The English translation is assisted by chatGPT. Please scroll down to the very end of this article to view the English version. 

上一卷请点击这个链接。

这一卷选出来的故事中有很多爱情题材。中唐时期经历了安禄山叛乱，唐朝的经济和社会状况不复盛况，处于下坡路上。传奇的着眼点从拥有一些稀罕宝物或者用情专一的美女，转移到了关注时代中的每个普通人身上。这些故事中也多少带有一些人力、神力都无法平息的遗憾。

中文版

凡间大神解力扣——评<编次郑钦悦辨大同古铭论>

这篇传奇情节十分简单，全篇讲述了一道题目描述模糊不清的高难度力扣题是如何被几代人孜孜不倦地解决的。如果是易经爱好者，或许会大呼过瘾。

故事开始于一片的倒塌墓穴。有个人恰好在废墟中找到了一块完整的碑，碑上有着神秘的铭文。此人把碑文内容记下来，并让子孙后代不断寻找碑文中的含义。最终经历了三代，被这个人的孙子找到了一位破解难题的关键人物。

孙子的官场同僚恰好是一位隐藏在世的易数大神。大神在得到问题的当天，就迫不及待地在马背上把这道力扣hard给撕了。回信说，碑文意思就是在xx年，xxx月，xxxx日后，这个墓穴会倒塌。这个日期恰好和祖先找到这块铭文的日期对应。

作者李吉甫于是感叹：啊，一切都是注定好的呀，几百年前造这块碑文的这个人就是个大神，他能精准地算出几百年后的某天，这个墓就被大雨给冲塌了。大雨是多么随机的一件事情，这都被算到了，人的命运就更不用说了。他又问道：既然命运都是注定的，那为什么过去的先圣：如孔子墨子等，知道了自己的命运走向，都还那么努力地奔波生活呢？这倒是个好问题。

我想，来世间一遭需要各种机缘巧合，终究不是件容易的事情。就算知道生命的结果导向何方，那沉浸式地体验一下过程仍然值得。也有可能命运就是会给人一种只要你十分努力，就可以不被其牵绊的错觉。

另外这篇给我印象最深的就是这些古时候的文人，算起十二生肖、六十甲子来速度真是超快，可以直接脑算，仿佛美国人换算米和英尺一样。当然美国人算英尺这种无用的技能我感觉实在没什么必要，希望有生之年能看到这个计量单位被取消。

乱世情侣，仿若柳絮般被折——评<柳氏传>

一开始读来我盲猜是破镜重圆的原故事？结果猜错。直到看到这句诗，我才意识到我可能听说过这个故事：

章台柳，章台柳，昔日青青今在否？纵使长条似旧垂，亦应攀折他人手。

杨柳枝，芳菲节，所恨年年赠离别。一叶随风忽报秋，纵使君来岂堪折！

如果说上一卷的传奇里，但凡才子中了科举便可以从此飞黄腾达，美人坐怀，那么在这篇传奇里，这条定律并不存在：

故事发生于天宝末年，安禄山作乱期间，社会动荡。惊天美女柳氏被大金主李生所包养。她不畏惧贫寒，愿意为了主人公韩翊的才华而离开大金主家，下嫁给他，为他既当老婆又当妈，操持一切生活起居。韩翊特别争气，第二年就在科举中被选拔为上等。然而社会经济糟糕，韩翊在京城似乎没有谋求到什么职位，所以在家闲住了一年。最后只能离开家、离开妻子柳氏，到处靠运气谋求一个小小官职。在丈夫离家期间，没有经济来源的柳氏还需要变卖些嫁妆养活自己。安禄山入京作乱以后，韩翊和柳氏彻底失去了联系。“一个人的命运啊，当然要靠自我奋斗，但是也要考虑到历史的进程。”这对的经历真是令人唏嘘。

韩翊也算是特别窝囊了，后来终于回到京城当个小官，结果此时柳氏已经被皇帝跟前的红人沙吒利将领抢走。论财、论权，韩翊都沙吒利对无计可施，因此两人只能诀别了。想到这辈子和美女再无缘分，韩翊一个人在宴会上哭唧唧。终于席上有个同僚许俊看不下去了，帮他把老婆抢了回来。抢人这段写得挺精彩的：许俊有勇有谋，避免了一场恶战。但最后许俊和韩翊这两个人，明明没做错什么事，却还要小心翼翼地求二人的小老板——侯希逸，同大老板——皇帝求情。

