. Now that you've learned this method, I'm of no use to you here. We'll meet again, so don't be sad." [Foreshadowing follows.] She wiped away his tears, gave him a few more words of advice to take care, and left. The nun was moved by his love and also pleased by his unusual possession. After he left, she grieved for several days before her heart was at peace.

Some time later, just as she was thinking of someone to test her magic, someone arrived carrying a small reed bottle of white wine, a large piece of sausage, and two salted duck eggs. [The sausage, being the size of a duck egg, was a great sign for the nun.] The nun asked, "Where have you been for the past six months? I haven't seen you." The person replied, "Since the day I parted from you, a friend invited me to go to Huguang with him. I was busy and didn't have time to say goodbye. I only came home yesterday, and today I came specifically to see you." [The Taoist priest had known the nun for over six months, and the person there was a close friend of hers. It seemed he hadn't visited the nunnery for many days—wasn't that an oversight? This exchange reveals the reason for his long absence. Very clever.] The two drank for a while in the nun's room. Hearing this, she laughed and said, "I drank too much that day and failed to satisfy your kindness. I've come to apologize today." She then went to pull down his trousers. The young woman, wanting to test her magic on him, readily undressed. After a while, the woman locked herself up, and he lost control. The woman felt as if she had been enlightened, as if sweet dew had soothed her heart; she was overjoyed. He also felt incredibly happy and couldn't stop. This happened three times in a row, [comparing to the Taoist's first encounter with the woman]. She left, feeling utterly grotesque and dizzy. [Compared to the later monks with their flat noses and crooked mouths, she was far inferior.]

However, the woman's dwelling was secluded, and her appearance was not particularly attractive; her outward appearance was poor, and little did people know she possessed genuine beauty, so she had few customers. Later, the old woman died, and he was alone, so he had to hire two more women for company. With so many people around, it became even harder to attract customers. He could only do it occasionally by chance. Truly,

even the finest steeds cannot travel a thousand miles without a discerning eye.

To whom did his method later come to be passed down? Will it ever have a chance to be put to great use? The truth will be revealed later. [In the eighteenth chapter of the series.]

After parting with his young sister-in-law, the Taoist priest decided to travel elsewhere, hoping to encounter something beautiful. He thought to himself, "West Lake is the most famous scenic spot in the world; why not visit it? Besides, this place of beautiful mountains and rivers must produce rare treasures; perhaps I will find something." So he took a boat to Tiger Hill and went to the temple to admire it. Outside the temple gate, on both sides, were shops selling clay figures, so exquisite they could hardly be moved. There were also shops selling various bonsai, beautifully arranged. There were shops selling household teapots, bowls, and various utensils, as well as bamboo stools, chairs, and benches. Most of the shops were weaving fine mats from Tiger Hill, making it a truly bustling place. Entering the temple, he saw the Sword Testing Stone and went to the Thousand-Man Stone, surrounded by teahouses and taverns. After visiting the Sword Pool and climbing the Pagoda, they spent two days sightseeing. They then hired a boat to Hangzhou and found a place to stay by West Lake. They spent more than ten days exploring the Lingyin Temple, Jingci Temple, Sanzhu Temple, Yue Fei Temple, and Yu Xin Temple.

