Original Text
Chang Dayong was a native of Luoyang, and he cherished a passion for peonies that bordered on obsession. Hearing that the peonies of Caozhou were renowned throughout Qi and Lu, he yearned deeply to see them. Happening to have business in Caozhou, he took lodging in the garden of a local gentleman. It was only the second month, and the peonies had not yet bloomed; he could only wander through the garden, gazing at the tender buds on the branches, eagerly awaiting the unfolding of the blossoms. He composed a hundred quatrains titled "Yearning for Peonies." Soon, the flowers gradually began to show their buds, but his travel funds were nearly exhausted, so he pawned his spring garments, lingering on, unable to tear himself away.
One morning at dawn, Chang Dayong went to the flower garden and saw a young woman and an old woman there. Suspecting they were ladies from a wealthy family, he hastily turned and left. When he returned in the evening, he saw them again and slowly hid himself to one side. Peeking secretly, he saw the young woman dressed in splendid garments, of surpassing beauty. Dazed and bewildered, he suddenly thought: "This must surely be a fairy maiden; how could such a woman exist in the mortal world!" He quickly turned back to search for them, but as he rounded a rockery, he came face to face with the old woman. The young woman was sitting on a stone, and at the sight of him, she was greatly startled. The old woman shielded her with her body and scolded, "What does this mad scholar intend to do!" Chang Dayong knelt upright and said, "This lady must be a goddess!" The old woman rebuked him, "To utter such wild words, you deserve to be bound and sent to the authorities!" Chang Dayong was terrified. The young woman smiled faintly and said, "Let him go!" With that, she went around the rockery and departed. When Chang Dayong returned, he could barely walk, thinking that if she told her father or brothers, they would surely come to insult him. He lay alone in his empty study, regretting his rashness. Yet he secretly rejoiced that the young woman had not appeared angry; perhaps she would not take it to heart. Tormented by regret and fear, he fell ill overnight. By dawn, fortunately no one came to accuse him, and his heart gradually calmed. But recalling her voice and smile, his fear turned to longing. After three days, he grew so haggard he seemed near death. One night, with the lamp still burning and his servant fast asleep, the old woman entered, carrying a bowl. She approached and said, "My mistress Gejin has personally prepared a bowl of poison; drink it quickly!" Chang Dayong was greatly alarmed, but after a moment he said, "I have no enmity with your mistress; why would she grant me death? Since it is prepared by her own hand, better to drink this poison and die than to pine away with longing!" So saying, he tilted his head back and drank it all. The old woman smiled, took the bowl, and left. Chang Dayong felt the medicine's aroma was fragrant and cool, and it did not seem like poison. Soon he felt his chest and belly expand with ease, his head clear, and he fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, the sun was already high. He tried to sit up, and his illness seemed gone; his belief that the young woman was a fairy grew even stronger. With no chance to approach her, he could only, when alone, imagine her standing and sitting, and devoutly kneel and pray in silence.
One day, Chang Dayong was strolling in the garden when he suddenly encountered the young woman amidst the dense thicket, fortunately with no one else around. Overjoyed, he prostrated himself on the ground. Gejin approached and helped him up, and as he rose, Chang Dayong caught a strange, exquisite fragrance emanating from her. He immediately grasped her delicate white wrist, and upon touching her skin, felt it so soft and smooth that it seemed to melt his very bones. Just as he was about to speak, the old woman suddenly appeared. Gejin bade him hide behind a rock, then pointed southward and said, "Tonight, use the flower ladder to climb over the wall. The room with red windows on all four sides is where I dwell." With that, she hurried away. Chang Dayong lingered in a daze, his soul seemingly scattered, not knowing where to turn. That night, he brought the ladder and ascended the southern wall, only to find another ladder already placed on the other side. Overjoyed, he descended and indeed saw a room with red windows on all four sides. Hearing the sound of a chess game from within, he hesitated for a moment, dared not approach, and climbed back over the wall. After a short while, he crossed again, but the chess sounds continued unabated. He crept closer and saw Gejin seated opposite a lady in white, playing chess, with the old woman beside them and a maidservant in attendance. He returned once more to his side of the wall. After three such crossings, it was already the third watch. As Chang Dayong crouched on the ladder, he heard the old woman come out and say, "Who left this ladder here?" She then called the maidservant to help move it away. Chang Dayong climbed the wall, but without a ladder to descend, he had to return in dejection.
