Original Text
Tao Shengyu, a man from Beiping, was a renowned scholar. During the Shunzhi era, he went to take the provincial examination and lodged in the outskirts of the city. One day, he happened to go out and saw a man carrying a book trunk, looking flustered, as if searching for lodging without success. Tao casually asked a few questions, and the man set down his trunk by the roadside, chatting with Tao, revealing a demeanor of great refinement in his speech. Tao was overjoyed and invited him to share his lodgings. The guest gladly took up his belongings and entered, and thus they lived together. The guest introduced himself, saying, "I am from Shuntian, surnamed Yu, styled Qu'e." As Tao was slightly older, he treated him with the respect due an elder brother.
Yu Sheng did not enjoy traveling and often sat alone in his room, yet there were no books placed on his desk. If Tao Sheng did not speak with him, he would simply lie there in silence. Tao Sheng grew suspicious of his behavior and examined his bags and boxes, finding nothing beyond brushes, ink, and inkstones. Puzzled, Tao Sheng asked him about it, and Yu Sheng smiled, saying, "Do we study only when thirst drives us to dig a well?" One day, he borrowed a book from Tao Sheng, shut the door, and began copying it swiftly, producing over fifty sheets from dawn to dusk, yet he did not fold or bind them into a volume. Tao Sheng secretly watched and saw that after copying each passage, he burned it to ashes and swallowed them. Even more astonished, Tao Sheng questioned him, and Yu Sheng replied, "I use this method in place of reading." Then he recited the copied texts, finishing several passages in a short while without a single error. Tao Sheng was delighted and wished to learn this art, but Yu Sheng refused. Tao Sheng suspected he was unwilling to teach and expressed reproach in his words. Yu Sheng said, "Brother, you truly do not understand me. If I remain silent, my intent cannot be made clear; if I speak outright, I fear you will be startled and think me a demon. What is to be done?" Tao Sheng insisted, "It is of no consequence." Then Yu Sheng said, "I am not a man, but a ghost. Now the underworld is appointing officials through the civil examinations. On the fourteenth day of the seventh month, I am commanded to select examination officials; on the fifteenth, the candidates enter the examination hall, and the results are posted at month's end." Tao Sheng asked, "What is meant by selecting examination officials?" He replied, "This is the Heavenly Emperor's careful approach to the examinations, regardless of high or low rank; all must be tested. Those skilled in writing serve as inner examination officials, while those ignorant of letters cannot serve. The underworld has various deities, much like the mortal world has prefects and magistrates. Now those who pass and become officials no longer study; books are merely the stepping stones of their youth to gain rank, cast aside once the door is opened. If they then manage official documents for over a decade, even a former literary scholar will have little ink left in their breast! The reason in the mortal world the unlearned manage to advance by luck, while the talented fail to achieve their ambitions, is precisely the lack of this prior examination for officials." Tao Sheng deeply agreed and thereafter regarded him with even greater reverence.
One day, Scholar Yu returned from outside with a sorrowful countenance, sighing and saying, "I have been poor and lowly since birth, thinking that after death I could escape, but I never expected that my ill-fated fortune would follow me even into the underworld." Scholar Tao asked him what was the matter, and he replied, "The God of Literature, Wenchang, has been ordered to go to the kingdom of Duluo to enfeoff a king, so the examination by the curtain officials has been canceled. Thus, those wandering spirits who have drifted in the underworld for decades and those chaotic, unenlightened ghosts have come to preside over the imperial examinations—how can people like us have any hope of passing?" Scholar Tao asked, "Who are these ghosts and gods?" He answered, "Even if I told you, you would not know them. Let me just mention one or two, and you might understand: Music Master Shi Kuang and Treasury Minister He Qiao. I think my fate cannot be relied upon, nor can my essays be trusted; it is better to give up." Having said this, he grew dejected and began to pack his belongings to leave. Scholar Tao held him back and consoled him, and so he stayed.