Tired from a day of sightseeing, I rested in a pavilion by the lake. Sitting by the window, I drank several cups alone, gazing at the shimmering water meeting the sky, the verdant mountains, and the hibiscus lining the banks, the fragrant osmanthus blossoms filling the air – a truly delightful sight. I thought, "The ancients praised West Lake, saying, 'If West Lake were compared to Xi Shi, she would be beautiful whether lightly or heavily adorned.' Indeed, they were right." Just as I was feeling pleased with myself, four or five young men at the next table [again, four or five idle men. Idle Man Seven.] were also drinking. One of them said, "What strange and wonderful things don't happen in this world?" Another asked, "What strange things?" The first man said, "The daughter of the Chang family at the lake's edge, that adulterous woman, is a monster." This one asked, "How do you know?" The second man said, "Her husband is dead, and now she neither remarries nor stays faithful, but instead marries in small, irregular ways. [The phrase 'marries in small, irregular ways' is a strange tale throughout the ages.] She's only twenty-one or twenty-two years old this year, living with just her mother, and they've become semi-open-door slaves. I heard people say that when she first came out, she wasn't anything special..." Lately, she's become quite the iron-willed woman. [The word "iron" has never been added before to the character for "woman." Not only is it a strange occurrence, but it's also terrifying.] This lewd woman is probably incomparably lewd. No matter how strong you are, you can't beat her. Even if you spend the whole night with her until dawn, she still won't be satisfied. Sleeping with her for one night will leave you half-dead the next day, and you might even be sick for several days before you can get up. She boasts that if people go to her, it only costs three coins a night, and three or five people will go with her, and she won't refuse. If you have the ability to satisfy her, she'll even pay ten taels. I first... I still don't believe it. They're just our parents' flesh and blood, surely they're not made of iron? Later, I heard it was the truth. The other day, eight of us made an appointment to go together. It was just a joke, we thought he'd be too busy with so many people and wouldn't stay. But when we got there, he openly accepted us. The eight of us took turns trying to make him lose, hoping to have a good laugh. We started before the lights were even lit, going up and down non-stop until sunrise the next day, until we were all disheveled and battered. He still wasn't satisfied, and instead, he laughed at us, saying, 'Don't say...' "You bunch of cowards! Even if there were eight more of you, you wouldn't be of any use to me. If you're so capable, keep going until dark and see if I'll back down. If not, I'll spare your lives, but you're gone." None of the men dared to utter a word of protest, and they all left feeling utterly humiliated. These men gave her a nickname: "Female Jingde." The folk song says that Hu Jingde could hold off eight generals a day, and that's the idea. Don't you think this woman is a monster?" [If you don't find the strange strange, it will naturally disappear. The crowd, already discouraged by the strangeness, was bound to fail.] The crowd laughed. The Taoist priest, hearing this, thought to himself, "Since there's such a strange thing, why don't I go and test her skills?" He then got up, paid his debts, and went straight to the lake's edge.

Now, this daughter of the Chang family, whose father had died young and whose mother was a widow, [the daughter of the Chang family was a prostitute. Her mother was an old prostitute, so her surname is unnecessary.] He also often socialized with others. When Chang was eleven or twelve, he already had a somewhat mischievous air

about him. One day, while standing at the door, two boys passed by. One said, "What a handsome young man!" The other said, "I'd be so happy if I could chat with him for a bit." The first boy said, "And what a bunch of 'big shots'!" and went off laughing with him. Hearing this, he came back inside and said to his mother, "You two damned bastards passed by the door, walking my village road side by side, and then you called me a handsome young man, a 'big shot,' and all that 'big shots' stuff. You gossipy old men, you rotten-mouthed turtles!" He muttered and cursed incessantly. His mother, unable to bear it any longer, said, "He said 'golden boy and jade,' and that you're a girl, which isn't bad at all. Why are you cursing him like that?" Changshi said, "He also said 'clear sky and white moon.'" The mother, not knowing what to say, replied, "'Clear sky and white moon,' saying you're as white as the moon, that's not quite right." Changshi said, "Don't try to fool me. I know it's 'sun,' he wants to 'sun' me. [Brilliant.] He also said 'seven big and eight,' saying I'm too small to be fucked. Do you think he's saying nice things?" [Even more brilliant.] The mother was speechless.

Another day, the mother and daughter went to the door to check on things and happened to see a man urinating against the wall outside their door. He saw it immediately, chased him out, and cursed, "He has a beautiful young woman at home, are you blind to come here and spew pus and blood?" The man, embarrassed, pulled up his pants and ran away. He chased him into the street and continued cursing. His mother pulled him in, saying, "He's just a young man, he accidentally peed in the wrong place, he ran away, why are you cursing?" Changshi said, "Oh, what a fine young man! A bird's head like a purple plum, and he's a young man?" When he was thirteen, he often saw his mother doing indecent things with others, so he eavesdropped or watched. After watching several times, seeing his mother's very happy demeanor, he thought, "This is so enjoyable, I should try it too, see how happy I am!"