On the second night, Chang Dayong went again, and the ladder was already set up in advance. Fortunately, the surroundings were silent and deserted. He entered the room and saw Gejin sitting alone, looking as if lost in thought. As soon as she saw Chang Dayong, she started up in alarm, turned aside, and her face was full of shyness. Chang Dayong made a bow and said, "I thought my fortune was too shallow, and feared that an immortal and a mortal could not be destined for each other; I never imagined there would be such a night as this!" With these words, he affectionately moved to embrace her. He felt her waist slender, barely filling his grasp, and her breath was fragrant as orchid blossoms. Gejin pushed him away, saying, "Why are you so hasty!" Chang Dayong replied, "Good things are long in coming; delay might even stir the envy of ghosts." Before he finished speaking, they heard voices in the distance. Gejin said urgently, "Sister Yuban is coming! You must quickly hide under the bed." Chang Dayong hastily crawled under the bed. In a moment, a woman entered, laughing, and said, "You who lost the last battle, dare you fight another round with me? I have already brewed tea and specially came to invite you to enjoy a night of endless pleasure." Gejin declined, saying she was already weary. Yuban insisted she come, but Gejin sat firm and refused to move. Yuban said, "You are so reluctant to leave—could it be that you have hidden a man in your room?" She then forcibly dragged Gejin out the door. Chang Dayong crawled out from under the bed, filled with resentment, and searched Gejin's pillow and mat, hoping to find some token she had left behind. But there was no dressing case in the room; only at the head of the bed lay a crystal ruyi scepter, tied with a purple silk handkerchief, fragrant and clean, lovely to behold. He tucked the ruyi into his bosom and climbed back over the wall. Straightening his clothes, he still felt the lingering fragrance of Gejin's presence, and his heart grew even more infatuated. Yet, because of the fear from hiding under the bed, he also felt the dread of being reported to the authorities. After much deliberation, he dared not go again, but only treasured the ruyi, hoping that Gejin might come to seek it.
After a night had passed, Gejin indeed came, smiling as she said, "I always thought you were a gentleman, but it turns out you are a thief." Chang Dayong replied, "It is indeed so! The reason I occasionally played the thief was only in hopes that we might both find satisfaction." With that, he drew her into his embrace and untied the knot of her skirt. Her fair skin was instantly revealed, and a warm fragrance filled the air; as he held her close, he found that even her breath and perspiration were richly perfumed. Chang Dayong then said, "I had already guessed you were a celestial maiden, and now I know it is true. Fortunate am I to be favored by your mistaken affection—truly a bond of three lifetimes. I only fear that a fairy descending to the mortal world might end in nothing but sorrowful parting." Gejin smiled and replied, "Your worries are excessive. I am merely a human maiden whose soul has wandered away, stirred by passion by chance. This matter must be kept with utmost secrecy, for I fear there are those who would twist truth into falsehood, leaving you unable to sprout wings and flee, and me unable to ride the wind away. Then, separation through calamity would be far more bitter than a gentle parting." Chang Dayong promised her this, yet still suspected she was a fairy, so he pressed her repeatedly for her surname. Gejin said, "Since you take me for a fairy, why should an immortal need to reveal her name to others?" Chang Dayong then asked, "Who is that old woman?" Gejin replied, "She is Old Mulberry. I was raised under her care in my youth, so I do not treat her as a common maid." With that, she rose to leave, saying, "There are many eyes and ears in my quarters; I cannot stay long here. When I have leisure, I will come again." As they parted, she asked him for the ruyi, saying, "This is not my possession; it was left behind by Yuban." Chang Dayong asked, "Who is Yuban?" Gejin answered, "She is my cousin." Chang Dayong returned the ruyi to Gejin, and she departed.
