Original Text
Ma Ji, styled Dragon's Matchmaker, was the son of a merchant. He was born with an elegant demeanor and graceful bearing, and from youth was dashing and romantic, fond of song and dance. He often performed with theatrical troupes, playing the female lead with a silk kerchief wrapped around his head, appearing as beautiful as a maiden, thus earning the nickname "Handsome One." At fourteen, Ma Ji passed the prefectural examination and became a xiucai, gaining considerable renown. His father, aged and frail, had ceased his business and lived idly at home, saying to Ma Ji, "With these few volumes of books, when hungry they cannot serve as food, when cold they cannot serve as clothing. My son, you had better take over your father's trade." From then on, Ma Ji gradually began to learn the ways of commerce.
Ma Ji accompanied someone on a maritime trading venture, but their ship was swept away by a fierce gale. After drifting for several days and nights, they arrived at a great city. The people there were all grotesquely ugly; upon seeing Ma Ji, they took him for a monster, shrieking and fleeing in all directions. Ma Ji was initially terrified by this sight, but when he realized that the country's inhabitants were afraid of him, he began to take advantage of them. Whenever he encountered someone eating, he would rush forward, causing them to scatter in panic, and then he would consume their leftover food. After some time, he entered a mountain village. Among the villagers, there were some whose features somewhat resembled humans, yet they were ragged and tattered like beggars. Ma Ji rested beneath a tree, and the villagers dared not approach, merely gazing at him from a distance.
Not long after, Ma Ji entered a small mountain village. There, he encountered people who resembled humans in appearance, but all were dressed in tattered rags, like beggars. Ma Ji rested under a tree, and the villagers dared not approach, only watching him from a distance. After some time, realizing that Ma Ji would not harm them, they gradually drew near. Ma Ji smiled and conversed with them; though their languages differed, he could still understand about half of what they said. Thus, Ma Ji recounted his own origins. The villagers were overjoyed and spread the word to all their neighbors that the visitor did not capture or eat people. However, those who were extremely ugly would take one look and leave, never daring to come close. Those who did approach had facial features that were still similar to those of Chinese people, and together they set out wine and food to entertain Ma Ji. Ma Ji asked why they feared him, and they replied, "We once heard from our grandfathers that two thousand six hundred leagues west of here lies a land called China, where the people's appearances are mostly very strange. We had only heard of this before, but today we believe it to be true." Ma Ji then asked why they were so poor, and they answered, "In our country, what is valued is not literary talent, but physical appearance. Those with the most beautiful features become high ministers at court; those slightly less so become local officials; those even less favored can still gain the favor of the nobility and obtain leftover scraps to support their wives and children. As for people like us, from birth our parents regard us as ill-omened, and we are often abandoned; those who cannot bear to abandon us do so only for the sake of continuing the family line." Ma Ji inquired, "What is the name of this country?" They replied, "It is called the Great Luocha Kingdom. The capital lies thirty leagues north of here." Ma Ji then asked to be taken there for a visit. So at cockcrow, they rose and led Ma Ji on their journey together.
After the sky had fully brightened, they finally arrived at the capital city. The city walls were built with black stones, their color like ink, and the towers and pavilions soared nearly a hundred feet high. Yet the roofs were seldom tiled, but instead covered with red stones; picking up fragments of these red stones and grinding them on one's fingernails, they proved no different from cinnabar. At that time, it happened to be the hour when the court was dismissing, and from within the palace a carriage with a splendid canopy emerged. The villagers pointed and said, "That is the prime minister." Ma Ji looked and saw that the prime minister's ears were both reversed, he had three nostrils, and his eyelashes covered his eyes like curtains. Next, several men rode out of the palace on horseback, and the villagers said, "These are the great officers." They then proceeded to identify each one's official rank in order, and all were hideously grotesque in appearance; yet as the ranks gradually lowered, their ugliness correspondingly diminished.