Next door lived a young servant named Yu Fu, three years older than him, sixteen years old. He had been visiting Changshi's house since childhood, and they were like siblings, playing and teasing each other without restraint, the two being very close. He also loved Changshi, but being young and timid, he dared not make a move. Changshi also loved him wholeheartedly.

One day, his mother went to a relative's house, leaving him alone at home. Just then, the servant came along. Changshi saw him and said, "My mother isn't home, come keep me company." The servant was overjoyed and said, "What shall we do sitting here? Let's find something to play." Changshi said, "Let's play rock-paper-scissors. The loser gets a slap on the hand." The servant said, "No cheating, you'll get a slap." Changshi said, "Of course." She took out some money as stakes, and the two played. Changshi lost, and the servant grabbed her hand to slap her. Changshi resisted, tightly pulling her hand away. The servant pulled hard, saying, "You said you wouldn't cheat, why are you cheating now?" Changshi couldn't break free and rolled around in his arms. The servant said, "No matter how you cheat, you have to let me hit you first." Changshi rolled around for a while, seeing that he wouldn't let go, she sat up and laughed, "Go ahead and hit me." She then rolled up her sleeve, revealing her snow-white arm. The servant was overjoyed and laughed, "How could I bear to hit you? Let me bite you." He then put his mouth on hers, released her, and said, "Again." Changshi laughed, "If you don't hit me, I'll hit you when I win." The servant said, "Then it's up to you." They guessed again, and Changshi won. The servant stretched out his arm and said, "Hit me." Changshi laughed, "If you don't hit me, I can't hit you either. I'll spare you."

Seeing her grinning, the servant laughed and said to her, "I can't bear to hit you, and you can't bear to hit me. How can we decide who wins? Let's kiss." Changshi laughed, "Am I afraid of you?" [A clever answer.] They guessed again, and Changshi won again. The servant put his mouth on her face and said, "Kiss me." Changshi laughed, "I'll spare you too. I won't kiss you." The servant said, "No, if you don't kiss me, how can I kiss you when I win? How can that be considered a win or a loss?" He insisted that she kiss him. She turned her face away and giggled. The servant grabbed her and forced his lips to hers, only stopping after a few moments. He released her, laughing, "Do you dare come again?" Changshi glanced at him and laughed for a while. Then, guessing the servant had won, he said, "You've already offered your lips." Changshi laughed and stood up to run away. He pulled her into his arms, clamping his legs between hers, cupping her face in his hands, and kissed her four or five times.

At this point, the servant was also aroused, his penis hard and thrashing against Changshi's legs. Changshi, aroused by his thrusts, deliberately rolled around in his arms, pinching and twisting, laughing, "You said you'd only kiss me once, how come you've kissed so many?" They giggled and played together. [A truly mischievous pair.] Seeing that she was somewhat willing to submit, the servant suddenly grabbed her, saying, "Let's wrestle." He carried her to the bed, pressed himself against her, and began thrusting his penis through her clothes. Changshi, deeply aroused, said, "Stop playing around. Go and close the door, and I'll speak for you." [Unexpectedly, this young woman was a seasoned writer.] The servant, understanding the situation and knowing there was something fishy going on, released him and quickly closed the door to come in. Seeing him sitting on the bed, he asked, "I closed the door, what did you say?" Changshi laughed, "I coaxed you to let me up, what is there to say?" [The answer was subtle and ingenious.] The servant jumped onto the bed, pushed him down, lifted his clothes, and started pulling down his pants. Changshi didn't resist, only laughing and hitting him, saying, "You're getting more and more playful." He pulled down her pants, pressed her down, and then reached down to pull down his own pants, took out his penis, and poked it randomly between his legs. He just laughed. Seeing that she agreed, the servant kissed her and said, "Don't move, let me try with you." Changshi didn't move. The servant got up, saw the crucial moment, used some saliva, and then aimed at the entrance, gradually entering. The two of them did this for a while, but since it was their first time, they didn't know the pleasure involved. Chang thought to herself, "It hurts and feels bloated, there's no pleasure at all. My mother is always like that, it's probably only when she's used to it that it's enjoyable." After a while, they finished and went their separate ways.

