Original Text
Feng Sheng of Guangping County, a man living during the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, was frivolous in his youth and given to excessive drinking. One day at dawn, he happened to go out and encountered a young maiden wearing a red cape, with a delicate and lovely countenance, accompanied by a little maid. They were trudging wearily through the dew, their shoes and stockings thoroughly soaked. Feng Sheng secretly took a fancy to the maiden.
As dusk fell, Scholar Feng returned home drunk. By the roadside stood a long-abandoned temple, from which a woman emerged—the very beauty he had encountered earlier. Upon seeing him approach, she immediately turned and re-entered the temple. Feng wondered to himself why such a lovely woman would dwell in a temple. He tethered his donkey at the gate and went in to investigate. Inside, he saw crumbling walls and dilapidated halls, with fine grass covering the steps like a carpet. As he hesitated, an old man with graying hair and neat attire came out and asked, "Where does the visitor come from?" Feng replied, "I happened to pass by this ancient temple and wished to pay my respects. Why is the elder here?" The old man said, "I am a wanderer with no fixed abode, temporarily lodging here with my family. Since you have honored us with your presence, please stay for a cup of rustic tea as if it were wine." He then ushered Feng inside. Behind the main hall, Feng discovered a courtyard with smooth, clean stone paths, free of weeds. Entering the room, he found curtains and bed curtains fragrant with perfume. After they sat down, the old man introduced himself, saying, "My surname is Xin." Emboldened by drink, Feng abruptly asked, "I hear you have a daughter who has not yet found a suitable match. Presumptuous as I am, I wish to propose myself as a son-in-law." Xin smiled and said, "Allow me to consult with my old wife." Feng immediately asked for a brush and wrote a poem: "A thousand gold for a jade pestle, I diligently wield it myself. If Cloud Maid is willing, I shall personally pound the frosty elixir." Xin smiled and handed the poem to an attendant. Soon, a maidservant whispered something in Xin's ear. Xin rose and asked Feng to wait patiently, then parted the curtain and went into the inner chamber. Feng heard indistinct murmurs, and Xin quickly returned. Feng thought good news was forthcoming, but Xin sat down and chatted and laughed, saying nothing else. Unable to contain himself, Feng asked, "I wonder what your decision is? I hope you can dispel my doubts." Xin said, "You are an outstanding man, and I have long admired your grace. But there are some things in my heart that are difficult to speak of." Feng pressed him repeatedly to speak, and Xin said, "I have nineteen daughters, twelve of whom are married. All marriage matters are handled by my old wife; I do not interfere." Feng said, "I seek only the one who this morning led a little maid through the dew." Xin made no reply, and the two sat in silence. Then Feng heard intimate whispers from within the room. In his drunkenness, he lifted the curtain and said, "Since we cannot become husband and wife, let me at least see her face to ease my regret." The people inside, hearing the curtain rings jingle, stood in shock as Feng entered. Among them was indeed a woman in red, who trembled her sleeves and lowered her head, standing gracefully with her fingers on her sash. Seeing Feng enter, the whole room was thrown into panic. Xin was furious and ordered several men to drag Feng out. Feng, now even more drunk, collapsed into a patch of weeds. Tiles and stones rained down like hail, but fortunately none struck him.
After lying down for some time, Feng Sheng heard the donkey still grazing by the roadside, so he rose and mounted it, staggering onward. The night was dim and hazy, and he mistakenly entered a mountain stream valley where wolves ran and owls hooted, causing his hair to stand on end and his whole body to tremble. He hesitated, looking around in confusion, not knowing where he was. Gazing into the distance, he saw flickering lights amidst the vast forest and guessed there must be a village, so he hurried forward to seek lodging. Looking up, Feng Sheng saw a tall gate before a house and knocked with his whip. Someone inside asked him, "What guest are you, coming here in the middle of the night?" Feng Sheng replied that he was lost. The speaker said, "Wait until I inform the master." Feng Sheng stood there cautiously, craning his neck for a reply. Suddenly he heard the sound of locks and bolts being undone, and a sturdy servant came out to take the guest's donkey. Entering the gate, Feng Sheng saw that the house was extremely splendid, with lamps lit in the hall. He had barely sat down when a woman came out to ask his name, and he told her promptly. After some time, several maids helped an old woman out, saying, "The Commandery Lady has arrived." Feng Sheng rose to his feet, composed his countenance, and was about to bow, but the old woman quickly stopped him and bade him sit, saying, "Are you not the grandson of Feng Yunzi?" Feng Sheng replied, "I am." She said, "Then you must be my distant grandnephew. My life is nearly spent, my remaining years are few, and I seldom see my own flesh and blood." Feng Sheng said, "I lost my father in childhood, and among those who knew my grandfather, I recognize not one in ten. I have never had the chance to pay my respects; please enlighten me." The old woman said, "You will know for yourself."