On the evening of the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Ghost Festival, Scholar Yu said to Scholar Tao, "I am about to enter the examination hall. I must trouble you, at the first light of dawn, to take a lit incense stick to the eastern outskirts and call out three times, 'Away with evil!' and I shall come." Having spoken, he departed. Tao prepared wine and dishes to await him. As the eastern sky began to brighten, he reverently followed Yu's instructions. Shortly, Yu arrived together with a young man. When Tao asked his name, Yu said, "This is Fang Zijin, my good friend. We happened to meet in the examination hall just now. Hearing of your esteemed reputation, he was eager to pay you a visit." The three returned to the lodging together, lit incense and candles, and exchanged courtesies. The young man stood tall and graceful, with a humble and charming demeanor, and Tao took a great liking to him. He asked, "Zijin's fine work must have been most gratifying, I presume?" Yu replied, "How ridiculous to speak of it! There were seven questions in the hall, and he had already completed more than half. But upon carefully examining the names of the chief examiners, he immediately packed up his brush and ink and withdrew. Truly an extraordinary man!" Tao fanned the stove, served wine, and then inquired, "What were the questions in the examination hall? Did you succeed in driving away evil and achieve high rank?" Yu answered, "There was one essay on the classics and one on the commentaries, which everyone could handle. The policy question was: 'Since ancient times, the qi of treachery and evil has been abundant, and by now, the decay of social customs has reached such a state that the vile forms of wickedness are too numerous to name. Not only can the eighteen levels of hell not encompass all these categories, but they are also insufficient to contain them. What method can be devised to resolve this? Some say one or two more levels of hell could be added, but this would greatly violate the Heavenly Emperor's love for life. Should they be added or not, or is there another way to rectify the source and purify the root? Let all of you speak freely, holding nothing back.' Though my essay on this policy was not well written, I spoke my mind thoroughly. The memorial topic was: 'Propose an edict for the annihilation of heavenly demons, and the ministers shall be granted dragon horses and celestial robes according to their merits.' There were also the 'Poem Composed by Imperial Command at the Jasper Terrace' and the 'Ode to the Peach Blossoms of the Western Pond.' For these three, I considered myself unmatched in the hall." Having spoken, he clapped his hands in delight. Fang Zijin smiled and said, "At this moment, you may rejoice and boast of your superiority. But in a few hours, if you do not weep bitterly, then you will truly be a man."
When dawn broke, Student Fang prepared to take his leave and return home. Tao Sheng urged him to stay and lodge together, but he declined, only agreeing to return in the evening. Three days passed, and Fang unexpectedly did not come again. Tao Sheng sent Yu Sheng to seek him out, but Yu Sheng said, "There is no need to search. Zijin is a man of sincere character, not one to break his word." As the sun slanted westward, Fang indeed arrived, producing a booklet and handing it to Tao Sheng, saying, "My three-day delay was due to my earnest copying of over a hundred essays I had written in the past; I beg you to critique each one." Tao Sheng took it with great delight and began to read, praising each line as he went, and after glancing through one or two pieces, he stored it away in his book chest. The two talked freely until late into the night, and Fang stayed to share a bed with Yu Sheng. From then on, this became a regular occurrence; Fang came every night without fail, and Tao Sheng was never happy without Fang's company.