Afterwards, whenever they had the chance, the two would engage in sexual activity, gradually finding it enjoyable. Changshi realized that it truly had its pleasures. When he turned fifteen, his mother also became aware of the situation and sent someone to speak to the servant's parents, offering to give their daughter to him for free. Since there was no one else at home, they wanted to have him marry into the family. The servant's father was also a poor man, and seeing that his son was eighteen and had grown into a strong man, he was eager to find him a wife. Now that he had encountered this cheap opportunity, why not? Besides, they were only separated by a wall; what harm was there in a son-in-law marriage? He agreed, and the marriage took place.

Although Changshi had been having an affair with him for two years, she could only have sex once or twice a month, which was very unsatisfying. Now that they were husband and wife, the two lustful beings were together, engaging in sexual activity day and night. In less than half a year, Yu Fu developed tuberculosis, and his deficiency fire descended, making his penis harder and harder, and the harder it was, the more he wanted it. Even when he became unable to move due to the illness, his penis remained rock hard. Changshi disregarded his life or death, riding on him all night until dawn, refusing to rest, making Yu Fu alternately dizzy and awake. In less than a year, with the token of their love, she personally went to report to Yama, the King of Hell.

During that year, Changshi, except for the days of her menstrual cycle when she had to rest, never let her desires rest. Now, after her husband's death, she endured a whole month of suffering, her lust burning fiercely. A fire surged from her vagina to her head, her face constantly flushed and burning hot, almost like a meditating monk, as if the three fires were about to rise from her dantian and cremate her. Unable to bear it any longer, she kept going to the door to look out.

One day, she saw a strong, handsome young man, also of good build, walking by, who happened to glance at her. His anger flared even more, and he couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Just walk away, what are you going to do about it?" Unexpectedly, the man was also a lecherous fellow. Seeing the reason behind his words and his smiling face, he stopped and boldly replied, "Because I find Your Majesty so beautiful and charming, I dared to take a look." Changshi laughed, "What do you want to do to me?" [Exactly what you want to do?] The man smiled and stepped closer, saying, "That's up to Your Majesty." [The two were at odds, a pair of seasoned experts.] Changshi glanced at him with a smile and went inside, the man following behind. Changshi whispered, "My wife is here, you can stand here." She peeked out and, not seeing his mother, said, "Come with me quickly." Upon reaching his room, without a word, they went to bed and undressed. [It was quite amusing.]

The man had a secret mission, and the two of them had been at it for two hours without stopping. Changshi, having just faced a formidable opponent, was overjoyed, like ascending to heaven, and was unwilling to let him go. His mother, not seeing her daughter for half a day, looked at the closed door and peeked through the window. [First the daughter peeked at her mother, now the mother peeked at her daughter—brilliant!] She saw her daughter with a young man, who seemed to have a grudge against her, pounding and pounding wildly. Her daughter was like a madwoman, trembling and pulling wildly. She had no choice but to leave. After the man left, she said to her daughter, "You, a newly widowed woman, are doing such things? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Changshi replied, "I can't control my daughter after she's married. I've seen you do this often too, so why should you, an old widow, do this?" [A clever remark, very amusing.] Her mother blushed and had no reply. [Truly had no reply.]