Feng Sheng dared not ask further questions, sitting across from her, pondering in confusion. The old lady inquired, "Grandson, why have you come here so late at night?" Feng, who always boasted of his courage, recounted the events he had encountered one by one. The old lady smiled and said, "This is a great blessing. Moreover, you are a renowned scholar, in no way unworthy of a marriage alliance. How could a wild fox spirit insist on being so arrogant? Do not worry, I can arrange this match for you." Feng repeatedly expressed his gratitude. The old lady looked at those around her and said, "I never expected the Xin family's daughter to be so beautiful." A maid remarked, "Their family has nineteen daughters, all elegant and charming, full of grace. I wonder which one the young master wishes to marry?" Feng replied, "The one about fifteen years of age or a bit older." The maid said, "That is the fourteenth daughter. In the third month, she came with her mother to pay respects to the noble lady—how could you forget?" The old lady chuckled, "Is she the one whose wooden clogs were carved with lotus petals, filled with fragrant powder, and who walked with a gauze veil?" The maid confirmed, "Yes." The old lady said, "That girl is particularly adept at devising clever tricks, playing coy and coquettish. Yet she is indeed slender and graceful—my grandson's eye is not mistaken." She then instructed the maid, "Send the little fox to summon her." The maid assented and went to call her. After some time, the maid entered and announced, "The fourteenth daughter of the Xin family has been summoned." Immediately, a woman in red robes bowed low to the old lady. The old lady raised her and said, "From now on, you are my grandson's wife; there is no need to perform a maid's courtesy." Xin Shisi Niang rose, standing with light and graceful poise, her red sleeves hanging low. The old lady smoothed her hair and adjusted her earrings, asking, "What have you been doing at home lately, Shisi Niang?" She lowered her head and replied, "In idle hours, I only embroider." Turning to see Feng Sheng, she grew shy and uneasy. The old lady said, "This is my grandson. He is set on marrying you—why did you let him lose his way, wandering through the ravines all night?" Shisi Niang remained silent, head bowed. The old lady continued, "I called you here for no other reason than to act as matchmaker for my grandson." Shisi Niang still kept quiet. The old lady ordered the bed to be prepared with fresh bedding, intending to have them wed immediately. Shisi Niang said bashfully, "I must return and inform my parents." The old lady replied, "If I act as matchmaker, can there be any mistake?" Shisi Niang said, "The noble lady's command, my parents would not dare disobey. But to proceed so hastily, even if I were to die, I could not comply." The old lady smiled and said, "The young girl's resolve cannot be bent—truly, she is fit to be my grandson's wife!" She then plucked a golden flower from Shisi Niang's hair, gave it to Feng Sheng to keep, and ordered him to return home and consult the almanac to find an auspicious day for the wedding. She then sent the maid to escort Shisi Niang back.
At this moment, the distant rooster could be heard heralding the dawn, and the old woman sent someone to lead a donkey to escort Scholar Feng out the gate. A few steps beyond the door, Feng suddenly turned his head to look back, only to find that the village houses had vanished, leaving nothing but a dark, dense grove of pines and catalpas, with thorny brambles thickly covering a single grave. Feng steadied his mind and pondered for a time, then recalled that this was the tomb of Minister Xue. Minister Xue was the younger brother of Feng's deceased maternal grandmother, hence the old woman had called him her grandson. Feng realized in his heart that he had encountered a ghost, yet still did not know who the fourteenth maiden, Xin, truly was. Sighing deeply, he returned home, carelessly selected an auspicious day, and awaited its arrival, though inwardly he feared that the marriage pact with a ghost might prove unreliable. He went again to the temple, only to find it desolate and overgrown. Inquiring among the locals, he was told that foxes often appeared there. He thought secretly to himself, "If I could obtain such a beauty, even a fox would be fine."