皇帝还算明理，虽然把柳氏判回给了韩翊，但也自掏腰包赔了抢人的沙扎里二百万钱。我看到这里还觉得挺叹息的，说到底会读书的科举才子，生不逢时的话也只能唯唯诺诺地度日罢了，连自己的妻子都保护不了。而柳氏就更身不由己了。她能正视自己的感情，并且她还十分机智，懂得通过给自己剪头发来隐藏美貌等等手段，从而保护自己，但这样心智双全的她最终仍然无法决定自己被谁所拥有，她永远是有权力的男性的附属品和所有物。美貌让她赢得了自己中意的对象韩翊的心，但也引来了一大堆的祸事。

这篇传奇和之前的狐妖、古镜等唐朝的传奇的氛围差异很大。虽然这个故事是虚构的，但社会背景是真实的，人物也都仿佛是当时存在的，他们的经历也十分合理。这篇传奇所描述的当时社会中人物们的凄苦命运，简直是现在的纪实文学的蓝本了。

普通书生凭魅力位列仙班——评<柳毅传>

这篇传奇真精彩！有好几处情节转折我竟然都猜错了。

文中出现了一个新的种族：龙族。龙族属于神仙类别，寿命有一万年，住的地方珍宝遍地，职责也由天上的皇帝直接管辖。然而作者对龙族的态度蛮奇怪的，最后他做点评时，用了五虫的概念，其中人是五虫之长，龙排在后面，认为也是他们学了人类才学会了守信义。说明在古代，龙这个种族的地位低于人类咯？就和《迷宫饭》的世界观一样：毕竟是魔物？

但是所有的龙都位列神仙级别，而人只是凡人罢了。感觉这篇传奇的架构里面，除了五虫这种排列之外，还有着神界和人间的排列。其中不只有人类可以当神，五虫的任意动物类都可以变成神嘛。也就是说，神界不止会雇佣人族，还会雇佣各种动物——根据他们的天性来安排职责，是率先实现全面diversity hire的高级社会。

龙不是整天闲着没事干可以享受的，龙王属于公职，需要负责该地区的水文气象，比如降雨、大水，灌溉一类，以此保证该地区的生灵可以生存。从组织架构上来说，龙王这个director级别下面就是level 0 – individual contributor了，中间可以有manager也可以没有。而龙王的家眷可以每天开趴体享受，只靠龙王一条也可以养活一族！这里突然觉得龙王仿佛是当代从事码农的幸运打工人。

但是这个故事的主人公之一，洞庭龙王的小女儿还是得被包办婚姻：一条湖南雌龙被远嫁到陕西去给泾江雄龙当儿媳妇了。结果小女儿被婆家虐待，不能天天幸福趴体，竟然被安排在泾王宫做level 0 – 负责每天露天喂养羊群（负责下雨的雨工）。主人公柳毅，上京赶考失败的一届普通人，回乡路上正巧碰到了独自在放羊且哭唧唧的洞庭千金，于是开启了人与龙族的一段缘分。

故事中，龙的形象里面主要有洞庭龙王和钱塘龙王。洞庭龙王就像洞庭湖一样，大而平静。钱塘龙王，顾名思义就像钱塘江一样，汹涌澎湃，毕竟钱塘江观潮每年都会杀死许多人。钱塘龙王的形象写得特别的栩栩如生：“俄有赤龙长千余尺，电目血舌，朱鳞火鬣，项掣金锁，锁牵玉柱。千雷万霆，激绕其身，霰雪雨雹，一时皆下。乃擘青天而飞去。毅恐蹶仆地。” 钱塘龙王之前就因为和天将打架，淹没了五座大山而被关在洞庭湖反省。听说了侄女被欺负的消息以后更是怒不可遏，当即就雷霆绕身、撒雪撒冰，气势汹汹地飞行十万八千里去接回侄女。可见钱塘龙王十分性情中龙呢。

他把侄女接回来之后和洞庭龙王之间的对话更有意思了，“君曰：“所杀几何？”曰：“六十万。”“伤稼乎？”曰：“八百里。”神仙随便打一架，就伤到了几十万的无辜生灵，并让几百万庄稼颗粒无收。两条龙面对事件不同的反应，将一个富有同理心的洞庭君，和一个鲁莽但有点正义气息的钱塘君描绘得性格鲜明。另外，作者没有只聚焦在强者身上，能略微提到普通人的视角也是挺难得的，同情了故事中无辜的芸芸众生。