The man was a lecher, and she and this lecherous man were a perfect match. If he didn't come for three days, he would occasionally send some travel expenses or bring some food and wine. Whenever he came, he would take advantage of her, and he would only stop when he was completely satisfied. His mother couldn't stop him either, so they each found their own clients, lived together but did their own thing, [strange saying]. After several months, the man became too weak to continue. Whether he fell ill or simply disappeared, it was unclear.

Chang's wife waited for several days, but he didn't come. Since meeting this man, she had become even more greedy. He was charming and beautiful, and possessed the skill of seducing men effortlessly. She only needed to lower the hook, and men would fall in, without any regard for profit. How many men could be considered top scholars? Those she had known for ten years were all happy to follow him.

Later, as more people learned of this, some idle men in the neighborhood became indignant, saying, "He doesn't associate with people from our own neighborhood, but instead associates with someone from afar." They started banging bricks and tiles. Changshi discussed with his mother, saying, "It's not good to live here. Let's find a few houses in a quieter place near the mouth of West Lake. There are Tianzhu, Lingyin, and Jingci temples nearby. Those monks are known as 'lustful ghosts,' and it's said they have the ability to never stop ejaculating. Besides, they get their money easily. We can not only have pleasure but also earn money to enjoy ourselves—isn't that good?" His mother, a beautiful woman in her forties, had made some friends, but most of them were just empty promises, and few actually gave her any money. She relied on her daughter to earn a living. She had one mouth to feed the other two. Moreover, she and her son had been doing this for years and considered it a woman's natural thing to do, nothing unusual, so they agreed. They found three houses on West Lake, each with its own courtyard, quite quiet, and moved in.

While there were Zen monks in the temples around West Lake, there were many monks who drank and kept mistresses. How many monks are like the one described by Canliaozi, whose worldly desires are like muddy cotton, unmoved by the whims of the east wind? Such eminent monks are rare indeed! And then there are those wandering nuns who recruit him, and within a day or two, he's hooked one. One tells two, two tell three, and these monks, under the guise of begging for alms, all come to admire him. They take the money the donors donate without a second thought and give it all to him as "bribes." And they indulge in lavish feasts of wine and meat all day long.

The mother and son now only wish they had two mouths to feed them all. His door is truly like a marketplace, with a constant stream of senior monks coming and going through the main gate, and a never-ending stream of bald-headed monks coming and going through the side gate. Chang not only witnessed the bald monk's abilities but also profited greatly from it. From morning till night, those bald-headed monks shuttle in and out, and he never stopped them, yet he still couldn't satisfy his desires. [Chang can be compared to the woman from Hejian.] After a year or so, these monks, worn out by his schemes, were now penniless, their robes and ordination certificates pawned, and their visits became rare. He simply opened a half-open shop (the shop was no longer just half-open). His prices were very low, only three coins per transaction. If someone was skilled enough to satisfy him, he wouldn't charge a price. Imagine, who wouldn't want to trade such a cheap and exquisitely crafted treasure? Later, finding this insufficient, he issued a new rule: if two or three people came together, he would only charge five coins; if four or five came together, he would only charge one tael. If someone could satisfy him completely, not only would he not accept the price, but he would also give them ten taels of gold as a reward.

These young men, hearing this, went mad with excitement, all eager to come. They thought they would get something for free and return with hard-earned money. They came in groups of three or five, only to be utterly disappointed and flee. The man who drank there also possessed a well-developed penis and considerable stamina. Hearing of his reputation, he gathered eight young men, pooled together a few coins, and went to his house. He had initially thought that seeing eight people would naturally deter him, assuming they were just making fun of him. However, just when he was lamenting his wasted potential, he readily accepted their offer. These eight men, without a word of fear, came forward, confident that eight strong young men could easily defeat him. They took turns for half a day and a night, all surrendering without resistance. He then severely berated them, and they left in shame.

