Original Text
Wu Yun, styled Qing'an, was renowned for his literary talent from a young age. There was a Grand Historian named Ge who, upon reading Wu Yun's essays, would always sigh in admiration. He sought out someone acquainted with Wu Yun to invite him to his home, where he could appreciate his conversation and demeanor. Grand Historian Ge remarked, "How could someone as talented as Wu Yun remain poor and lowly for long?" He then had a neighbor kindly convey a message to Wu: "If Wu can strive diligently and achieve success in the imperial examinations, I will give him my daughter in marriage." At that time, Grand Historian Ge had a daughter of exceptional beauty. Upon hearing this, Wu Yun was overjoyed and full of confidence. Soon after, however, he failed the autumn examinations. He sent word to the Grand Historian, saying, "Wealth and rank are matters of fate; one only cannot know whether they will come early or late. I beg the Grand Historian to wait for me three years. If I truly cannot succeed by then, he may marry his daughter to another." With that, he devoted himself even more assiduously to his studies.
One night under the bright moon, a scholar came to visit Wu Sheng. This scholar had a fair complexion, a short beard, a slender waist, and long fingernails. When asked where he came from, he said, "My surname is Bai, and my style name is Ziyu." After a brief conversation with Bai Ziyu, Wu Sheng felt his mind expand and become clear, and thus he took a great liking to him, keeping him to stay. At dawn, Bai Ziyu wished to take his leave, and Wu Sheng urged him to visit often. Bai Ziyu was deeply grateful for Wu Sheng's warm hospitality and expressed a desire to move in and live with him, setting a date before departing. On the appointed day, an old servant first arrived to deliver Bai Ziyu's cooking utensils, and shortly after, Bai Ziyu himself came riding a steed as majestic as a dragon. Wu Sheng arranged a separate room for him to stay, and Bai Ziyu had the servant lead the horse away. They spent their days and nights together in great harmony. When Wu Sheng looked at the books Bai Ziyu read, they were not the usual texts, containing absolutely no eight-legged essays, and he asked in astonishment what this meant. Bai Ziyu laughed and said, "Each person has his own aspirations; I am not one destined for officialdom." Every evening, Bai Ziyu would often invite Wu Sheng to drink wine and would present a scroll of writings, all concerning the arts of breath control, which Wu Sheng mostly did not understand, and thus he set them aside as matters of no urgency.
After several days, Bai Yuyu said to Wu Yun, "The book I gave you a few days ago is an essential path to inner alchemy and the pursuit of longevity, and it is also the necessary road to becoming an immortal and attaining the Way." Wu Yun laughed and replied, "What I urgently seek now is not these things. Moreover, those who seek immortality must sever all emotional ties and extinguish every desire in the formless realm, which is precisely what I find difficult to achieve." Bai Yuyu asked, "Why is that?" Wu Yun said he needed to consider continuing his family line. Bai Yuyu then inquired, "Why have you delayed so long in taking a wife?" Wu Yun smiled and said, "Just as Mencius said, 'The ruler has a weakness; the ruler is fond of beauty.'" Bai Yuyu also laughed and said, "Mencius also said, 'Let the king not be fond of petty beauty,' meaning one should not be enamored with ordinary women. What kind of woman are you fond of?" Thereupon, Wu Yun recounted the entire story of how Grand Historian Ge had promised his daughter to him. After hearing this, Bai Yuyu doubted whether the Ge girl was truly as beautiful as claimed, and Wu Yun said, "This is acknowledged by people far and near; it is not a matter of my low standards." Bai Yuyu then smiled faintly and pressed the matter no further. The next day, Bai Yuyu suddenly packed his belongings to take his leave. Wu Yun sorrowfully spoke words of parting with him, saying much that seemed endless, until Bai Yuyu had the servant boy carry the luggage ahead, while he and Wu Yun lingered in reluctant farewell, unable to part. Suddenly, they saw a green cicada alight on the desk, and Bai Yuyu bid farewell, saying, "My carriage is ready; let us part here. If you miss me, you may sweep clean the bed where I slept and lie down on it." Wu Yun wished to ask more questions, but in the blink of an eye, Bai Yuyu had shrunk to the size of a finger, and they saw him lightly stride onto the back of the green cicada. Amidst a chirping sound, the cicada carried Bai Yuyu away, disappearing into the blue sky and white clouds. Only then did Wu Yun realize that Bai Yuyu was no ordinary man; he stood there stunned for a long time, feeling a deep sense of loss.