On the day of the wedding, Feng Sheng swept the house and road clean, dispatching servants to take turns awaiting the arrival of the beauty, but by midnight, there was still no sound or trace, and Feng Sheng felt all hope was lost. Shortly thereafter, a clamor of voices arose outside the gate. Feng Sheng, shuffling out in his slippers, saw that the bridal sedan chair had already stopped in the courtyard, and the maid had already helped Xin Shisi Niang into the bridal chamber to sit. The dowry was meager, with only two bearded servants carrying a jar the size of an urn, which they unloaded and placed in a corner of the main hall. Feng Sheng rejoiced in gaining a beautiful wife and harbored no suspicion that Xin Shisi Niang was not human. He asked her, "That dead spirit—why did your family obey her so completely?" Xin Shisi Niang replied, "Minister Xue now serves as the Circuit Inspector of the Five Realms; all ghosts and foxes within several hundred miles are his attendants and guards, so he rarely returns to his tomb." Feng Sheng did not forget his matchmaker, and the next day went to pay respects at Minister Xue's grave. Upon returning home, he saw two maids bearing brocade of shell patterns to offer congratulations; they placed the brocade on the table and departed. Feng Sheng told Xin Shisi Niang, who examined the brocade and said, "This belongs to the Junjun household."
In this county there was a certain Vice-Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial named Chu, whose son had been a close schoolmate of Scholar Feng in their youth, and their friendship was intimate. When Chu the Younger heard that Feng had married a fox-woman, he sent wine and food three days after the wedding and then came personally to Feng's home to offer congratulations with a toast. A few days later, Chu sent another note inviting Feng to drink with him. Upon hearing this, Xin Shisi Niang said to Feng, "When Chu came the other day, I spied on him through a crack in the wall; this man has monkey eyes and a hawk's nose—you must not have much to do with him. It would be best not to go." Feng agreed and stayed away. The next day, Chu came to the door to reproach him for breaking the appointment and brought along some new writings. Feng's comments contained a hint of mockery, which greatly shamed Chu, and the two parted on bad terms. When Feng returned to his room, he recounted the matter with a laugh. Xin Shisi Niang's face turned sorrowful as she said, "Chu is as vicious as a jackal or wolf; you must not draw near him. If you do not heed my words, disaster will befall you!" Feng only smiled and thanked her. Thereafter, whenever Feng met Chu, he always flattered him with pleasantries and laughter, and the old rift gradually dissolved.
It happened that the Imperial Commissioner of Education was presiding over the examinations; the Chu scion ranked first, and Scholar Feng ranked second. The Chu scion, puffed up with pride, sent someone to invite Feng to a drinking party. Feng declined at first, but after repeated invitations, he finally went. Upon arrival, he discovered it was the Chu scion's birthday; the hall was filled with guests, and the feast was exceedingly sumptuous. The Chu scion brought out his examination paper for Feng to see, and relatives and friends crowded shoulder to shoulder to admire and praise it. After several rounds of wine, music began to play in the hall, with blaring trumpets and beating drums, the tones coarse and rustic, yet both host and guests were greatly delighted. Suddenly, the Chu scion said to Feng, "As the proverb goes, 'In the examination hall, do not discuss the essays.' Now I realize how utterly mistaken that saying is. The reason my name humbly precedes yours is that the opening lines of my essay were slightly superior." As soon as the Chu scion finished speaking, all the guests murmured their approval. Feng, in his drunkenness, could not restrain himself and burst into loud laughter, saying, "Do you still believe it was your own essay that won you first place?" The moment Feng said this, the faces of all the guests changed color; the Chu scion, overcome with shame and fury, was speechless with rage. The guests gradually dispersed, and Feng also made a swift escape.