这个故事还有一个我没猜到的地方：柳毅和龙王的女儿其实也看对眼了，但二者一开始并没有在一起。柳毅有点不想给人落下这个间接整死人家夫君、夺人家妻子的口舌。但是说媒的钱塘君太糙，不会沟通，导致柳毅感觉被冒犯，顺带借坡下驴而拒绝了婚事。孔孟道德观真是压抑人。

后来兜兜转转好久，最终是靠龙王女儿化身为人的身份，龙女坚持不懈地努力绕开孔孟之道的规则，才在一起。因为俩人并没有明确互相表白过，龙王女儿甚至最后为他生了一个孩子才敢将自己的身份和盘托出。意思如果柳毅看不上她的话，看在孩子份上还不至于分了。真是卑微极了……封建时期的爱情和婚姻，真是分得清清楚楚。婚姻只是男的寂寞了想娶个女人在家操持，或者是用来扩大自己家族的经济和政治力量。结婚不代表有爱情。而唐传奇中，男女之间的爱情很多时候都存在于二者的婚姻之外。

这么说来，中唐时期的感情观还蛮……前卫的？大家默认都是多边关系，不是有了爱就会结婚，也不是结婚了就代表着相爱。中唐时期似乎男性都是先有婚姻，保证小家庭的生存和基本生理需求，再寻找感情来保证男女（主要是男）形而上的需求。

最后还有一点后续，柳毅得到了龙女分享的万年寿命去洞庭当神仙享福了（洞庭君家多添一双筷子而已啦），碰到老到快死的去地方做公务员的弟弟，还跟他说：无久居人世以自苦也。可见中唐时期社会经济堕落了，就算后来有钱如柳毅、有铁饭碗如柳毅的弟弟，在人间生活也没那么好了，不如避世成仙。

但是要知道好多人修一辈子的道也不一定成仙呢。但柳毅一个践行孔孟之道的俗人，没有任何道家素养，只是娶了神仙就自动变成神仙了，还能带弟弟长生，感觉和各国通过婚姻移民最快捷的逻辑一样。

人与仙，欲和情——评<李章武传>

这篇文章开头就提到了李章武长得还不错，这点还挺少见的。一般来说，这些传奇开头提到男性是书生，是去哪里做官的就已经可以默认为会受到女性青睐了。但中唐时期，这些官职看来也都通货膨胀了，就像任何人在LinkedIn上都是lead engineer和lead designer一样……所谓的读书人中的士大夫多了去了，没点别的优点也是不值得获得艳遇的。

这个故事里，男的李章武看重二人像鸳鸯一样肉体交欢，女的王氏看重二人像白玉指环一样感情和谐，两个人在亲密关系中鸡同鸭讲。最关键的是，因为要肉体的人恰好是封建社会的高知识男子，要感情的人恰好是封建社会的普通美女，所以女性很卑微，将姿态放得特别低，甚至觉得在肉体之外，得到了对方一点点的记忆和关注就开心得不得了了。比如李和她最后云雨一夜离开时，作了一首诗怀念这件事情，王氏就十分感动，冒着被阴间责罚的危险也要来人间再告别一次。虽然才华不会通过肢体接触来传播，但有才华的男子可以吸引美女的芳心由来已久？进一步联想，如果李章武彻底忘记王氏了，就变成了唐代时期的《一个陌生女人的来信》了。

而且我总觉得李章武更喜欢王氏送给他的仙界的宝物，而并没有那么喜欢王氏。他费尽心机地找高级玉工来雕刻一块没什么用的宝物，可以天天佩戴。然而他和王氏认识七八年了，最后人都相思病死了都没有寄过一封信，也没再去看望过……

这篇文章据说还是一个唐朝传奇中”仙妓合流”的一种写法：即妓女的仙化与仙女的妓化。作者将与李私通（妓）的王氏死后升天写成了仙，将这种王对李的思念突破了时间长河的限制。古时候的文人总是将女性在男女感情中的地位写得十分卑微，而男子即使将女子忘在脑后，也总是享受着女子的崇拜和爱慕的。看来父权制下的后宫文学也是由来已久了……中期唐朝的文化繁荣思想境界变高，但对于平等的想象还是贫瘠的。

