Original Text
Gong Sheng was a native of Minzhou. Once, he traveled to Xi'an to take the imperial examinations. Resting briefly at an inn, he bought some wine and drank alone. A burly man entered, sat down, and began to converse with him. Gong Sheng raised his cup and invited the man to drink; the guest did not decline. He claimed his surname was Miao, and his speech was rough and unrestrained. Gong Sheng, thinking him no scholar, treated him with disdain. When the wine was finished, Gong Sheng did not order more. Miao Sheng said, "Drinking with a wretched pedant is enough to bore one to death!" With that, he rose, went to the counter, bought a large jar of wine, and returned. Gong Sheng declined to drink further, but Miao Sheng seized his arm and urged him on, causing Gong Sheng's arm to ache as if it might break. Forced to comply, he drank several more cups. Miao Sheng drank from a large soup bowl, laughing as he said, "I am not skilled at pressing guests to drink; whether you stay or leave, please do as you wish." Gong Sheng immediately packed his belongings and set out. After traveling a few li, his horse fell ill and collapsed on the road, leaving Gong Sheng to sit by the roadside, waiting. His luggage was heavy, and as he was at a loss, Miao Sheng arrived. Upon learning the situation, he unloaded the horse's burden, had Gong Sheng's servant carry it, then hoisted the horse by its belly onto his own shoulder and strode swiftly for over twenty li until he found an inn. There he set the horse down and led it to the trough. After a while, Gong Sheng and his servant finally caught up. Astonished, Gong Sheng regarded Miao Sheng as a god and treated him with great generosity, buying wine and food to share with him. Miao Sheng said, "My appetite is vast, and you cannot satisfy it; let us just drink together." After they emptied the jar, he rose and took his leave, saying, "You must tend to your horse, which will take time, and I cannot wait. Farewell." With that, he departed.
Later, after Gong Sheng had finished his examinations, three or four friends invited him to climb Mount Hua together. They spread out wine and dishes on the ground and were feasting and laughing merrily when suddenly Miao Sheng arrived. He was carrying a large wine goblet in his left hand and a pig's elbow in his right, which he threw onto the ground, saying, "I heard you gentlemen were ascending Mount Hua, so I have come to join your company." The others rose to greet him, then they all sat down together in a mixed order and drank freely with great joy. They proposed to compose linked verses, but Miao Sheng argued, "Drinking heartily is pleasure enough; why trouble your minds with such things?" The others paid him no heed and established the rule of the 'Golden Valley Penalty': if anyone failed to compose a verse, he would be fined three cups of wine. Miao Sheng said, "If the verses are poorly made, then military law shall be applied!" The others laughed and said, "Surely the offense does not warrant decapitation." Miao Sheng replied, "If not beheading, then even I, a mere warrior, can manage a couple of lines." The first in the seat, Jin Sheng, intoned, "From the sheer cliff's edge, the view leaves the sky empty." Miao Sheng immediately responded, "The spittoon is struck and broken, the sword's gleam turns red." The next in line pondered long without continuing, so Miao Sheng took the wine pot and poured himself a drink. After a while, the others took turns composing verses in sequence, but the lines grew increasingly vulgar. Miao Sheng said, "This is enough; if you spare me, let us stop!" The others ignored him. Unable to bear it any longer, Miao Sheng let out a long roar like a dragon, which echoed through the valley, then stood up, raised his head, and lowered his chest to perform a lion dance. The others' train of thought was disrupted, so they ceased composing and resumed passing cups and drinking. When they were half drunk, they began reciting their examination essays to one another, exchanging flattery. Miao Sheng did not wish to listen and pulled Gong Sheng into a finger-guessing game. They played several rounds, each winning and losing in turn, but the others' recitations and flattery continued unabated. Miao Sheng shouted harshly, "I have heard all your essays; such writings are fit only to be read to your wives in bed! To prattle on in public like this is truly detestable!" The others showed embarrassed expressions and grew even more disgusted with Miao Sheng's rudeness, so they recited even louder. Miao Sheng, in a great rage, crouched down and let out a mighty roar, then instantly transformed into a tiger, pounced on the group, and bit them to death before roaring off into the distance. Of the company, only Gong Sheng and Jin Sheng survived.
Scholar Jin passed the provincial examination that year. Three years later, when Jin again passed by Huayin, he suddenly saw Scholar Ji, who had been one of those devoured by a tiger on the mountain three years prior. Jin was greatly terrified and was about to spur his horse to flee, but Ji seized his horse's reins and would not let him go. Jin then dismounted and asked what he intended. Ji replied, "I am now a chang ghost serving a man named Miao, helping him devour people, and my duties are exceedingly arduous. I must cause another scholar to be killed before I can be replaced. In three days, a man wearing a scholar's robe and cap should be eaten by a tiger, but the place must be beneath Canglong Ridge for him to be my substitute. If you could on that day invite many scholars to come here, it would be a kindness to an old friend." Jin dared not argue and could only agree before taking his leave and departing. Returning to his lodging, he pondered the matter all night but could think of no good plan; he resolved to break his promise and suffer Ji's punishment. Just then, a cousin of his, Scholar Jiang, came to visit, and Jin recounted this strange affair to him. Jiang had some local renown, but Scholar You of the same county ranked above him in examinations, and Jiang harbored secret jealousy. Hearing Jin's tale, he conceived a scheme to harm You. He wrote a letter inviting You to join him on a mountain excursion, while he himself dressed in commoner's attire and went; You did not understand his intent. When they reached halfway up the mountain, Jiang prepared wine and dishes and treated You with great respect. Just then, the prefectural magistrate also ascended the ridge; his family had long been on friendly terms with Jiang's, and hearing that Jiang was below, he sent for him. Jiang dared not go in commoner's clothes, so he exchanged garments with You. Before they had finished changing, a tiger suddenly sprang forth and carried Jiang away.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: Those who are smug and self-satisfied delight in holding forth, grabbing others by the sleeve and forcing them to listen; the listeners yawn and stretch, wanting to sleep or flee, yet the speaker gesticulates wildly, utterly oblivious. A true friend should nudge him with an elbow or step on his foot, fearing that among the company there might be someone as impatient as Miao Sheng. Yet it was because of jealousy over exchanging clothes that one died, thus we know Miao Sheng was also without malice. So the one who stirs wrath and resentment may be Miao Sheng, or may not be Miao Sheng.
Commentary
This tale is composed of three short stories, using a tiger transformed into a scholar named Miao to mock and ridicule the absurd pretensions of certain false literati of the time, and can be read as a satirical sketch.
The first short tale satirizes Scholar Gong for his excessive self-regard and judging others by appearance. The second tale, the focal point of the entire piece, mocks false scholars who boast of elegance and flatter one another, provoking Miao Sheng to angrily declare, "Such writings are fit only to be read to one's wife by the bedside!" and ultimately transforming into a tiger that devours the assembled scholars. Why did the tiger spare Gong Sheng and Jin Sheng? Because Gong Sheng had offered a cup of wine in gratitude, and Jin Sheng had shared the bond of composing couplets, which also connects to the subsequent tale. The third tale exposes and condemns the inner ugliness of so-called scholars.