After Feng Sheng sobered up, he deeply regretted his careless words and told Xin Shisi Niang about it. Xin Shisi Niang said unhappily, "You are truly a rustic and ignorant frivolous fellow! Treating a gentleman with levity will cause you to lose virtue; treating a petty man in such a way will bring disaster upon yourself. You are not far from calamity! I cannot bear to watch you decline and fall; let me take my leave of you now." Feng Sheng was terrified, tears streaming down his face, and he confessed his remorse to Xin Shisi Niang. She said, "If you wish me to stay, I make this pact with you: from today onward, you must shut your door, avoid all social intercourse, and never drink recklessly." Feng Sheng agreed to everything. Xin Shisi Niang managed the household frugally and efficiently, spending her days spinning and weaving to make a living. She often returned to her own family but never stayed overnight. She frequently brought out money and cloth to sustain their livelihood, and any surplus from the day was thrown into a large savings jar. She kept the doors closed all day, and whenever visitors came, she ordered the servants to decline them.
One day, the Chu prince sent a messenger with a letter, which Xin Shisi Niang burned without telling Feng Sheng. The next day, Feng Sheng went out of the city to offer condolences at a funeral, where he encountered the Chu prince at the deceased's home. The prince seized his arm and earnestly invited him to stay. Feng Sheng made excuses to decline, but the prince ordered his groom to lead Feng Sheng's horse and escorted him along. Upon arriving at the Chu residence, the prince immediately ordered a lavish feast to be laid out. Feng Sheng again said he wished to return home early. The prince repeatedly obstructed him and summoned household concubines to play the zither for entertainment. Feng Sheng, always unrestrained by nature, had recently been confined at home and felt greatly stifled; now, suddenly encountering an opportunity for hearty drinking, his bold spirits surged, and he no longer heeded Xin Shisi Niang's admonitions. Thus he drank heavily, becoming thoroughly intoxicated, and collapsed in his seat at the banquet. The Chu prince's wife, Ruan Shi, was the most ferocious and jealous woman; the maids and concubines in the household dared not adorn themselves. The previous day, a maid had entered the study, and Ruan Shi caught her, striking her head with a wooden staff until her brains splattered and she died instantly. The Chu prince, nursing a grudge over Feng Sheng's earlier mockery and taunts, daily sought revenge, and so plotted to get Feng Sheng drunk and frame him. At this moment, taking advantage of Feng Sheng's drunken slumber, the prince carried the maid's corpse onto the bed, closed the door, and left. At the fifth watch, Feng Sheng sobered up and found himself lying on a table. He rose to seek a bed and pillow, but felt a soft, greasy object tripping his foot. Touching it, he found it was a person, whom he took for a young servant sent by the host to accompany him in sleep. He kicked the person, but it did not move, its body already stiff. Greatly terrified, he ran out the door, screaming in a strange voice. All the servants rushed out, lit a torch, and saw the corpse. They seized Feng Sheng, shouting in fury. The Chu prince emerged to inspect the corpse, falsely accusing Feng Sheng of raping and killing the maid, and had him sent to Guangping County.