One evening, Scholar Fang rushed in anxiously and said to Scholar Tao, "The underworld has already posted the results, and Brother Yu has failed." Scholar Yu, who was lying in bed, sat up in shock upon hearing this and wept bitterly. The two of them tried their best to console him until he stopped crying. However, the three of them looked at each other in silence, deeply distressed. Fang said, "I just heard that the Grand Inspector Zhang Huanhou is coming; this might be a rumor spread by those who failed. If it is true, the outcome of this examination might still change." Yu's face lit up with joy. Tao asked what this meant, and Yu replied, "Huanhou, Zhang Yide, inspects the underworld once every thirty years and the mortal world once every thirty-five years; all injustices in both realms await this elder's resolution." Yu then rose and left with Fang. They returned two days later, and Fang joyfully said to Tao, "Won't you congratulate Brother Five? Huanhou arrived in the underworld the night before last, tore up the earthly list, leaving only a third of the names. He then reviewed the papers of the failed candidates and was so delighted with Brother Five's essay that he has recommended him as the Maritime Envoy of Jiaonan; a carriage will soon arrive." Tao was overjoyed and prepared a feast to celebrate. After several rounds of wine, Yu asked Tao, "Do you have any spare rooms in your house?" Tao asked, "Why do you ask?" Yu said, "Zijin is all alone with no home, and he cannot bear to forget his elder brother. I wish to borrow a room for him to stay, so that you two can rely on each other." Tao happily replied, "If so, I am deeply honored. Even if there is no extra room, sharing a bed with me would be no trouble. However, I have parents to inform first." Yu said, "I know your parents are kind and trustworthy. Your brother still has some time before the examination; if Zijin cannot wait, why not return home first?" Tao wanted to keep him as company, waiting until after the examination to return together.
The next day, as soon as darkness fell, a carriage and horses arrived at the gate to escort Scholar Yu to his post. Yu rose and clasped Scholar Tao's hand, saying, "From this moment we part. I have a word to say to you, but I fear it might dampen your ambition for advancement." Tao asked, "What word is that?" Yu replied, "Your fate is destined to be straitened, born in an unpropitious time. For this examination, there is but one chance in ten; in the next, Lord Huanhou will descend to the mortal realm, justice will begin to prevail, and your chances will rise to three in ten; only in the third examination will you have hope of success." Upon hearing this, Tao felt disinclined to take the examination. Yu said, "Do not be so; this is all Heaven's decree. Even if you know it is futile, the ordained hardships and tribulations must still be endured." Then he turned to Scholar Fang and said, "Do not linger; today's year, month, day, and hour are all auspicious. Use the carriage that came for me to send you back at once. I shall ride my horse to my post myself." Fang cheerfully bid them farewell. Tao's heart was in turmoil, and he knew not what to say; he could only shed tears as he saw them off. He watched as the carriages and horses went their separate ways, and in the blink of an eye, they had all scattered. Only then did he regret that Zijing had returned home without sending a letter to his parents, but by then it was already too late.
After completing the three examinations, feeling less than satisfied, Scholar Tao hastened home. Upon entering his house, he inquired about Zijing, but no one in the household knew of such a person. Tao then recounted the matter to his father. His father, overjoyed, exclaimed, "If that is the case, then the guest has already arrived long ago!" It turned out that Tao's father had been napping during the day and dreamed of a carriage with canopied attendants stopping at their gate. A handsome youth alighted from the carriage, entered the hall, and paid respects to Tao's father. Startled, Tao's father asked where he came from, and the youth replied, "My elder brother promised me the use of a room, but as he had to take the examinations, he could not return with me. I have come ahead." With that, he requested to go in and pay respects to Tao's mother. While Tao's father was still politely declining, an old maidservant entered and announced, "The mistress has given birth to a son." Tao's father awoke from his dream with a start, finding it exceedingly strange. Now, what Tao recounted matched the dream exactly, and they realized that the child was the reincarnation of Zijing. Both father and son were overjoyed and named the child Xiao Jin. When the child was first born, he was prone to crying at night, much to the distress of Tao's mother. Tao said, "If he truly is Zijing, then once I see him, his crying should cease." Local custom forbade newborns from seeing strangers, fearing they might be frightened, so Tao was not allowed to see the child. Unable to bear the child's incessant wailing, the mother finally allowed Tao to enter. Tao soothed the child, saying, "Zijing, do not cry like this! I have come!" The child, who had been crying bitterly, immediately stopped upon hearing Tao's voice and gazed intently at Tao, as if scrutinizing him carefully. Tao patted the child's head and then left. From that day onward, the child never cried again.