After Ge Jin left, strange fragrances lingered on the pillows and bedding. From then on, she came every two or three nights. Chang Dayong was so infatuated with Ge Jin that he no longer thought of returning home, but his purse was completely empty, and he planned to sell his horse. When Ge Jin learned of this, she said to him, "For my sake, you have exhausted your funds and even pawned your clothes; I truly cannot bear it. Now you want to sell your horse—how will you journey back over a thousand li? I have some savings that can help cover your expenses." Chang Dayong declined, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness; even if I pressed my chest and swore by my own flesh, it would not suffice to repay your affection. If I were to greedily and basely waste your money, would I still be a man?" Ge Jin insisted, saying, "Consider it a loan from me." With that, she took his arm and led him to a mulberry tree, pointed at a stone, and said, "Move it aside!" Chang Dayong did as she instructed. Ge Jin then pulled a hairpin from her hair and stabbed the earth several dozen times, then said, "Dig up the soil!" Chang Dayong obeyed, and beneath the earth, the mouth of a jar appeared. Ge Jin reached in and took out over fifty taels of silver. Chang Dayong grabbed her arm to stop her from taking more, but Ge Jin ignored him and retrieved another dozen ingots. Chang Dayong forced her to put half back, then covered the earth again. One evening, Ge Jin said to Chang Dayong, "Lately, there has been some gossip; we cannot continue like this much longer, and we must plan ahead." Startled, Chang Dayong asked, "What should we do? I have always been a pedantic and cautious scholar, but because of you, I have lost my integrity like a widow, no longer able to control myself. I will follow your plan entirely, even if the blade and axe are at my throat, I have no time to care!" Ge Jin planned to flee together, telling Chang Dayong to go home first, and they agreed to meet in Luoyang. Chang Dayong packed his belongings and returned, intending to fetch Ge Jin after arriving home, but when he reached his door, Ge Jin's carriage happened to arrive at the same time. They entered the hall to pay respects to his family, and the neighbors, astonished that Chang Dayong had brought back a wife, all came to congratulate them, unaware that they had eloped. Chang Dayong was fearful, but Ge Jin remained calm and said to him, "Not only can they not trace us here from a thousand li away, but even if they did, I am the daughter of an official and noble family, just like how Zhuo Wangsun could do nothing about Sima Xiangru in the old days. You can rest assured."
Chang Dayong had a younger brother named Chang Daqi, who was just seventeen years old. Gejin, upon seeing him, said to Chang Dayong, "This is a man of innate wisdom; his future prospects will surpass even yours." As Daqi's wedding day approached, his betrothed suddenly died. Gejin said, "My cousin Yuban, whom you once glimpsed secretly, is not ill-favored in appearance and is of suitable age. The two of them as husband and wife would truly be a match made in heaven." Chang Dayong laughed at this and jokingly asked Gejin to act as matchmaker. Gejin replied, "If you truly wish to summon her, it is no difficult matter." Chang Dayong asked with delight, "What plan do you have?" Gejin said, "My sister is closest to me. Simply send a small carriage drawn by two horses, with an old woman to make the round trip, and it will be done." Chang Dayong feared that their elopement might be exposed and dared not agree to Gejin's scheme, but Gejin insisted, "It is of no consequence." So she prepared the carriage and sent Old Woman Sang on the errand. After several days, the carriage arrived at Caozhou. Old Woman Sang alighted at the village entrance, bade the driver wait by the roadside, and entered the garden under cover of night. After a long while, she emerged with a young woman, and they boarded the carriage to depart. They slept in the carriage through the night and resumed their journey at the fifth watch. Gejin, calculating the time, had Daqi don his ceremonial robes and go forth to welcome the bride. After traveling over fifty li, they met, and Daqi performed the rites of greeting. At home, drums and music blazed, candles shone brightly, and the bride and groom bowed to complete their union. From then on, both brothers of the Chang family had beautiful wives, and their household grew increasingly prosperous day by day.
One day, several dozen mounted bandits suddenly burst into the Chang residence. Chang Da’ning, realizing something was amiss, ordered the entire household to ascend to the upper floor. The bandits stormed into the courtyard and surrounded the building. Leaning down from above, Chang Da’ning asked, “Is there some enmity between us?” The bandits replied, “No enmity. We come only with two requests: first, we have heard that your two wives are beauties unmatched in the mortal world, and we beg to see them; second, we brothers number fifty-eight, and we ask that each be granted five hundred taels of silver.” The bandits piled firewood below the building and threatened to set it ablaze. Chang Da’ning agreed to their demand for money, but the bandits remained unsatisfied and still threatened to burn the house, throwing the family into great panic. Gejin and Yuban resolved to descend together, and though others tried to stop them, they would not listen. Adorned in rich makeup and fine attire, they walked down and stopped on the third step from the ground, saying to the bandits, “We sisters are both celestial maidens, temporarily descended to the mortal realm—how could we fear such bandits as you! We would gladly grant you ten thousand taels of silver, but I fear you would not dare to accept it.” The bandits all looked up, knelt in unison, and cried out, “We dare not!” Just as the sisters turned to go back, one bandit said, “This is a trick!” Hearing this, Gejin turned around and stood firm, saying, “What is it you wish to do? Think it over quickly, for it is not yet too late.” The bandits exchanged glances, silent and speechless, and the sisters calmly ascended the stairs and withdrew. The bandits gazed upward until they could no longer see them, then scattered and fled in confusion.