Not long after, Ma Ji set out on his return journey. When people in the streets caught sight of him, they cried out in alarm, stumbling and trampling one another as they fled, as if encountering a monster. Only after the villagers earnestly explained did those in the streets dare to stop at a distance. When Ma Ji returned to the village, everyone in the kingdom, young and old, knew that an extraordinary being had arrived. Thus, local gentry and officials vied for a chance to see him, asking the villagers to invite Ma Ji as a guest. However, whenever Ma Ji arrived at a home, the gatekeeper would shut the door, and men and women alike would secretly peer through cracks in the door, whispering and discussing, and after a whole day, no one dared to receive him. The villagers said, "There is a certain Master of the Halberd here who once served as an envoy to foreign lands for the former king. He has seen many people and likely will not fear you." Ma Ji called upon the Master of the Halberd, who was indeed delighted and treated Ma Ji as an honored guest. The Master of the Halberd appeared to be a man of eighty or ninety, with protruding eyes and a thick, curly beard like a hedgehog. He said, "In my early years, I was entrusted by the king with many diplomatic missions, but I never visited China. Now, at over one hundred and twenty years of age, I have the fortune to meet a person from the celestial realm. This must be reported to the Son of Heaven. However, I have retired to the mountains and forests and have not set foot on the court's steps for over ten years. Tomorrow morning, I shall make a journey on your behalf." With that, he set out wine and food, fulfilling the rites of a host. After several rounds of toasts, the Master of the Halberd summoned over ten singing girls and dancers to perform in turns. These women looked like yakshas, with white brocade wrapped around their heads and red robes trailing on the ground. No one understood the lyrics they sang, and both the melody and rhythm were bizarre and strange. The Master of the Halberd, delighted, asked Ma Ji, "Does China have such music and dance?" Ma Ji replied, "Yes." The Master of the Halberd then asked Ma Ji to try singing a tune, so Ma Ji tapped the table and sang a song. The host exclaimed joyfully, "How marvelous! Your voice is like the cry of a phoenix or the roar of a dragon—I have never heard anything like it." The next day, the Master of the Halberd went to court and recommended Ma Ji to the king. The king gladly issued a decree for an audience. However, two or three ministers argued that Ma Ji's appearance was strange and might frighten the royal person, so the king did not issue the summons. The Master of the Halberd left the palace to inform Ma Ji, expressing deep regret.
After a long while, Ma Ji, having drunk wine with the Halberdier, grew tipsy and began to dance with his sword, smearing coal on his face to impersonate Zhang Fei. The Halberdier found this delightful and said, "Pray present yourself to the Prime Minister in the guise of Zhang Fei; he will surely be willing to employ you, and a generous salary will not be hard to obtain." Ma Ji replied, "Alas! This may serve as a jest, but how can one alter his countenance to seek glory and advancement?" The Halberdier insisted, and Ma Ji at last consented. The Halberdier then prepared a feast, inviting the high ministers to drink, and had Ma Ji paint his face in readiness. Soon the ministers arrived, and the Halberdier called Ma Ji forth to greet them. The ministers exclaimed in astonishment, "How strange! Formerly so ugly, now he has become handsome!" They then drank with Ma Ji, taking great pleasure in his company. Ma Ji danced gracefully and sang in the Yiyang style, captivating all present. The next day, the ministers submitted memorials recommending Ma Ji. The King was overjoyed and sent an envoy bearing a ceremonial banner to summon Ma Ji. Upon meeting, the King inquired about the principles of governance in China, and Ma Ji expounded upon them, earning great praise and admiration. The King then hosted a banquet in the detached palace for Ma Ji. As the wine flowed freely, the King said, "I hear you are skilled in refined music; may I be permitted to hear it?" Ma Ji immediately rose and danced, imitating the courtesans by wrapping his head in white brocade and singing some lascivious tunes. The King was greatly pleased and that very day appointed Ma Ji as a Junior Minister. Ma Ji often attended the King's private feasts, receiving extraordinary favor.