After a few days, a sudden dense drizzle began to fall, and Wu Jun's longing for Bai Yuyu grew even more urgent. He went to the bed where Bai Yuyu had slept, and seeing much rat droppings on it, he sighed as he swept it clean, then spread out the bedding and lay down. After a while, Wu Jun saw Bai Yuyu's young servant come to invite him, and so he joyfully followed the servant. Soon, they saw a flock of five-colored birds called Tonghua Feng flying over in a swarm. The servant caught one and said to Wu Jun, "The road is hard to travel in the dark; we can ride this bird to get there." Wu Jun worried that the bird was too small to bear him, but the servant said, "Try riding it and you'll see." Wu Jun did as told and mounted the bird, finding it surprisingly spacious with room to spare. The servant then mounted behind him on the bird's tail, and with a sharp cry, the Tonghua Feng spread its wings and soared straight into the sky. Before long, a vermilion gate appeared before them. The servant dismounted first and helped Wu Jun down. Wu Jun asked, "What place is this?" The servant replied, "This is the Heavenly Gate." There, a huge fierce tiger crouched by the gate. Wu Jun was terrified, but the servant shielded him with his body. Wu Jun observed that every scene here was utterly unlike the mortal world. The servant led Wu Jun to the Guanghan Palace, where the steps were carved from crystal, and walking on them felt like stepping on a mirror. Two tall osmanthus trees stood there, their crowns reaching the clouds, their trunks so thick they could be encircled by arms, and a constant fragrance wafted on the wind, unending. The doors and windows of the pavilions and towers were all vermilion, and beautiful women came and went, each one surpassingly lovely, peerless in the world. The servant said, "The beauties in the Queen Mother's Palace are even more exquisite than these." Fearing that his master might have waited too long, the servant dared not linger and hurriedly guided Wu Jun out.
After a short while, Wu Jun saw Bai Yuyu waiting to greet him at the gate, and the two took each other's hands and entered. Wu Jun observed that beneath the eaves flowed clear water over fine white sand, a gentle stream murmuring along, with jade steps and carved railings that made him suspect he had arrived at the Moon's Cassia Palace. As soon as they sat down, a lovely maiden approached gracefully to offer fragrant tea. Before long, Bai Yuyu ordered wine and dishes to be brought forth. Then four beauties bowed respectfully, their ornaments tinkling as they came to attend them. Just as Wu Jun felt a slight itch on his back, one of the beauties slipped her slender hand with long fingernails into his clothes to scratch it. Wu Jun's heart began to flutter, and he lost all composure. Soon he grew tipsy and gradually found it hard to restrain himself. Smiling, he stared dazedly at the beauties and engaged them in playful banter, but they always smiled and evaded him. Bai Yuyu bade the beauties sing to urge the wine. One beauty in crimson gauze, holding a wine cup as she toasted the guest, began to sing in a melodious voice, her song sweet and captivating. The other beauties accompanied her with sheng and pipes, the music blending harmoniously. When the song ended, a beauty in emerald green offered wine to the guests while singing a lovely tune. Another in purple and one in pale white soft gauze giggled on the side, pushing each other forward, reluctant to approach with the wine. Bai Yuyu ordered them to pour wine and sing. The purple-robed beauty then came to fill the cup. As Wu Jun took the cup, he secretly tickled her jade wrist; the beauty laughed and dropped the cup to the ground. Bai Yuyu scolded her publicly, but she smiled as she picked up the cup, lowering her head to whisper to Wu Jun, "Your hand is cold as a ghost's, yet you insist on grabbing a person's arm." Bai Yuyu laughed heartily at this and punished her by making her sing and dance. After the purple beauty finished her dance, the one in pale white gauze quickly filled a large cup for Wu Jun. He repeatedly declined, saying he could drink no more, but seeing the white-robed beauty's bashful expression as she held the cup, he forced himself to down it. With drunken, blurry eyes, Wu Jun examined the four beauties closely; each was graceful and enchanting, none less than the rarest in the mortal world. Suddenly he said to Bai Yuyu, "Among earthly beauties, finding even one is a thousandfold difficulty; but here you have a gathering of such loveliness—can you let me truly taste the ecstasy of passion?" Bai Yuyu smiled and replied, "Your heart has long held a beloved; can these still catch your eye?" Wu Jun said, "Only today do I realize how limited my vision has been!" Bai Yuyu then summoned all the beauties before Wu Jun, letting him choose for himself. Wu Jun looked left and right, his eyes dazzled. Bai Yuyu, thinking that the purple beauty's wrist-tickling incident had created a bond, ordered her to prepare the bed and attend the guest. Soon they retired to the bed, indulging in the utmost pleasures of the pillow and mat, their passion lingering endlessly. Wu Jun asked the beauty for a token, and she removed a gold bracelet from her wrist and gave it to him.