That day, the Taoist priest overheard this strange tale being told to the crowd in the tavern, "Fresh mussels, an excellent accompaniment to wine." Upon reaching the lake's edge, he saw a house with a bewitching young woman standing at its door. The Taoist priest approached and bowed, saying, "Female Bodhisattva, may I ask where a man named Chang lives?" The woman asked, "Why do you ask him?" The Taoist priest replied, "I have something to say to him." The woman sized him up, noticing he didn't look like a begging Taoist, and said with a smile, "So you've come to befriend him? He's not someone to be trifled with." The Taoist priest said, "I've come to visit because I've heard of his reputation." The woman said, "That's me! What do you want to say?" Upon hearing it was him, the Taoist priest looked at him and, though not handsome, possessed a captivating charm that could enthrall. He smiled and said, "Let's go inside and talk." The woman let him in. The Taoist priest sat down, took out a silver pouch from his side, and handed her a three-tael ingot, saying, "I have long admired your name and wished to come and get to know you better, to learn from your great talent. I have nothing to offer but this small token to express my sincere gratitude." The woman laughed and said, "Master, your gift is too generous." The Taoist priest said, "It is nothing but a meager offering, please accept it." He then smiled and whispered in her ear, "There is one thing, however, that I possess considerable skill, and besides, when I, a monk, see a woman, I am like a fly to blood, never satisfied. I only ask that you not refuse, for that would be a great honor." Chang said, "I hope you have such skill, then I have no fear." The Taoist priest then gave her another one-tael ingot, saying, "Please prepare a small gift." Seeing that he was willing to spend money and that he spoke boastfully, Chang hurriedly handed the silver to her mother to buy it.

This woman was extremely lewd. Hearing that he had great skills, and since he spoke so wildly, she was eager to test his abilities. She said, "My mother is going to buy something and will be gone for a while. Why don't we each show off our skills first?" [She wanted to try first, and not only were her eyes and brows brimming with lewdness, but her heart was also full of lust.] The Taoist priest readily agreed, "Excellent." He closed the door, went into the room, and undressed. The woman saw that the Taoist priest's penis was only a little over four inches long and about the size of a circumference. She secretly laughed to herself, "I thought that since he spoke so boldly, he must have a magnificent member. Who knew it was such a small thing, not even enough to touch the inside. Even if he has the ability to last all night, it's limited. This Taoist priest is probably inexperienced." She laughed to herself. [This is truly a woman's view. Are all those skilled and proficient men burly and strong?] She lay down, legs spread wide, and the Taoist priest lay on top of her. Once he reached the root, he lay still. Seeing his behavior, Chang suspected he had never done this before, and laughed as she instructed him, "Why are you moving around like this?" The Taoist priest didn't respond. After a while, the woman first felt a slight heat in her vagina, then it felt like burning coals, gradually swelling and reaching deep inside her. The glans penis sometimes flicked like a snake's tongue, sometimes like a child suckling, poking and stimulating her itch muscles, bringing her unbearable pleasure. Before long, Chang lost control, realizing the Taoist priest's skills were indeed superb. She held him tightly, saying, "You really are skilled. I've met many people, but you're the first." Receiving this reward, the Taoist priest thrust even harder inside her. Changshi frowned with delight, just chuckling. After only a short while, he withdrew, saying, "Let's do it again tonight. My lady is coming soon; I need to get up and open the door." The Taoist priest let out a sigh of relief and pulled out. Changshi felt a throbbing in her vagina, unlike the previous day when the nun had many difficulties; now Changshi only felt a throbbing and was pulled out. Although there is a difference in their width, I previously said it was like a dog leash, but I won't write about it again. Is that right?] It wasn't like when she entered without noticing. Looking at his waist, she saw it was almost eight inches long and as thick as a bell. She felt like she had found a treasure, quickly getting up and grabbing it, saying, "You're actually a living treasure! [I love you even more than the nun.] With this, I'll have a satisfying night." [Woman praising man.] She laughed incessantly.