After a day had passed, Xin Shisi Niang only then heard the news. She wept tears and said, "I knew long ago that this day would come!" Then she sent money to Feng Sheng day by day. When Feng Sheng appeared before the prefect, he had no grounds to argue and was beaten morning and evening until his skin was torn and his flesh exposed. Xin Shisi Niang personally went to visit him; when Feng Sheng saw her, his grievous resentment choked his heart, and he could not speak. Xin Shisi Niang knew the trap set was already deep and advised Feng Sheng to confess falsely to the crime to avoid further torture. Feng Sheng wept and agreed to follow her command. Xin Shisi Niang came and went between her home and the prison, yet people nearby could not see her even at close range. Returning home, she sighed without ceasing and hastily sent the maidservants away. After living alone for several days, she commissioned a matchmaker to purchase a girl from a respectable family, named Lu'er, who had reached the age for binding her hair and inserting hairpins, and whose appearance was quite lovely. She shared bed and board with Lu'er, showing her care and affection surpassing all the other servants. Feng Sheng confessed to the crime of accidentally killing the maidservant while drunk and was sentenced to death by strangulation. When the servant brought back the news, he spoke through sobs, unable to finish his words. Xin Shisi Niang's expression remained calm, as if she were unconcerned. Soon the autumn execution date drew near, and Xin Shisi Niang began to grow anxious and restless, rushing about frantically, coming and going by day and night, her feet never stopping. In moments of solitude, she would sob and weep bitterly, so much so that her sleep and appetite greatly diminished. One afternoon at the hour of the monkey, the fox-maidservant who had been sent out earlier suddenly returned. Xin Shisi Niang immediately rose, led her to a secluded room to converse, and emerged with a face full of smiles, attending to household affairs as usual. The next day, the servant went to the prison, and Feng Sheng sent word asking Xin Shisi Niang to come for a final farewell. The servant returned to report, and Xin Shisi Niang casually acknowledged it, showing no grief, setting it aside with indifference. The household secretly criticized her for being too hard-hearted. Suddenly, the streets buzzed with rumors that the Surveillance Commissioner Chu had been dismissed from office, and the Pingyang Inspector had received a special edict to handle Feng Sheng's case. The servant, overjoyed at the news, informed Xin Shisi Niang. She too was delighted and immediately sent someone to the prefectural office to visit Feng Sheng, who had already been released from prison. Master and servant shared mixed feelings of sorrow and joy. Soon, the authorities arrested Master Chu, and upon interrogation, the full truth was revealed. Feng Sheng was immediately freed and returned home.
When Feng Sheng returned home and saw Xin Shisi Niang, he wept tears like a stream. Xin Shisi Niang, facing Feng Sheng, also showed a sorrowful expression, but after her grief subsided, she became cheerful again. Yet Feng Sheng never understood how his case had come to the emperor's attention. Xin Shisi Niang smiled and pointed at the maidservant, saying, "This is your benefactor." Feng Sheng, astonished, asked for the details. Earlier, Xin Shisi Niang had sent the maidservant to Yanjing, intending to reach the imperial palace directly to plead Feng Sheng's case. When the maidservant arrived, she found the palace guarded by spirits and could only wander by the imperial moat for months without gaining entry. Fearing she would delay matters, she was about to return and devise another plan when she suddenly heard that the reigning emperor would soon tour Datong. So she went ahead to Datong and disguised herself as a courtesan who had drifted there. When the emperor visited the brothel, the maidservant was greatly favored and cherished. The emperor sensed she was not of the common courtesan class, and she, lowering her head, shed tears. The emperor asked, "What grievance or suffering do you have?" She replied, "My native place is Guangping County, and I am the daughter of the scholar Feng. My father, due to an unjust sentence, is to be executed, and thus I was sold into this brothel." The emperor's countenance turned mournful, and he bestowed upon her a hundred taels of gold. Before departing, he inquired thoroughly into the beginning and end of the case, recorded the names on paper, and said he wished to share wealth and honor with her. The maidservant said, "I only seek reunion with my father and daughter; I do not desire fine clothes and rich food." The emperor nodded in assent, and the maidservant then left. When the maidservant recounted these events to Feng Sheng, he hastily bowed to her, his eyes glistening with tears.
Not long after, Xin Shisi Niang suddenly said to Feng Sheng: "If I were not bound by the ties of love and fate, how could I have brought such trouble upon myself? When you were arrested, I rushed among relatives and friends, yet not a single person devised a plan for me. The bitterness in my heart at that time was beyond words. Now I find this mortal world increasingly wearisome and sorrowful. I have already prepared a suitable spouse for you, and thus we may part from this day forward." Upon hearing this, Feng Sheng wept uncontrollably and prostrated himself on the ground, refusing to rise, so Xin Shisi Niang did not leave. That night, Xin Shisi Niang sent Lu'er to sleep with Feng Sheng, but he refused to accept her. The next morning, Feng Sheng saw that Xin Shisi Niang's countenance had suddenly faded. After another month or so, she gradually grew aged; half a year later, her face turned dark, like that of an old village woman, yet Feng Sheng respected her and never wavered in his devotion. At this point, she suddenly bid farewell again, saying: "You have a suitable partner of your own; why cling to this ugly old wife?" Feng Sheng wept bitterly, still treating her as before. After another month, Xin Shisi Niang suddenly fell ill, refusing food and drink, lying weak in her chamber. Feng Sheng attended to her with medicine and care, as if serving his own parents. But neither sorcery nor medicine proved effective, and in the end, Xin Shisi Niang passed away quietly. Feng Sheng was overcome with grief, and using the money the emperor had bestowed upon the maid, he arranged for her funeral rites and burial. A few days later, the fox maid also departed, and so Feng Sheng took Lu'er as his wife.