After several months, Tao Sheng no longer dared to see the child, for whenever the boy caught sight of him, he would insist on being lifted into his arms, and when Tao left, he would cry without cease. Tao grew exceedingly fond of him as well. At the age of four, Little Jin left his mother and slept with Tao Sheng; when Tao went out, the boy would feign sleep, waiting for his return. On the pillow and mat, Tao taught him to read the Book of Songs, and the child could babble along, reciting over forty lines in a single night. Tao used the essays left by Zijin to instruct him, and the boy loved them dearly, memorizing them after one reading, though he could not recall other texts tested. By eight or nine, he was already handsome and refined, the very image of Zijin. Tao Sheng twice took the provincial examinations but failed both times. In the year Dingyou, the examination cheating scandal was exposed, leading to the execution or exile of many examiners, thus purifying the path of civil service—this was the achievement of Marquis Zhang Yide of Huan. In the next examination, Tao placed as a secondary graduate and soon became a tribute scholar. By then, Tao had gradually lost his ambition for officialdom and retired to his home to teach his younger brother. He once remarked to others, "With such joy as this, I would not exchange it even for a post in the Hanlin Academy."
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: Whenever I visit the shrine of Lord Zhang, I behold his beard and brows, stern and brimming with vitality. Throughout his life, his thunderous commands and roaring charges, wherever his spear and steed swept through, brought immense satisfaction to all, often in ways beyond expectation. Because the general delighted in martial prowess, the world ranked him alongside the Han dynasty's Marquis Jiang of Zhou Bo and Guan Ying, yet little did they know that the Star of Literature, Wenchang, was so burdened with affairs that he had great need of Lord Zhang's services! Alas! Thirty-five years for one visitation—how tardy it came!
Commentary
The tales in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" that reflect on the imperial examinations each have their own emphasis. This particular story creates several characters with distinct personalities, such as the quiet and steady Yu Qu'e, the hearty and generous Tao Shengyu, and the gentle and modest Fang Zijin, depicting the deep friendship among them. It also comprehensively introduces the various subjects of the early Qing imperial examinations: calligraphy, classical commentary, policy questions, memorials, and imperial poetry, with rich content. However, the focus lies in the expression that the examiners themselves should be tested, as this is the key to fairness in the examinations: "This is the solemn intention of the Heavenly Emperor, where regardless of whether they are bird officials or turtle officials, all are examined. Those skilled in writing are appointed to the inner examination hall, while the unlearned are not allowed to participate. For the gods in the underworld are like the prefects and magistrates in the mortal world. Those who have achieved success, their eyes never seeing the ancient classics, merely used the examinations as a stepping stone in youth to snatch fame and rank. Once the door is opened, they discard it, and after handling official documents for a dozen years, even a literary scholar, is there still a single character left in their hearts? The reason why the mediocre and unworthy succeed in the mortal world while heroes fail to achieve their ambitions is precisely because this one examination is missing." "Wandering spirits and wasteful ghosts mingle among those judging literary merit—how can we have any hope!" At the same time, it advocates for increased fairness in the examination halls through patrols: "Lord Huan, with the style name Yide, patrols the underworld once every thirty years and the mortal world once every thirty-five years, so that all injustices between the two realms are resolved by this elder." This is likely the lesson Pu Songling learned from decades of failure in the imperial examinations. At the end of the story, Yu Qu'e tells Tao Shengyu, "Your fate is obstructed and difficult; you were born at the wrong time." When Tao Shengyu decides not to take the examinations again, Yu Qu'e advises, "Not so; these are all matters of destiny. Even if you know it is impossible, the hardships that are fated must still be endured to the end." This is a word of encouragement for the characters in the story, and also a word of self-encouragement for Pu Songling.