Original Text
A magistrate of Changshan County, surnamed Yang, was by nature exceptionally avaricious. In the year Yihai of the Kangxi reign, when war broke out on the western frontier, the imperial court requisitioned civilian mules and horses to transport grain. Seizing this opportunity to plunder wealth, Yang stripped the region of its livestock, leaving not a single beast behind. Zhou Village was a gathering place for merchants; on market days, countless traders' carts and horses converged there. Yang led his men to seize all the mules and horses, no fewer than several hundred head. Merchants from all directions had no recourse to appeal. At that time, various magistrates had come to the provincial capital on official business, and it happened that Magistrate Dong of Yidu, Magistrate Fan of Laiwu, and Magistrate Sun of Xincheng gathered at an inn. Two merchants from Shanxi came to them, weeping and lodging a complaint, stating that their four sturdy mules had all been taken. Far from home and having lost their mules, they could not return, and so begged the magistrates to intercede on their behalf. The three magistrates, sympathizing with their plight, agreed to their request. They then went together to see Yang, who laid out a feast to entertain them.
After drinking for a while, the guests explained their purpose, but Yang refused to listen. The others urged him more earnestly, and Yang raised his cup to hasten their drinking, disrupting their train of thought, saying, "I have a drinking game; whoever fails to match it must drink a penalty. The game requires naming one thing from heaven, one from earth, and an ancient person; then, on the left, one must ask what is held in hand, and on the right, what is spoken, and the answers must come swiftly with the questions." Yang began first, saying, "In heaven there is the moon's orb, on earth there is Mount Kunlun, and there is an ancient named Liu Bolun. The left asks, 'What do you hold in hand?' The answer: 'I hold a wine cup.' The right asks, 'What do you speak?' The answer: 'Matters beyond the wine cup need not be mentioned.'" Magistrate Fan said, "In heaven there is the Palace of Vast Cold, on earth there is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and there is an ancient named Jiang Taigong. He holds a fishing rod in hand, and speaks, 'The willing take the bait.'" Magistrate Sun said, "In heaven there is the Milky Way, on earth there is the Yellow River, and there is an ancient named Xiao He. He holds a volume of the Great Qing Code in hand, and speaks, 'Corrupt officials and venal clerks.'" Yang's face showed a look of shame; he pondered for a long time, then said, "I have another. In heaven there is the Spirit Mountain, on earth there is Mount Tai, and there is an ancient named Han Shan. He holds a broom in hand, and speaks, 'Let each sweep the snow from before his own door.'" The others looked at each other in dismay, with nothing to say in reply.
At this moment, a young man suddenly strode in with an air of arrogance, his garments splendid and immaculate, as he raised his hands in greeting to the assembled company. The county magistrates invited him to take a seat and poured him a large cup of wine. The young man said with a smile, "There is no hurry for the wine. Just now I overheard the drinking game you gentlemen were playing, and I wish to offer my own verse." The company urged him to speak. The young man declared, "In heaven there is the Jade Emperor, on earth there is the Emperor, and there was an ancient named Hongwu, the Zhu Emperor. In his hand he held a three-foot sword, and from his mouth came the words, 'Flay the skin of corrupt officials.'" The company burst into loud laughter. Yang, burning with shame and rage, cursed him, saying, "What insolent brat from nowhere dares to be so impertinent!" He then ordered his attendants to seize the young man. The young man leaped onto the table, transformed into an owl, burst through the curtain and flew out, alighting on a tree in the courtyard. There he turned his head back to look into the room and let out a laugh. Yang hurled something at him, but the owl flew away, laughing as it went.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: Among the magistrates tasked with requisitioning horses, seven out of ten had their courtyards filled with livestock, yet one who could amass hundreds and thousands, even starting a mule trade, was rarely seen—except for Magistrate Yang of Changshan. The enlightened emperor cherished the people's strength, paying fair prices for every item taken from them, but little did he know how deeply the poison of his underlings' orders could spread! Wherever the owl appears, people detest its laughter most, even children spurn it as an ill omen. Yet on this occasion, the owl's laughter was no different from the phoenix's song!
Commentary
It has been so since ancient times that corrupt officials exploit national crises to enrich themselves.
Pu Songling's commentary on events and his hatred for corrupt officials are expressed through the form of a drinking game. From a literary perspective, the narrative of the story may not be entirely successful, and structurally it lacks coherence. The first half is a direct description of current affairs, while the second half incorporates elements of the supernatural, lashing out at the shamelessness of Magistrate Yang of Changshan and conveying the author's indignation. At the end of the story, the owl "flies away with a laugh," and the tale abruptly concludes, seemingly without resolution, as if expressing the author's helpless, bitter smile.