At this moment, Wu Jun suddenly saw Bai Yuyu's servant boy enter, who said, "The celestial realm is utterly different from the mortal world; I beg you to take your leave at once." The maiden in purple robes, hearing this, hastily dressed and rose, departing in haste. Wu Jun asked where Bai Yuyu was, and the servant replied, "He rose early to attend the morning court, and before leaving, he instructed me to see you off." Wu Jun's heart was filled with a sense of loss and desolation, and he had no choice but to follow the servant boy back along the same path they had come. As they neared the Heavenly Gate, he turned to look at the servant, but found he had vanished without a trace. The tiger crouching by the gate roared and leaped up, and Wu Jun fled in panic. Yet, seeing an endless abyss beneath his feet, in his desperation, he lost his footing and fell from the heavens. Wu Jun woke with a start, terrified, and opening his eyes, he saw the morning sun had already reddened half the sky. As he rose to dress, a small object slipped softly onto the mattress; picking it up, he saw it was the very gold bracelet the maiden in purple had given him in his dream, and his heart grew even more astonished. From then on, Wu Jun's pursuit of fame and his passion for Grand Historian Ge's daughter gradually cooled, and he often thought of leaving home to wander in search of immortals, yet he worried that his family line would have no one to carry it on.
After more than ten months had passed, one day Wu Yun was sleeping soundly in the daytime when he dreamed that the purple-robed beauty from heaven entered from outside, carrying an infant in her arms. She said, "This child is your own flesh and blood. Heaven could not keep him, so I have brought him here to entrust to you." Then she placed the infant on Wu Yun's bed, covered him with a garment, and hastened to leave. Wu Yun forcibly detained her, seeking to make love, but the purple-robed beauty said, "The last time was our nuptial union; this time is our eternal farewell. Our marriage as husband and wife in this life is now entirely concluded. If you still harbor affection for me, perhaps there may be a chance to meet again in the future." Wu Yun awoke and saw that indeed there was an infant sleeping beside him within the folds of his bedding. He quickly lifted the child and brought him to his mother. The mother was overjoyed at the sight of the infant, hired a wet nurse to feed him, and named him Mengxian.
Wu Yun then entrusted someone to deliver a letter to Grand Historian Ge, stating that he intended to retire into seclusion and become a hermit, requesting that Ge find another worthy husband for his daughter. Grand Historian Ge did not agree, and Wu Yun again firmly insisted on breaking off the engagement. Grand Historian Ge had no choice but to convey Wu Yun's intention to his daughter, and Miss Ge said, "People far and near all know that you have betrothed me to Wu Lang; if you now seek to marry me to another family, it would be tantamount to remarrying." Grand Historian Ge relayed his daughter's words to Wu Yun. Wu Yun said, "The reason I wish to break off the engagement is that I now have no desire not only for fame and fortune but also for the affairs of marriage. The only reason I have not immediately entered the mountains to live in seclusion is that my aged mother is still alive." So Grand Historian Ge consulted with his daughter again, and Miss Ge said, "Wu Lang's family is poor, yet I am willing to eat coarse food and drink thin gruel; Wu Lang leaves home, yet I would rather serve his parents. I will never marry another." Thus, the messengers went back and forth three or four times, but still no agreement was reached, so Grand Historian Ge chose an auspicious day, prepared the bridal carriage and dowry, and sent his daughter to Wu Yun's home to complete the marriage. Wu Yun was deeply moved by Miss Ge's virtue and treated her with both respect and affection. Miss Ge served her mother-in-law with filial piety, wholeheartedly and obediently, even surpassing women from poor families. After two years, Wu Yun's mother passed away, and Miss Ge pawned her own dowry to purchase a coffin for her mother-in-law, attending to every detail with propriety. Wu Yun said, "With a good wife like you, what more have I to worry about! I cherish the hope that one day, when I attain the Way, the whole family may ascend to immortality. Therefore, I must journey far away, and I entrust all household matters to you." Miss Ge listened calmly to his words without any sign of reluctance, and Wu Yun then departed on his distant journey.