The two got dressed and got up. The old woman also came with the things she had bought, and prepared the wine and food. The three of them finished eating. Chang tried it twice before she was pleased and started to get going. Before nightfall, she and the Taoist priest had already undressed and gone to bed. Looking at the priest's penis, she noticed it was still small, just like before. She began to manipulate it, and soon Chang was laughing and moaning, as if she were experiencing discomfort inside. She didn't sleep all night, ejaculating seven or eight times, but she was completely satisfied. The Taoist priest thought to himself, "No wonder seven or eight men couldn't resist him; he's truly an extremely lewd and strange creature. Other women, after I've taken three or four times, all beg to stop, but he doesn't seem to care at all." He then said to Chang, "I've seen many women in my life, but you are truly a rare gem." [Man praising woman.] After sleeping for a while, she got dressed. The Taoist priest, realizing he had been too rough with her the night before, fearing he might hurt her, wanted to take his leave. Changshi was unwilling to part with him and insisted on keeping him there. Not only did she refuse payment, but she even used her own money to prepare the food for the guests. She didn't let up during the day, and they had sex once more. Every night, she would take the Taoist priest to bed, and they would have sex until midnight, with him still as happy as before. By the second half of the night, he was starting to feel strained. The Taoist priest wanted to rest, but he refused. By dawn, he was listless and no longer had the energy he once had. After breakfast, he wanted to go to sleep, but fearing the Taoist priest would leave, he secretly told his mother to stay with him and not let him go to bed.

The old woman was only in her forties, and although not as promiscuous as her daughter, she was also very fond of this practice. Hearing her daughter describe it so enthusiastically, she pulled the Taoist priest into her room and asked him to instruct her. The Taoist priest, seeing her age, dared not proceed. He pleaded desperately. [Such desperate pleading was unprecedented.] The Taoist priest, having no other choice, indulged her once more. The old woman, tasting such a delicious and wondrous thing, refused to stop, clinging tightly and demanding more. The Taoist priest had no choice but to do it again, until the old woman fainted, only waking up after a long while. [As the proverb says: Too much of a good thing makes one sick. This old woman, having tasted it only twice, was already like this; her capacity is far less than her love.] This frightened the Taoist priest, who, seeing her awake, was relieved and hurriedly dressed and got out of bed. The old woman wanted to get up, but couldn't move. Afraid he would leave, she grabbed the Taoist priest's clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, panting heavily on the pillow. [A humorous description.] When her daughter woke up, she handed the Taoist priest over to him. After sleeping for a while, she was able to get up.

The Taoist priest wanted to leave, but Chang Shi wouldn't allow it. The Taoist priest advised him, "This is no child's play; your life is at stake." He replied, "To die beneath the peony blossoms is to die a romantic death. This spring, I was eating pufferfish with some friends, and one of them said that Su Dongpo, who loved pufferfish, said, 'Eating pufferfish is worth dying for.' As far as I'm concerned, meeting you, this treasure, is worth dying for. [Who knew I would die not from the Taoist priest but from Zhu Sikuan. Not only did the Taoist priest not foresee this, but Chang herself did not foresee it either.] I've finally met you today, so I have no regrets even if I die."

That evening, he was still eager to continue. After only one session, he felt dizzy, his back ached, and his deepest part of his vagina was unbearably painful. He had the will but not the body, so he stopped. The Taoist priest knew he was going to fall ill. [The Taoist priest said Chang was going to fall ill, but unexpectedly, Chang's illness was cured, while the old woman fell ill and died. Chang could not have foreseen this. Even this old Chang could not have imagined it; it's quite a coincidence with the previous one.] The next day, before parting, they gave him over twenty taels of gold as support for his upbringing. His mother and son were both reluctant to part with him, but they couldn't stop them; keeping him would be pointless, so they had no choice but to let him go. ["Helplessly," a wonderful description of the scene of extreme reluctance.]

End of Volume One.

URL 1:http://localhost:909/htmlBlog/15425.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=15425&aspx=1

Previous Page : Gu Wangyan [Complete] - 3

Next Page : A Dream of Red Mansions: A Fairy Tale of Dreams (Complete) - 30

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Gu Wangyan [Complete] - 1

comment Open a new window to view comments