好期待看到一篇潇洒女子能把各种美男子拿捏在手里的啊，不知道之后会不会有呢？

回避型人格的噩梦——评<霍小玉传>

这又是一个痴情女子的故事，讲述了文人李益和长安名妓霍小玉间的一段情感纠葛，也是一篇有名到被汤显祖改编成戏曲的传奇。

文人李益长得不怎么样，但是因为文采很好所以自视甚高，在自己于长安等待考试期间千方百计要托人找到绝世美女的陪伴。此时就找到了霍小玉。她以前还是名门之女备受宠爱，但因为母亲身份低微，导致父亲死后被亲人们赶出王府，沦落为妓。恋爱期间，李益为霍小玉写了许多表达自己忠贞的爱情宣言，并且发了很多誓，闹得长安沸沸扬扬人尽皆知。但他考取官职之后，就被母亲许了门当户对的婚姻，默默将霍小玉抛弃了。

李益最可恨的部分或许在于他是爱情中的表达无能——回避型人格。一旦遇到可能要冒犯对方的情况，他就选择使用冷暴力——消失和装死，希望霍小玉学会读心术，远程读懂他想分手的心意，并放过他。这一系列操作活生生把本来心智健康的霍小玉逼成严重焦虑型人格。霍小玉花尽了自己当王府千金的积蓄打探情郎的消息，连米都要吃不上了；后来知道了对方在同一个城市，也无法让李益来见面，可谓是吃尽这种回避型的苦，病得奄奄一息。好在后来出现了一位黄衫客，把负心汉连骗带抢带到了临死的霍小玉面前，让两人相见了。

这位霍小玉可没有之前<李章武传>中的王氏那么卑微，她爱得坦荡，恨得也决绝，当场把李益诅咒一番，气绝而亡。此后这位回避型李益的恋爱或是婚姻都十分不顺利，一辈子活在对亲密关系对象们的猜忌和暴躁之中，永远失去亲密关系里的安全感。总结一下就是只剩欲望，不能再爱人了。

这篇故事或许是回避型人格的噩梦了。在亲密关系里要学会用嘴说话，嘴不只是一个欲望的器官，它还具有说话沟通的功能，实在说不出那发出点声音也可以。不会努力沟通的人就不会获得幸福吧。

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English Version – Love in Turbulent Times: A Critique of the “Anthology of Tang and Song Tales” – Volume Two

For the previous volume, please click on this link.

In this selected volume, many stories revolve around the theme of love. During the middle Tang Dynasty, China endured the An Lushan Rebellion, plunging the Tang Dynasty into economic and social decline. Legendaries shifted focus from possessing rare treasures or virtuous beauties to highlighting the lives of ordinary people during this era. These stories also bear traces of inevitable regrets that no one could soothe.

Solve A LeetCode Hard Problem – A Review of “Zheng Qinyue Deciphers an Ancient Inscription of the Datong Reign Period”

This legendary plot is quite simple, describing how a difficult LeetCode problem with vague descriptions was solved by several generations. If you’re a fan of the I Ching, you might find it particularly satisfying.

The story begins with the collapse of a tomb. A person happened to find a intact stone tablet in the ruins, inscribed with mysterious text. This individual recorded the content of the inscription and tasked his descendants with deciphering its meaning. Eventually, after three generations, the key figure to solve the puzzle was found by the grandson of the original person.

The grandson’s colleague in the government happened to be a hidden master of I Ching. On the very day he received the problem, the colleague promptly solved this LeetCode hard question while riding on horseback. His response stated that the inscription meant that on a specific date in the future, the tomb would collapse. This date happened to coincide with the day the ancestor found the tablet.

The author, Li Jifu, then exclaimed, “Ah, everything is predetermined! The person who inscribed this tablet hundreds of years ago was indeed a divine figure, able to accurately predict the day when the tomb would collapse due to heavy rain. Rain is such a random occurrence, yet it was foreseen. If such events are calculated, then surely one’s destiny is also predetermined.” He further questioned, “Since destiny is predetermined, why did past sages like Confucius and Mozi, upon knowing their fate, still strive so hard in life?” That’s an interesting question indeed.

I believe that living is not an easy task. Even if you know the outcome of your life, immersing yourself in the process is still worthwhile. It’s also possible that destiny gives people the illusion that if they work hard enough, they won’t be hindered by it.

Moreover, what struck me most in this piece is the remarkable speed at which these ancient literati could calculate the Chinese zodiac and the sixty stem-branches. They could do it mentally, almost like Americans converting between meters and feet. Of course, I feel that the skill of Americans to calculate feet is rather useless, and I hope to see this unit of measurement abolished in my lifetime.