As time passed, the court officials gradually became aware of Ma Ji's disguised appearance, and wherever he went, he always saw people whispering about him and keeping their distance. Feeling isolated, Ma Ji grew uneasy and promptly submitted a memorial requesting resignation, but the king did not grant it; he then asked for a temporary leave, and the king gave him three months off. So he took a post carriage, loaded with gold and jewels, and returned to the mountain village. The villagers knelt to welcome him. He distributed the wealth among those who had been friendly with him before, and the villagers cheered with joy. They said, "We humble folk, having received your bounty, will go to the sea market tomorrow, where we hope to find treasures and curios to repay you." Ma Ji asked, "Where is the sea market?" They replied, "It is a market in the sea, where the mermaids of the four seas gather to sell precious goods, and merchants from twelve surrounding kingdoms come to trade. Many divine beings also frolic there, where clouds and rosy mists veil the sun, and sometimes great waves surge. Noblemen, valuing their lives, dare not endure such hardships, so they entrust their money to us to buy rare treasures on their behalf. The time for the sea market is near." Ma Ji asked how they knew the date, and they answered, "Whenever red birds are seen flying over the sea, the market will open in seven days." Ma Ji inquired about the departure date, wishing to accompany the villagers to see the sea market. The villagers advised him to consider his status, but Ma Ji said, "I was originally a merchant who crossed the seas—why should I fear wind and waves?"
Soon enough, someone indeed came to the door with money, entrusting them to purchase precious treasures. Ma Ji then loaded the coins onto the boat with the villagers. The vessel could hold several dozen people, with a flat bottom and high railings; ten men rowed together, stirring up layers of spray, and the boat sped like an arrow. After about three days' travel, they saw in the distance, amidst the misty waves, tiered pavilions and towers rising one upon another, with trading ships clustered thick as ants. Before long, they reached the city walls, where the bricks were as tall as a man, and the gate towers soared into the clouds. They moored the boat, went ashore, and entered the city, where the rare jewels and exotic treasures displayed in the sea market dazzled the eyes, most of which were unseen in the mortal world. Just then, a young man rode by on a fine steed, and the market crowd scattered in haste, saying he was the "Third Prince of the Eastern Sea." As the prince passed, he looked at Ma Ji and remarked, "This is no man of our land." Immediately, an attendant clearing the way for the prince came to ask Ma Ji's homeland. Ma Ji bowed by the roadside and recounted his native place and surname in full. The prince said joyfully, "Since you have graced us with your presence, our meeting is truly a blessed fate!" He then gave Ma Ji a horse and invited him to ride side by side. Together, they left the western city.
As soon as they reached the shore of the island, the horses they rode neighed and leaped into the water, and Ma Ji was terrified beyond measure, crying out in alarm. Then the seawater parted on both sides, standing like towering walls. Before long, Ma Ji saw a palace with tortoiseshell adorning its beams, fish scales paving its tiles, and walls so bright and crystalline that they reflected figures like mirrors, dazzling to the eye. Ma Ji dismounted, bowed with clasped hands, and entered the palace. Looking up, he saw the Dragon King seated high above, and the Crown Prince reported, "Your subject, while strolling in the market, encountered a worthy scholar from China and has brought him to present before Your Majesty." Ma Ji stepped forward, performed the dance of obeisance, and bowed. The Dragon King said, "Master Ma is a man of literary talent; your writings will surely surpass those of Qu Yuan and Song Yu. I wish to trouble you to wield your mighty brush and compose an 'Ode to the Sea Market,' and I earnestly hope you will not begrudge the pearls and jade of your splendid pen to complete this fine piece." Ma Ji prostrated himself, knocked his head on the ground, and accepted the command. Then they brought him an inkstone of crystal, a brush of dragon's mane, paper as pure as snow, and ink fragrant as orchids. Ma Ji immediately wrote over a thousand words and presented them in the hall. The Dragon King greatly praised him, saying, "Master Ma's talent is outstanding, bringing no small glory to the water kingdom!" Then he summoned all the branches of the dragon clan to a grand feast in the Palace of Variegated Clouds. After several rounds of wine, the Dragon King raised his cup to Ma Ji and said, "I have a beloved daughter who has yet to find a suitable match, and I hope to marry her to you, sir. Would you perhaps be willing?" Ma Ji left his seat, filled with gratitude, and accepted with a mixture of shame and eagerness. The Dragon King spoke to those nearby, and soon several palace maids supported the Dragon Princess as she came forth. Then jade pendants tinkled, music suddenly struck up, and after the wedding rites were completed, Ma Ji stole a glance and saw that the