A year later, she gave birth to a son. However, successive years of poor harvests caused their household to decline day by day, and the husband and wife, with no recourse, faced each other in constant melancholy. They suddenly recalled the large money jar in the corner of the hall, where they had often seen Xin Shiniang placing coins, and wondered if it still remained. Upon approaching, they found it surrounded by vats of sauce and jars of salt. After moving these items aside one by one, they tried to insert a chopstick into the jar, but it was too hard to penetrate. They smashed it open, and gold coins scattered all over the ground, instantly making them vastly wealthy. Later, the old servant traveled to Mount Taihua, where he saw Xin Shiniang riding a green mule, with a maidservant following on a donkey. Xin Shiniang asked, "Is Master Feng well?" and added, "Please tell your master that I have been enrolled among the immortals." With these words, she vanished.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Frivolous words often issue from the mouths of scholars, a matter that pains and grieves the gentleman. I myself have incurred the reproach of speaking lightly, and to plead innocence would be too pedantic; yet I have never ceased to discipline myself with bitter effort, striving to rank among the virtuous, leaving aside whether fortune or calamity follows. Consider a man like Feng—one careless utterance nearly brought him to the brink of death. Had he not possessed a celestial wife at home, how could he have escaped from the prison's grasp and reemerged into the world? How truly fearsome this is!
Commentary
Although the first half of the tale recounts the rather tortuous process of Feng Sheng's pursuit of Xin Shisi Niang, with a ghost acting as matchmaker between a human and a fox, revealing Feng Sheng's boldness, sincerity, and talent, as well as Xin Shisi Niang's beauty, gentleness, and refinement, the heart and brilliance of the story lie in its latter half.
The latter part depicts Feng Sheng, due to his frivolity and indulgence in wine, being framed by the sons of corrupt officials; in his arduous journey of suffering, Xin Shisi Niang fully displays her qualities of keen insight and good strategy, diligence and frugality in managing the household, calmness in the face of adversity, and shrewd competence. This is portrayed through both explicit and implicit descriptions, and at the end, Xin Shisi Niang's words, "When you were arrested, I rushed among relatives and friends, yet not a single person offered a plan on your behalf. At that time, my bitter sorrow truly could not be expressed. Now I find the mundane world even more wearisome and bitter," summarize this entire process. In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, fox maidens are often romantic and passionate, but Xin Shisi Niang more prominently embodies the image of a virtuous rural woman as a capable helpmate.
Feng Sheng was labeled by Xin Shisi Niang as a "village dandy," "frivolous," and "flippant," but from today's perspective, he was merely unwilling to speak falsely. The tale profoundly exposes the corruption of the imperial examination system and the darkness of the judiciary during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In particular, when Feng Sheng was falsely accused by the son of Chu Yintai, his vindication ultimately relied on Xin Shisi Niang sending a fox maid disguised as a courtesan to seduce the emperor, a process that made the capable and resourceful Xin Shisi Niang "grow ever more weary and bitter toward the mundane world," while also expressing Pu Songling's own "weariness and bitterness." This story recounts the calamity brought by speaking the truth, and Pu Songling, deeply moved, remarked, "I have once borne the stigma of being unorthodox, and speaking of grievances is already considered pedantic." Critics also felt a shared sorrow, saying, "A talented man like Liaozhai may have uttered frivolous words among his peers," and "I too have learned from this, and thus linger over the Master's warnings without leaving." This reveals a chronic ailment within Chinese social culture.