Original Text
When the Ming dynasty fell, warfare erupted everywhere. Liu Zhisheng of Yiling gathered tens of thousands of men, intending to cross the river and join the Prince of Fu in the Southern Ming. Suddenly, a stout man appeared outside the camp's wooden gate, his clothes tattered and his belly exposed, requesting an audience with the commander. Liu Zhisheng invited him in and conversed with him, finding him greatly delightful. When asked his name, the man called himself Caiweiweng. Liu Zhisheng retained him in the army as an advisor and presented him with a sword. Caiweiweng said, "I have my own weapons; I have no need for spears or halberds." When asked where his weapons were, Caiweiweng lifted his clothes to reveal his belly, whose navel was large enough to hold an egg. He held his breath and swelled his abdomen, and suddenly the navel bulged forth, and with a tearing sound, a sword hilt emerged. Grasping it, he drew out a blade white as frost. Liu Zhisheng was astonished and asked, "Is this the only sword?" Caiweiweng smiled, pointed to his belly, and said, "This is an armory; it contains everything." When asked to produce a bow and arrows, he did as before, drawing out a carved bow. With a slight breath, an arrow flew down to the ground, and then arrows continued to fly out without cease. Then he thrust the sword back into his navel, and all the weapons vanished. Liu Zhisheng regarded Caiweiweng as a marvel, sharing his meals and lodging with him, treating him with utmost respect and lavish hospitality.
Although the military orders at that time were strict, the troops were a motley crowd and would often go out to plunder. Caiwei Weng said, "In warfare, discipline is paramount. Now that you command tens of thousands of men, if you cannot awe their hearts, this is a path to self-destruction." Liu Zhisheng was delighted to hear this and earnestly began to inspect the ranks, decreeing that anyone who seized women or property would be beheaded as a warning. Thus, discipline in the army improved somewhat, but plundering could not be entirely stopped. Caiwei Weng would occasionally ride out on horseback to patrol among the various units, and among the troops, unruly fierce generals and arrogant soldiers would often have their heads fall off without any known cause. Therefore, everyone suspected Caiwei Weng was behind it. Originally, the soldiers had already feared and resented Caiwei Weng for his earlier strict proposals on military discipline, and now with these incidents, their hatred grew even stronger. The various leaders slandered Caiwei Weng before Liu Zhisheng, saying, "All of Caiwei Weng's methods are sorcery. Since ancient times, renowned generals have triumphed through strategy; we have never heard of using magic to win. Those knight-errant types all ended in ruin. Now, innocent officers and men are often losing their heads for no reason, and the troops are seething with anger. General, it is also dangerous for you to associate with him; it would be better to find a way to kill him." Liu Zhisheng heeded their advice and prepared to kill Caiwei Weng when he was fast asleep. He sent someone to observe Caiwei Weng's movements, and found him sleeping with his belly exposed, snoring like thunder. The crowd was overjoyed and surrounded his quarters, sending two men with knives to cut off his head. After the deed was done, as they withdrew their blades, Caiwei Weng's head reattached to his body, and his snoring continued as before. The crowd was greatly astonished. They then cut open his belly, which split open but without blood; inside, the belly was packed with knives and arrows, their blades protruding. The crowd was even more terrified and dared not approach, poking at the weapons in his belly from a distance with long spears. At that, the iron bows inside his belly fired repeatedly, striking several people. The crowd fled in panic and reported to Liu Zhisheng. Liu Zhisheng hurried over, but Caiwei Weng had already vanished.
Commentary
The ancients said, "Within the breast there are a million valiant soldiers," and in ancient magic there were also performances of swallowing swords and spitting blades; it is likely that folk tales are embellished and fabricated based on these. Although the story itself is hearsay, it indirectly reflects the chaotic state of "swarming warfare" during the transition from the Ming to the Qing dynasty, capturing the truth of the era. The words of Caiwei Weng and the various commanders each held some truth, each moving Liu Zhisheng from a different angle, becoming the impetus that sparked the plot, and all revolved around the key element of Caiwei Weng hiding armor and weapons in his belly, thus making the tale, though brief, complete in its beginning and end, imbued with the spirit of the times.