Dragon Princess was truly a beautiful celestial maiden. After bowing, the princess rose and departed. Before long, the feast ended, and young maids with twin topknots, holding painted palace lanterns, led Ma Ji into a side palace, where the Dragon Princess, heavily adorned with cosmetics, sat waiting for his arrival. There, a coral bed was decorated with gold, silver, pearls, agate, and other precious gems; the canopy's tassels were strung with pearls as large as fists, and the bedding was fragrant and soft. At dawn, charming young maids came to attend them, standing all around. After rising, Ma Ji hurried out to court to offer thanks. He was appointed Commandant of the Imperial Son-in-Law, and his ode was circulated to all the seas. The Dragon Kings of every sea sent special envoys to offer congratulations, vying to send invitations for the son-in-law to feast. Ma Ji, clad in brocade and silk, rode a hornless azure dragon, with outriders clearing the way ahead and attendants crowding behind, as his procession left the palace. Dozens of mounted warriors, all bearing carved bows and white staffs, glittered and filled the roads. Along the way, some played the zither on horseback, while others blew flutes in carriages. In only three days, he had toured all the seas. From then on, the name "Ma, the Dragon's Matchmaker" resounded throughout the four oceans.
In the Dragon Palace there stood a jade tree, thick as a man's embrace; its trunk was as translucent and clear as white glass, with a pale yellow core slightly thinner than an arm; its leaves resembled emerald, each as thick as a copper coin, and their delicate clusters cast a dense shade. Ma Ji often sang and recited poetry beneath this tree with the Dragon Princess. The tree was covered in flowers like gardenias, and whenever a petal fell, it rang out with a crisp sound of gold and jade; picking one up, it appeared as if carved from red agate, gleaming and delightful. A strange bird often came to sing in the Dragon Palace, its feathers a mix of gold and green, with tail plumes longer than its body; its cry was like the clear, mournful melody of a jade instrument, stirring the heart. Whenever Ma Ji heard this bird's song, he would long for his homeland, and said to the Dragon Princess, "I have been away for three years, far from my parents; at such times, tears soak my sleeves and sweat drenches my back. Can you return with me?" The Dragon Princess replied, "The paths of immortals and mortals are divided; I cannot accompany you. Nor can I bear to deprive you of the joy of family reunion for the sake of our marital love. Allow me to ponder a solution." Ma Ji could not hold back his tears. The Dragon Princess sighed and said, "It seems this cannot be made perfect for both sides."
The next day, Ma Ji returned from his outing. The Dragon King said, "I hear you are homesick. Would you like to set off at dawn tomorrow?" Ma Ji expressed his gratitude, saying, "As a solitary subject dwelling in a foreign land, I have been graced with undeserved favor and kindness, and the desire to repay such benevolence is deeply lodged in my heart. Allow me to return home temporarily to visit my family, and I will find a way to come back and reunite." That evening, the Dragon Princess prepared a farewell feast and bid Ma Ji goodbye. Ma Ji wished to set a date for their future meeting, but the Dragon Princess said, "Our bond of love has come to an end." Ma Ji was deeply sorrowful. The Dragon Princess said, "Returning home to care for your parents shows your filial piety. The gatherings and partings of human life are like a single morning or evening; why make a tearful display like a child? From now on, I will remain chaste for you, and you will remain faithful for me. With two hearts united across the distance, we are as husband and wife—why must we cling to each other day and night to be considered growing old together? If anyone breaks today's vow, the marriage will be unlucky. If you worry about managing household affairs, you may take a maidservant as a concubine. There is one more thing: since our marriage, I seem to be with child. Please choose a name for the child now." Ma Ji said, "If it is a girl, call her Dragon Palace; if a boy, call him Blessed Sea." The Dragon Princess asked Ma Ji to leave a token of remembrance. Ma Ji took out a pair of red jade lotuses he had obtained in the Land of Rakshasa and gave them to her. The Dragon Princess said, "On the eighth day of the fourth month, three years from now, you may sail to the southern island, and I will return your flesh and blood to you." She then produced a fish-skin pouch filled with jewels and gave it to Ma Ji, saying, "Treasure this; it will provide for your family's needs for generations." At the first light of dawn, the Dragon King held a farewell feast and bestowed many gifts upon Ma Ji. Ma Ji bowed and took his leave, exiting the Dragon Palace. The Dragon Princess, riding in a white goat-drawn carriage, escorted Ma Ji to the seashore. Ma Ji stepped onto the shore and dismounted from his horse. The Dragon Princess said, "Take good care of yourself," then turned her carriage and departed, soon disappearing into the distance. The seawater closed again, and the Dragon Princess was no longer visible. Thus, Ma Ji returned to his homeland.
