Original Text
Jiao Sheng was a cousin of Mr. Shihong of Zhangqiu. One day, while studying in his garden at midnight, two beautiful women appeared before him, both of surpassing loveliness. One was about seventeen or eighteen, the other about fourteen or fifteen. They leaned against the table and laughed. Jiao Sheng knew in his heart that they were fox spirits, so he put on a stern face and rejected them. The elder beauty said, "Sir, your beard is as sharp as arrows and halberds, yet why do you lack the spirit of a true man?" Jiao Sheng replied, "In all my life, I have never indulged in illicit relations with women outside." The beauty laughed and said, "How pedantic! Are you still clinging to such stale conventions? The gods and ghosts of the underworld always turn right and wrong upside down, let alone such trivial matters as those in the bedchamber." Jiao Sheng scolded them again. Knowing that this man could not be swayed, the beauty said, "Sir, you are a renowned scholar. I have a couplet for you to match. If you can match it, I will leave of my own accord. The first line is: 'Wu and Xu share the same form, only lacking a single dot in the belly.'" Jiao Sheng pondered for a long time but could not produce a matching line. The beauty laughed and said, "Is this the level of a famous scholar? Let me match it for you: 'Ji and Si follow in succession, why do your feet not carry both?'" With that, she laughed and departed. This story was told by Minister Li of Changshan.
Commentary
Couplets, also known as "parallel couplets" or "matching phrases," refer to two sets of corresponding lines with no fixed character count, yet requiring strict antithesis and harmonious tonal patterns; they are a variation and derivative word game of Chinese poetry. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, influenced by contemporary literary trends, they became quite popular among scholars. The core of this tale, or perhaps the motive for its creation, likely lies in the couplet: "Wu Xu share the same form, only lacking a dot in the belly; Ji Si follow in linked tracks, why not lift both feet beneath?" Although this couplet carries no profound meaning, being merely a word game, its antithesis is precise and absolute, testing the literary and linguistic skill of those who attempt to match it. That such a challenging couplet should come from the hand of a fox spirit is undoubtedly a mockery of the pedantry and ignorance of the celebrated scholars of the day.