Love in Turbulent Times: Like Willow Catkins, Bent and Broken – A Review of “The Tale of Miss Liu”

At first glance, I thought it might be a story of rekindled romance. I was wrong. It wasn’t until I came across this poem that I realized I might have heard of this story before:

“Zhangtai willow, Zhangtai willow, once green, now faded? Even if the long branches seem to hang as they did in the past, they should still be plucked by someone else’s hand.”

“Willow branches, fragrant blossoms, regretting the partings given year after year. A leaf carried away by the wind heralds the sudden arrival of autumn, even if you return, can you bear the separation?”

If the previous volume of legends suggested that any talented scholar who passed the imperial examination could rise to prominence, with beautiful women falling into their laps, then in this tale, such a law does not exist:

The story unfolds in the late Tianbao era, during the An Lushan Rebellion, a time of social unrest. The stunning beauty Liu Shi is kept by a wealthy man named Li Sheng. Unafraid of poverty, she is willing to leave Li Sheng’s home for the sake of the protagonist Han Yi’s talent, marrying him and managing all aspects of their lives. Han Yi is particularly promising and is selected as a top scholar in the imperial examination the following year. However, due to the poor state of the economy, Han Yi seems unable to secure any position in the capital, so he remains idle at home for a year. Eventually, he has to leave home and his wife Liu Shi to seek a minor official position through luck. During Han Yi’s absence, Liu Shi, without a source of income, has to sell off some of her dowry to support herself. After An Lushan’s rebellion reaches the capital, Han Yi and Liu Shi lose contact completely. “A person’s fate, of course, depends on one’s own efforts, but also must consider the course of history.” Their experience is truly lamentable.

Han Yi is also quite pathetic. Eventually, he returns to the capital and becomes a minor official, but by then, Liu Shi has been snatched away by General Shazha, a favorite of the emperor. In terms of wealth and power, Han Yi is powerless against General Shazha, so the two can only part ways. The scene where Han Yi cries alone at a banquet, realizing that he has lost his chance with the beauty forever, is quite poignant. Finally, a colleague at the banquet, Xu Jun, takes pity on him and helps him win back his wife. The scene where they “snatch” Liu Shi back is quite thrilling: Xu Jun is brave and resourceful, avoiding a violent conflict. But in the end, both Xu Jun and Han Yi, who did nothing wrong, still have to cautiously seek the favor of their boss – the minor official Hou Xiyi, and the big boss – the emperor.

The emperor, though reasonable, decides to return Liu Shi to Han Yi, but also compensates General Shazha with two million dollars for “snatching” her. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but sigh. Even if you’re a scholar who passes the imperial examination, if you’re born at the wrong time, you can only live meekly, unable to protect even your own wife. And Liu Shi is even more helpless. Despite her ability to face her emotions head-on, and her cleverness in disguising her beauty through tactics like cutting her hair, she ultimately cannot decide who owns her, forever being the appendage and possession of powerful men. Her beauty wins her the heart of her beloved Han Yi, but also brings a host of troubles.

This legend is quite different from previous Tang Dynasty legends like “The Fox Demon” and “The Record of The Old Mirror”. Although this story is fictional, the social background is real, and the characters seem as if they existed at the time, with their experiences being quite reasonable. The woeful fate of the characters in this legend mirrors the blueprint of modern realistic literature.

Ordinary Scholar Rises to Heavenly Palace – A Review of “Tale of the Transcendent Marriage of T’ung-ting Lake”

This legend is truly captivating! There were several plot twists that caught me off guard.

The story introduces a new race: the Dragon Clan. The dragons belong to the divine category, with a lifespan of ten thousand years, living in places filled with treasures, and their responsibilities are directly governed by the Emperor of Heaven. However, the author’s attitude towards the Dragon Clan is quite peculiar. In his commentary, he uses the concept of “Five Vermin,” with humans being the foremost, and places dragons at the bottom, suggesting that they learned integrity from humans. Does this indicate that in ancient times, the status of the Dragon Clan was lower than that of humans? It’s akin to the worldview in “Delicious in Dungeon”: after all, they are monsters?