Since Ma Ji had set sail across the sea, everyone assumed he was dead, so when he returned home, his family was utterly astonished. Fortunately, his parents were still alive, but his wife had remarried. Only then did Ma Ji understand that the Dragon Princess's words about 'keeping faith' had foretold this very day. His father wished for Ma Ji to remarry, but he refused, merely taking a maidservant as a concubine. Ma Ji remembered the three-year deadline and, when the time came, sailed to the Southern Island, where he saw two children sitting on the water's surface, splashing and laughing, unmoving and not sinking. Ma Ji approached to pull the children; one child babbled with laughter, grabbed Ma Ji's arm, and leaped into his embrace. The other child cried loudly, as if reproaching Ma Ji for not coming to fetch him, so Ma Ji also pulled this child ashore. Upon closer inspection, the children were a boy and a girl, both with beautiful features. The children wore floral crowns adorned with fine jade, which was the very red jade lotus. On the child's back was a brocade pouch; opening it, Ma Ji found a letter, which read: 'I trust that your parents are safe and well. Three years have passed swiftly; a stretch of red dust has forever separated us, and a shallow sea has cut off all communication. My longing for you has condensed into dreams; I constantly crane my neck to gaze afar, only to add to my weariness. Facing the vast blue ocean, what can I do but harbor resentment? Thinking of Chang'e, who dwells alone in the Moon Palace, and the Weaver Girl, who sorrowfully faces the Milky Way, who am I to enjoy eternal love with you? At this thought, I always wipe away my tears and force a smile. Two months after our parting, I gave birth to twin children. They now babble in their mother's arms, understand adult speech and laughter, and can reach for dates and pears, able to live apart from me. Thus, I respectfully send them to you. I have affixed the red jade lotus you gave me to their crowns as a token. When you hold them on your knee, it will be as if I am by your side. Hearing that you have kept your former vow, my heart is comforted. In this life, I will never change my heart, nor waver even unto death. The treasures stored in my dressing case are no longer fragrant hair oils; my reflection in the mirror shows a face long unadorned with powder. You are like a distant traveler, and I am a wife alone in an empty chamber; though we cannot be close, separated by distance, how can it be said that we are not harmonious as husband and wife? Yet I still think that, though your parents now hold grandchildren, they have never met their daughter-in-law, which by reason is a regret. A year hence, when your mother passes, I will personally come to her grave to pay respects and fulfill my duty as a daughter-in-law. From then on, the Dragon Palace will be safe, and there will surely be a day for us to meet; the Sea of Blessings will be everlasting, and perhaps there will be a path for us to come and go. Please take good care of yourself; I have said all that is in my heart.' Ma Ji read the letter over and over, wiping away his tears. The two children clung to his neck and said, 'Let's go home!' Ma Ji grew even more sorrowful, stroking the children and asking, 'Do you know where home is?' The children cried incessantly, their childish voices only calling to go home. Ma Ji gazed at the vast, boundless sea, stretching to the sky, but the beautiful Dragon Princess was nowhere to be seen; among the misty waves, there was no path to follow. He could only take the children aboard the boat and return, arriving home in melancholy.
