Original Text
There was a royal censor named Wang from Jiaozhou who was dispatched by imperial decree as an envoy to the Ryukyu Kingdom. As his ship sailed upon the sea, a colossal dragon suddenly dropped from the clouds, churning the waves several fathoms high. Half of its body floated on the water's surface, while the other half was submerged; it lifted its head and rested its chin upon the ship, its eyes half-closed, appearing utterly exhausted as if on the verge of death. The entire crew was seized with terror, ceasing their rowing and not daring to move a muscle. The boatman said, "This is a weary dragon that has been causing rain in the heavens." Censor Wang then hung the imperial edict upon the mast, lit incense, and prayed together with the crew. After a while, the dragon vanished without a trace. No sooner had the ship resumed its course than another dragon descended, exactly as before. This happened three or four times in a single day. The next day, the boatman instructed everyone to prepare ample white rice and warned, "We are not far from the Clear Water Pool. If you see anything, simply scatter the rice into the water, and above all, remain silent and do not make any noise." Shortly thereafter, the ship arrived at a place where the sea was so clear that the bottom was visible. Beneath the water, a multitude of dragons of every hue could be seen—some as thick as basins, others as thick as vats—all coiled up. Some were sinuous, their scales, manes, claws, and teeth clearly discernible. The crew was terrified out of their wits, holding their breath and closing their eyes, not daring to peek or even stir. Only the boatman grabbed handfuls of white rice and cast it into the water. After a long time, when the sea turned a deep black, someone finally dared to utter a sound. They asked the boatman why he scattered the rice, and he replied, "Dragons fear maggots, dreading that they might crawl into their scales. White rice resembles maggots, so when the dragons see it, they lie still, allowing the ship to pass unharmed."
Commentary
This piece can be read together with "Red Woolen Blanket" and "Anqi Island" from Volume Nine. "Red Woolen Blanket" reflects the mentality of people at that time who were closed off from the outside world; "Anqi Island" reflects the longing for "immortal mountains on the sea"; "The Weary Dragon" reflects concerns about the dangers of long-distance sea voyages. Whether it is about the "weary dragon that brings rain in the heavens" or the dragon in the deep dark waves that fears maggots, these are still ancient Chinese legends about dragons that have persisted for thousands of years. Taken together, we can see the knowledge structure and psychological attitudes of people in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties toward the external world, and even intellectuals as knowledgeable and active-minded as Pu Songling could not break free from the inertia of tradition.