Original Text
In the final years of the Ming dynasty, a great plague swept through several prefectures north of Jinan, afflicting every household with illness. In Qidong there lived a farmer named Han Fang, who was by nature the most filial of sons. When both his parents fell sick, he prepared paper money and went to the temple of the immortal healer, Lord Gushi, to weep and pray. On his way home, still sobbing without cease, he suddenly encountered a man dressed in neat robes and cap, who asked him, "Why do you grieve so?" Han Fang told him the truth. The man said, "Lord Gushi is not here; what use is it to pray to him? I have a plan you might try." Overjoyed, Han Fang asked his name. The man replied, "I seek no reward from you, so why must I reveal my name and origin?" Han Fang earnestly begged him to come to his home. The man said, "No need. Just go back, place yellow paper on the bed, and shout sternly: 'Tomorrow I shall go to the Ghost Capital and lodge a complaint with the Emperor of Mount Tai!' Then the illness will be cured." Fearing the method might not work, Han Fang insisted he accompany him. The man said, "To tell you the truth, I am not human. The Circuit Envoy, seeing my honesty, appointed me as the local god of Nanshan. Because of your filial piety, I have imparted this method to you. At present, the Emperor of Mount Tai is selecting from among the wrongfully dead ghosts those who have done good deeds for the living, or who were upright and never caused mischief, to serve as city gods and local deities. Those now spreading the plague are all ghosts of people killed by Qing soldiers in the prefectural city, rushing to the Ghost Capital to submit their petitions and seek appointments. Along the way, they extort bribes to fund their journey. If they hear that someone plans to complain to the Emperor of Mount Tai, they will surely be frightened, and thus the illness will be cured." Han Fang, filled with awe, prostrated himself and kowtowed in gratitude. When he rose, the man had vanished without a trace. Returning home, Han Fang did as the local god had instructed, and both his parents recovered. He then spread the method to neighboring villages, and it never failed to work.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: Those who cause mischief and harm along the way, merely to reach the ghostly capital and prove they are not demons of deceit, how are they different from scholars who journey to the capital for examinations yet declare they seek not fame or fortune? Most matters under heaven are akin to this. I recall between the years of Jiaxu and Yihai, when officials compelled the people to donate grain, they memorialized the throne claiming the people were "joyful in their contributions." Thus, every prefecture and county fulfilled their quotas, not without much resort to punishment. At that time, seven counties north of Jinan suffered floods and famine, making the collection of these contributions especially difficult. Grand Historian Tang happened to visit Lijin and saw a dozen farmers imprisoned. He asked, "For what offense have you been taken?" The farmers replied, "The officials seized us and brought us to the city to demand payment of the 'joyful contributions.'" These farmers, not understanding the meaning of the two words "joyful contributions," mistook them for corvée labor or forced levies—is this not both lamentable and laughable?
Commentary
On the surface, this tale praises the filial piety of the farmer Han Fang, which moved heaven and earth and spared his parents from the plague, but in truth it reflects the widespread massacres inflicted by Qing soldiers in Shandong during the late Ming, while also exposing a social paradox—seeking upright men to serve as officials, only to produce the opposite effect on society. As the Historian of the Strange remarks: "To go forth spreading calamity along the way, yet hope not to be used for evil purposes, is no different from riding a horse to answer the call for 'those who seek no fame or office'! Most matters under heaven are like this."
Human society requires organization, organization requires governance, and governance requires officials. The selection and appointment of officials is a matter of great importance, yet it has also become a profound perplexity for human society, for throughout the ages, both in the East and the West, no perfect method has ever been devised. However, whenever officials are appointed from above rather than elected by the people, there are few among them who truly bear responsibility for the common folk. This truth has been proven by the history of all times and all lands.