However, all dragons are classified as celestial beings, while humans are merely mortals. It seems that within the framework of this legend, apart from the hierarchy of the “Five Vermin,” there is also a hierarchy between the divine realm and the mortal world. Not only humans can become gods, but any animal from the “Five Vermin” can also become a deity. In other words, the divine realm not only hires humans but also various animals. It had achieved equality by diversity hiring.

Dragons are not creatures enjoying leisure all day; Dragon Kings hold public office and are responsible for the hydrology and meteorology of their respective regions, such as rainfall, floods, and irrigation, to ensure the survival of the beings in their area. From an organizational perspective, the Dragon King, as a director-level position, directly managed individual contributors who are level 0. Meanwhile, the Dragon King’s family can indulge in parties every day, and a single Dragon King can support an entire clan! Suddenly, the Dragon King seems like a fortunate laborer in modern tech, single-handedly supporting a family.

However, one of the protagonists in this story, the youngest daughter of the T’ung-ting Dragon King, still ends up in an arranged marriage: a female dragon from Hunan is married off to Shanxi to become the daughter-in-law of the Jingjiang Dragon King. As a result, the young daughter suffers abuse from her in-laws and cannot enjoy daily festivities. Instead, she is assigned to work at the Jing Palace as an individual contributor, responsible for feeding the flocks (responsible for rainfall). The other protagonist, Liu Yi, a failed scholar returning home from the imperial capital, coincidentally encounters the weeping T’ung-ting heiress who is feeding sheep (a creature to work on rains) alone, thus beginning a fateful encounter between humans and dragons.

In the story, the main dragon characters are the T’ung-ting Dragon King and the Qiantang Dragon King. The T’ung-ting Dragon King is depicted much like T’ung-ting Lake—large and tranquil. The Qiantang Dragon King, as the name suggests, resembles the Qiantang River—rushing and surging, given the river’s yearly tidal bore claims many lives. The portrayal of the Qiantang Dragon King is vivid and lifelike: “Suddenly, there appeared a red dragon over a thousand feet long, with lightning eyes and a blood-red tongue, vermilion scales, and fiery mane, with a golden lock around its neck, tied to a jade pillar. Thunder and lightning surrounded its body, and hail and snow fell all at once. Then, it split the blue sky and flew away. Yi feared that he might collapse.” Beforehand, the Qiantang Dragon King fought with a heavenly general, causing the flooding of five large mountains and resulting in his imprisonment for reflection in T’ung-ting Lake. Upon hearing the news of his niece’s being mistreated, he flew tens of thousands of miles in a fit of rage, surrounded by thunder and snow, to retrieve her. This demonstrates the fiery temperament of the Qiantang Dragon King.

The dialogue between the T’ung-ting Dragon King and the Qiantang Dragon King after the niece’s rescue is also interesting. “The king said, ‘How many have you killed?’ ‘Six hundred thousand,’ was the reply. ‘How much farmland have you damaged?’ ‘Eight hundred miles.’ Divine beings fighting casually resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent beings and the destruction of millions of acres of crops. The differing reactions of the two dragons depict T’ung-ting’s sympathetic character and Qiantang’s reckless but somewhat righteous demeanor vividly. Moreover, the author’s ability to briefly mention the perspective of ordinary people is quite commendable, sympathizing with the innocent lives affected by the events.

Another unexpected aspect of this story is the mutual affection between Liu Yi and the Dragon King’s daughter, although they did not initially come together. Liu Yi was hesitant to indirectly harm the husband and wife, but the matchmaker, the Qiantang Dragon King, was tactless in his approach, leading Liu Yi to feel offended and ultimately refuse the marriage. The Confucian moral is truly oppressive.

After many twists and turns, it was ultimately through the Dragon King’s daughter’s transformation into a human that they managed to be together. Despite the lack of explicit expressions of love between them, the Dragon King’s daughter even gave birth to a child before revealing her true identity. She thought if Liu Yi didn’t fancy her, at least there was the child to consider. The feudal era’s views on love and marriage were crystal clear. Marriage was merely for a man to alleviate loneliness or to expand his family’s economic and political power. Marriage didn’t equate to love. In mid Tang Dynasty legends, love between men and women often existed outside of marriage.

So, it seems like the emotional views of the mid-Tang Dynasty were quite… progressive? It was assumed that everyone engaged in multiple relationships, and having love didn’t necessarily lead to marriage, nor did marriage always indicate love. In the mid-Tang Dynasty, it appears that men sought marriage first to ensure the survival of the nuclear family and fulfill basic physiological needs, and then sought love to fulfill their metaphysical desires.