After Wu Yun departed, Lady Ge managed the household and livelihood externally while internally she trained and nurtured the orphan, keeping everything in perfect order both inside and out. Wu Mengxian gradually grew up, exceedingly clever and unmatched in brilliance, regarded as a child prodigy. At fourteen, he passed the provincial examination to become a juren; at fifteen, he succeeded in the metropolitan examination as a jinshi and was selected for the Hanlin Academy. Whenever the court bestowed honors upon his mother, because they did not know the name of his birth mother, only Lady Ge was honored. One day, during the ancestral sacrifice, Wu Mengxian, moved by the occasion and longing for his parents, asked his mother where his father had gone. Lady Ge told him the full truth of his father's circumstances, and Wu Mengxian wished to abandon his official post to search for his father. His mother said, "Your father has been a wandering ascetic for over ten years; by now he must have become an immortal and traveled far away. Where could you possibly find him?" Later, Wu Mengxian, by imperial decree, went to offer sacrifices at Mount Heng in the south. On the way, he encountered bandits. In the midst of extreme danger, a Taoist priest appeared, wielding a sword, and utterly defeated the bandits, quickly rescuing Wu Mengxian from peril. Wu Mengxian was deeply grateful to the Taoist and offered him gold and silver as a reward, but the Taoist refused. Instead, he produced a letter and handed it to Wu Mengxian, saying, "I have an old friend who is a fellow townsman of yours; please convey my regards to him." Wu Mengxian asked, "What is your friend's name?" The Taoist replied, "His name is Wang Lin." Wu Mengxian carefully thought but could not recall anyone in the village by that name. The Taoist said, "He is a humble person of the wilds and fields; you, being a high official, naturally would not know him." Before departing, the Taoist took out a gold bracelet and said, "This is a woman's ornament from the inner chambers; I have no use for it, so I present it to you." Wu Mengxian took it and saw that the gold bracelet was exquisitely carved. He placed it in his bosom and later gave it to his wife. She was especially fond of it and had a skilled jeweler craft a replica, but it was never as fine as the original.
Wu Mengxian returned to his village and made inquiries everywhere, but there was no one in the village named Wang Lin. He secretly opened the letter and saw it written: "Three years of loving husband and wife, now separated by heaven and earth. Burying your mother and educating our young son all depend on your virtue. I have no way to repay your kindness, so I present you with one pill. Split it open and swallow it, and you can become an immortal." At the end was written: "Delivered to the dressing table of Lady Lin." After reading it, Wu Mengxian was still utterly confused, not knowing to whom the letter was addressed, so he took it to ask his mother, Lady Ge. When his mother saw the letter, she burst into tears and choked out: "This is your father's letter home! Lin is my childhood name." Only then did Wu Mengxian suddenly realize that the name "Wang Lin" was a word puzzle, and he thought of how he had missed the chance to recognize his father, his heart filled with regret. He then took out the gold bracelet and showed it to his mother, Lady Ge, who said: "This is a keepsake from your birth mother. When your father was at home, he once showed it to me." Wu Mengxian then looked at the pill in the letter, which was about the size of a soybean. He said joyfully: "My father is an immortal; if you eat this, you will surely live forever." Lady Ge did not immediately swallow the pill but took it and carefully stored it away. One day, Grand Historian Ge came to visit his grandson Wu Mengxian, and Lady Ge read Wu Yun's letter to him and presented the pill of immortality to her father, hoping he would live long. Grand Historian Ge took the pill, split it in half, and shared it with his daughter, each eating half. As soon as they swallowed the pill, Lady Ge and her father immediately felt their spirits invigorated. Grand Historian Ge, then over seventy years old and decrepit with age, suddenly felt all the sinews and flesh of his body brimming with vitality after taking the immortal medicine, so he abandoned his sedan chair and began to walk, moving with such swiftness that his servants had to run breathlessly to keep up with him.
