Original Text
During the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, Sun Pingshi lost his father in childhood, and his mother began her widowhood at the age of nineteen. When Sun Pingshi passed the imperial examinations and became a jinshi, his mother had already passed away. He once said to others, "I must obtain an imperial edict of honor for my mother, so that she may be glorified in the underworld, thus not betraying the bitter solitude of her lifelong widowhood." But suddenly, he fell gravely ill with a violent disease. He was on good terms with the imperial physician, so he sent for him. No sooner had the messenger left than his condition worsened; with eyes wide open, he cried, "Living, I could not gain renown to bring glory to my kin; how, after death, can I face my old mother in the underworld!" With these words, he died, his eyes remaining unclosed.
Soon after, the imperial physician arrived. Hearing the weeping, he entered to offer condolences to the deceased. Seeing the corpse with its eyes wide open, he found it most peculiar. The family explained the reason. The physician said, "To obtain an imperial posthumous honor is not difficult. The Empress is about to give birth; if he can but live for another ten-odd days, the honor may be secured." With these words, he ordered moxa cones to be brought forthwith and applied them to eighteen acupoints on the corpse. As the moxa was nearly consumed, Sun, the Judge, on the bed began to groan. They hastily administered a potion, and lo, he revived. The physician admonished, "Remember this: on no account let him eat bear meat or tiger meat." The whole household heeded the warning, yet as these meats were uncommon, they paid it little mind. Three days later, Sun was restored to health and joined his colleagues in court to offer congratulations.
After six or seven days, the empress indeed gave birth to a crown prince, and the emperor summoned his ministers to a feast. During the banquet, a eunuch brought forth a plate of extraordinary fare, which was bestowed upon the civil and military officials; it consisted of white slices threaded with red, of a flavor incomparably delicious. Judge Sun partook of it, yet knew not what it was. The next day, he inquired among his colleagues, and one said, "It is bear's paw." Judge Sun's countenance changed dramatically with fright, and he immediately fell ill; upon returning home, he died.
Commentary
This is a tale of profound tragedy.
Sun Adjudicator was determined to win an imperial title of honor for his mother. Stricken with a sudden and severe illness, he lay at death's door, but a royal physician revived him through emergency treatment. Then a rare opportunity arose—the empress had given birth to a son, and officials' mothers would be granted titles of honor. However, he disobeyed the physician's orders and mistakenly consumed bear's paw, dying again shortly after his revival, thus losing the chance to secure the title for his mother. The author uses twelve words—"greatly startled, face drained of color, immediately fell ill, returned home and died"—to lament the filial son's misfortune, while also praising the royal physician's superb medical skill, drawing a contrast with tales like "The Mountain God" that condemn quacks for their fatal errors.