As for the aftermath, Liu Yi received the Dragon Princess’s gift of a thousand-year lifespan and lived as an immortal in T’ung-ting (it’s just a slight increase in household size for the T’ung-ting Dragon King), encountering his brother, who was getting old and dying while working as a civil servant in another place, and telling him, “It’s not good to stay in the human world for too long and suffer.” This shows that the socio-economic situation declined in the mid-Tang Dynasty. Even if someone like Liu Yi, or his brother with a stable job, had money, life on Earth wasn’t as good as before, so it was better to avoid the world and become an immortal.

However, it’s worth noting that many people spend their whole lives practicing Tao but still don’t become immortals. Yet Liu Yi, an ordinary person who followed the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, had no Taoist background whatsoever. Just by marrying a goddess, he automatically became an immortal and even extended his brother’s lifespan. It feels like the same logic used in various countries for expedited immigration through marriage.

Human and Celestial, Desires and Emotions – A Review of “A Review of “The Tale of Li Zhangwu”

In “The Tale of Li Zhangwu,” it’s mentioned right at the beginning that Li Zhangwu is quite good-looking, which is quite rare. Generally, in these legends, if a male character is described as a scholar or going to become an official, it’s already assumed that he will be favored by women. But during the mid-Tang Dynasty, these official positions seemed to have inflated, just like how everyone on LinkedIn is a “lead engineer” or “lead designer”… There were too many literati and officials, and without any other outstanding qualities, they weren’t worth the attention of women.

In this story, Li Zhangwu, the man, valued physical intimacy, while Wang, the woman, valued emotional harmony. The two had completely different priorities in their intimate relationship. What’s crucial here is that the one seeking physical intimacy happens to be an intellectual elite in feudal society, while the one seeking emotional connection happens to be an ordinary beauty in feudal society. Consequently, the female character is very humble, lowering her posture significantly. She even feels extremely happy to receive a bit of attention and memory from the other party beyond physical intimacy. For example, when Li and she parted after a night of passion, he composed a poem to remember the occasion, which deeply moved Wang, prompting her to take the risk of returning to the mortal world once again for a farewell. Although talent doesn’t spread through physical contact, the idea that talented men can attract the hearts of beautiful women has long been ingrained. Further speculation suggests that if Li Zhangwu had completely forgotten about Wang, it would have turned into something like “Letter from an Unknown Woman” in the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, I always felt that Li Zhangwu liked the treasures from the fairy realm that Wang gave him more than he liked Wang herself. He went to great lengths to find a skilled jade craftsman to carve a rather useless treasure that he could wear every day. However, after knowing Wang for seven or eight years, they both died of lovesickness without exchanging a single letter or meeting again…

This article is said to be a type of “merging of the fairy and the courtesan” in Tang Dynasty legends: the courtesan’s transcendence into a fairy and the fairy’s debasement into a courtesan. The author portrayed Wang, who had an affair with Li (the courtesan), as ascending to heaven after death, transforming into a fairy, and breaking through the constraints of time with her longing for Li. Ancient literati always depicted women’s status in romantic relationships as extremely humble, while men, even if they forget about the women, always enjoyed their worship and admiration. It seems that harem literature under patriarchy has a long history… The cultural prosperity and elevated ideological realm of the mid-Tang Dynasty, but the imagination of equality remained barren.

I’m really looking forward to reading a story where a confident woman can effortlessly manipulate various handsome men. I wonder if we’ll get to see that in the future?

The Nightmare of Avoidant Love Type – A Review of “The Tale of Huo Xiaoyu”

This is yet another tale of a lovesick woman, recounting the emotional entanglement between the scholar Li Yi and the famous courtesan Huo Xiaoyu in Chang’an, and it’s also a legendary story that’s so renowned it was adapted into a play by Tang Xianzu.

Li Yi, though not particularly attractive, was highly self-regarding due to his literary talent. During his wait for the imperial examination in Chang’an, he made every effort to find the company of an extraordinary beauty. That’s when he encountered Huo Xiaoyu. She was once a beloved daughter of a noble family, but after her father’s death and due to her mother’s lowly status, she was expelled from the royal palace and reduced to becoming a courtesan. During their courtship, Li Yi wrote many declarations of his unwavering love for Huo Xiaoyu and made numerous vows, causing a sensation in Chang’an. However, after he obtained an official position, he was betrothed to someone from a comparable background, and quietly abandoned Huo Xiaoyu.