After two years, each of the sisters had given birth to a son, and only then did they gradually reveal: "Our surname is Wei, and our mother was titled Lady of the Cao State." Chang Dayong suspected that there was no prominent family named Wei in Caozhou, and moreover, if a great house had lost two daughters, how could they have made no inquiry? Though he dared not press the matter, he secretly found it strange. He then found an excuse to return to Caozhou, and while traveling throughout the region, he made inquiries, discovering that among the great families, none bore the surname Wei. So he once again lodged in the same garden where he had stayed before. Suddenly, he noticed a poem on the wall titled "To the Lady of the Cao State," whose content was somewhat peculiar, and he asked the host about it. The host smiled and invited him to see the Lady of the Cao State. When they arrived before it, it was a peony tree, as tall as the eaves. Chang Dayong asked about the origin of the name, and the host explained that because this peony ranked first in Caozhou, friends had playfully titled it the Lady of the Cao State. When Chang Dayong asked what variety it was, the host laughed and said, "This is called Gejin Purple." Chang Dayong was even more startled, and began to suspect that Gejin and her sister were flower spirits. Upon returning to Luoyang, he dared not confront them directly, but merely recounted the poem "To the Lady of the Cao State" to test their reactions. As soon as Gejin heard it, she frowned, her face changed color, and she quickly went out, calling Yuban to bring the sons before Chang Dayong. She said to him, "Three years ago, I was moved by your longing for me, so I revealed myself in human form and repaid you with my body. Now that you harbor suspicions, how can we continue to live together?" With these words, she and Yuban together lifted the children and cast them far away; as soon as the children hit the ground, they vanished. Chang Dayong turned in astonishment, but the two women had also disappeared without a trace. He was filled with regret, and after a few days, from the spot where the children had fallen, two peony sprouts emerged, growing to a foot in height overnight, and blooming that same year—one with purple flowers, the other with white, each blossom as large as a plate, with petals more numerous and intricate than those of ordinary Gejin or Yuban varieties. Over the years, the two peonies flourished into a thicket, but when transplanted elsewhere, they changed their form, and no one could name them. From then on, the peonies of Luoyang were renowned as the finest under heaven.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: Those who harbor a single-minded devotion can communicate with ghosts and spirits—thus, it cannot be said that Gejin was devoid of feeling. In days of old, when Bai Juyi languished in solitude, he even likened a flower to his lady; how much more so when the peony truly understood human intent and willingly became a wife—why must one exhaustively probe its origins? Alas, Chang Dayong failed to grasp this truth!
Commentary
"Ge Jin" is a beautiful fairy tale. It tells of the peony fairy Ge Jin, who, moved by Chang Dayong's deep passion for peonies, falls in love with him and becomes his wife. Ge Jin also introduces her younger sister Yu Ban to marry Dayong's younger brother Da Qi. However, when Chang Dayong eventually suspects their origins, Ge Jin and Yu Ban cast their sons back to him and drift away into the air.
As a story, "The Peony Fairy" is not particularly complex, yet the author crafts it with twists and turns; especially the union of Chang Dayong and Gejin, which rises and falls, winds and turns a thousand times, embodying a quality of "good things come to those who wait." The Qing dynasty critic Dan Minglun commented: "This piece purely employs a brush of misty flickering, sinuous and shifting. Not only does every stroke turn, but every sentence turns, and indeed every word turns." "The events are repeatedly strange and bizarre, while the prose is wildly erratic and deceptive." However, "The Peony Fairy" is not entirely a work of "purely misty flickering"; where the story's development demands straightforwardness, it is also clear and direct. The final tragedy of Gejin and Chang Dayong is unexpectedly decisive, achieving an artistic effect akin to "a single chord snapping like tearing silk."
This chapter extols the power of emotion, asserting that if one's feelings are focused with single-minded devotion, even ghosts and spirits can be moved. Since Ge Jin originally came out of love, when Chang Dayong grew suspicious of her, he shattered that devotion of "cherishing with constancy," and thus her casting away the child and departing becomes understandable. The author writes that the bandits' plunder could not take Ge Jin away, yet Chang Dayong's suspicions abruptly lost her, precisely to emphasize the importance of emotional constancy. The author criticizes Chang Dayong, deeming him "unperceptive." By "unperceptive," it refers not only to his timid and suspicious nature but also to his narrow-mindedness, his adherence to vulgar views, and his inability to truly devote himself to love.