In the second year, a fire broke out in the city, raging all day without ceasing. The entire family dared not sleep at night, gathering instead in the courtyard. As the flames grew fiercer and threatened to engulf the neighboring houses, Wu Mengxian's household was thrown into panic, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, the gold bracelet on Lady Wu's arm, with a sharp clattering sound, slipped from her wrist and flew away. The whole family's gaze followed the bracelet's flight, and they saw it expand to the size of several acres, encircling the Wu residence entirely, shaped like a lunar halo, with its opening facing directly southeast—all this was clearly visible to everyone. All were struck with astonishment. Soon, the fire approached from the west, but as it neared the circle formed by the bracelet, it veered obliquely eastward and passed by. When the flames had already raged far into the distance, everyone thought the bracelet had flown away for good, never to return, when suddenly a flash of red light appeared, and the bracelet fell with a clang at Lady Wu's feet. In this conflagration, tens of thousands of houses in the city were reduced to ashes; all the neighboring homes to the east, west, north, and south of the Wu residence were completely destroyed, yet the Wu house alone remained unscathed, save for a small attic in the southeast corner that was utterly consumed—precisely the area not covered by the bracelet's opening. When Lady Ge reached her fifties, some still saw her, and she appeared as youthful and beautiful as a woman in her twenties.
Commentary
This is a story reflecting a scholar's abandonment of Confucian studies to pursue immortality. Unlike other scholars in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio who turn to immortality due to dissatisfaction with reality—such as in The Tale of Cheng Xian, where judicial darkness is the cause, or in Jia Fengzhi, where imperial examination injustice is the reason—the protagonist in Bai Yuyu abandons the imperial examinations not only because of their arduous nature but also because the immortal life is so luxurious and indulgent that it proves overwhelmingly tempting. He ceases to pursue the daughter of Grand Historian Ge because the celestial maiden is far more beautiful. From a worldly perspective, Wu Qing'an's renunciation of Confucianism to study immortality carries a hint of betrayal and faithlessness, yet it is quite authentic; his excuse for rejecting the Ge family's marriage proposal is high-sounding but actually quite hypocritical. The daughter of Grand Historian Ge, for the sake of her reputation, insists on marrying none other than Wu, which seems somewhat unworthy. However, whether it is Wu Qing'an's pursuit of immortality or the daughter of Grand Historian Ge's willingness to endure a living widowhood, both reflect the general Chinese understanding of life at that time.
Although the content of this tale is not of the highest moral tone, it displays remarkable literary skill in its detailed descriptions. For instance, when Bai Yuyu hosts a banquet for Wu Qing'an, the scene of song, dance, and music is grand in scale, with the female attendants vividly portrayed and lively in temperament—a rarity in earlier classical tales. Such vivid depiction may have been influenced by Pu Songling's repeated experiences of lavish musical feasts hosted by Sun Shubai during his southern travels. As for the means of transportation in the celestial realm, Bai Yuyu first ascends to heaven on a green cicada, and later Wu Qing'an rides a phoenix tree, both imaginative and romantic, yet varied in conception. Particularly striking is the tale's conclusion, where a gold bracelet gifted by Wu to his family saves them during a great fire in the capital: "The gold bracelet on her arm made a sharp sound and flew off. Looking up, it seemed several acres in size, encircling the house like a crescent moon, with its opening clearly visible in the southeast corner." "The fire consumed tens of thousands of homes in the capital, reducing everything around to ashes, yet only Wu's residence remained unharmed, save for a small pavilion in the southeast that vanished—exactly where the bracelet's opening had left uncovered." This is not only ingeniously conceived but meticulously executed, as Feng Zhenluan remarked: "It is depicted to the fullest, with every subtlety perfectly achieved."