Ma Ji knew his mother did not have long to live, so he prepared all the burial garments and articles in advance, planting over a hundred pine and catalpa trees at the grave site. After a year, his mother indeed passed away. When the funeral carriage arrived at the tomb, a woman in mourning white stood before the grave. As the crowd gazed at her in astonishment, a sudden gale arose, thunder roared, and a torrential rain poured down; in an instant, the woman vanished without a trace. The newly planted pines and cypresses, many of which had withered, all revived. His son Fuhai grew up, often longing for his mother, and once leaped into the sea on his own, returning only after several days. His daughter Longgong, being a girl, could not go, and often shut herself in her room weeping. One day, the daylight suddenly darkened, and the Dragon Maiden entered the room, comforting Longgong, saying, "You too must marry one day; why weep so?" She then gave her a coral tree eight feet tall, a packet of borneol, a hundred bright pearls, and a pair of gold-inlaid boxes set with eight treasures as a dowry. Hearing the Dragon Maiden's voice, Ma Ji rushed into the room, grasped her hand, and sobbed. In a moment, a thunderclap shattered the roof, and the Dragon Maiden vanished without a trace.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: To don a false visage and curry favor with the world, the ways of men are no different from those of ghosts. There are those who delight in eating scabs and sores, and such oddities can be found everywhere under heaven. When one feels a slight shame in humbling oneself to please others, the world says the writing is passable; when one feels great shame, the world says the writing is excellent. If a man were to openly parade his manly bearing through the city streets, few would not be frightened away. As for Bian He, the fool enfeoffed as Marquis of Lingyang, to what place shall he go to weep over his priceless jade? Alas, glory and wealth can only be sought in the mirage cities of the sea!
Commentary
This tale unfolds across three distinct settings: the Land of Rakshasas, the Dragon Palace, and the mortal world. The narrative's focal point lies in the Land of Rakshasas, where the artistic expression is innovative, refreshing, and imbued with a potent satirical edge.
Although the Land of Rakshasa was recorded as early as in the "General Examination of Documents," Pu Songling imbued it with the notion that "what our nation values is not literary talent but physical appearance," where appearance inverts beauty and ugliness, confuses black and white—the more hideous and grotesque, the more it is deemed beautiful and a sign of wealth and honor, while "the lower the rank, the less the ugliness"—this is Pu Songling's veiled critique of his own unrecognized talent under the imperial examination system. Ma Ji's experiences in the Land of Rakshasa carry an allegorical nature, richly and vividly written with unrestrained romanticism. The bizarre details, such as the "walls of black stone, dark as ink" in Rakshasa and the ugliness of the prime minister with "both ears growing backward, three nostrils, and eyelashes covering his eyes like curtains," are exaggerated, absurd, and display a fantastical imagination that later influenced "Flowers in the Mirror." When Ma Ji first entered the Land of Rakshasa, he was utterly bewildered, then "used this to deceive the locals," "blackening his face with coal to impersonate Zhang Fei," evoking laughter and imbuing the tale with comedic elements, written with delicate twists that captivate the reader. In the Dragon Palace, Ma Ji's talent was recognized; his "Ode to the Mirage Market" led the Dragon King to praise, "Sir, your great talent illuminates the water kingdom," and it was "spread across all seas," earning him the title of Commandant-Escort. Ma Ji's extraordinary encounters express Pu Songling's deep longing and hope that one day his own talent would be discovered and affirmed. The joys and sorrows of Ma Ji and the Dragon Princess clearly draw from Tang dynasty tales, yet they are also written with profound human emotion. Among these, the letter written by the Dragon Princess to Ma Ji in parallel prose is tender and sincere, showcasing Pu Songling's profound skill in that literary form.
"The Raksasa Sea Market" has had a profound influence on later generations; an anonymous commentator on the manuscript praised it, saying, "'The Raksasa Sea Market' is the foremost, closely resembling the tales of the Tang dynasty." In the twentieth year of the Daoguang reign (1840), the Daoist Guanju adapted "The Raksasa Sea Market" into "The Realm of Ultimate Bliss," which became the first Peking opera script in China.