Perhaps the most despicable aspect of Li Yi’s behavior lies in his inability to express himself in love—a characteristic of avoidant personality. When faced with situations where he might offend the other party, he chose to use cold violence—disappearing and feigning death, hoping that Huo Xiaoyu would learn to read his mind, understand his desire to break up, and let him go. This series of actions forced Huo Xiaoyu, who was originally mentally healthy, into a severe anxiety disorder. Huo Xiaoyu spent all her savings from her days as a palace daughter to gather information about her lover, to the point where she couldn’t even afford rice; later, knowing that he was in the same city, she still couldn’t arrange for Li Yi to meet her, suffering immensely from the agony of avoidance, until she was on the brink of death. Fortunately, a mysterious yellow-clad guest appeared and brought the faithless Li Yi to the dying Huo Xiaoyu, allowing them to meet one last time.

Unlike Wang, the protagonist in , Huo Xiaoyu wasn’t as submissive. She loved openly and hated decisively, cursing Li Yi on the spot before passing away from rage. After this incident, Li Yi’s romantic endeavors or marriages were all fraught with difficulties, living a lifetime steeped in suspicion and irritability towards intimate partners, forever deprived of the sense of security in intimate relationships. In summary, all that’s left is desire; he could no longer love.

This story is perhaps the nightmare of avoidant personality. In intimate relationships, one must learn to speak up; the mouth is not just an organ of desire but also serves the function of communication. If one does not make an effort to communicate, they won’t find happiness.

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The English translation is assisted by chatGPT. Please scroll down to the very end of this article to view the English version. 

最近受到毛象友邻的启发，开始读《唐宋传奇小说集》。我读的是这个版本。一开始只是当作厕所读物随便看看，结果读着读着旧的回忆和新的感触竟然一起涌上心头。每天看完以后我还忍不住给对象讲睡前故事，对象也会加一些辛辣评语，于是决定将这些感想写下来。文字也没有特别斟酌过，所以就算是浅评了。

我给每一篇小说都加上了百度百科的链接，若是阅书不便，可以通过链接阅读原版文言文或是翻译文。没有选维基百科的原因是：维基百科没有放原文，它只是给每篇小说写了一段几句话的总结。我觉得原文值得一读。若是之前没读过，而只看这样的故事纲要则太可惜了。因此就没有选作链接。

这篇文章还有英文版，中文阅读者可以直接跳过。我很好奇会不会被其他国家的人用英语搜索到，若是能产生一些交流那就更有趣了。

中文版

狐妖何苦，古镜何苦——评<古镜记>

我是第二次看这篇文章了。文中关于古镜的描写栩栩如生：“镜横径八寸，鼻作麒麟蹲伏之象，绕鼻列四方，龟龙凤虎，依方陈布。四方外又设八卦，卦外置十二辰位，而具畜焉。辰畜之外，又置二十四字，周绕轮廓，文体似隶，点画无缺，而非字书所有也。侯生云二十四气之象形。承日照之，则背上文画，墨入影内，纤毫无失。举而扣之，清音徐引，竟日方绝。”，短短数字，一款布满玄妙灵物的古镜形象跃然纸上。

文中还提到了古镜的这句来历：“昔者吾闻黄帝铸十五镜，其第一横径一尺五寸，法满月之数也。以其相差各校一寸，此第八镜也。”也就是说，一个月阴晴圆缺十五天，则一共有十五面镜子。根据这面镜子的尺寸，是第八面。运用月相来设计镜子，充满了玄妙的道家意味。文中还描写了古镜和另一把宝剑之间争夺地位的描写，为这两件物体赋予了自我意识和灵性。古镜的前主人苏绰，还为古镜的去向进行了一场占卜。占卜过程很生动，占卜结果神准，此事还为结局埋下了伏笔。

故事中有不少的人物出现，其中让我印象最深的就是刚开始被古镜创到的千年狐狸。狐狸好惨，狐女更惨！狐女除了被人类收养为女儿的过程是开心的，之后的狐生充满了痛苦。她被养父嫁人之后，毫无意外地开始了一个平凡中国古代女性的悲惨人生：首先是与夫家不和，费劲逃了出来；接着在路上被陌生男性劫掠，被挟持了三年；之后因为生病一直好不了，眼看着不行了，就被该男子丢弃在客栈。狐女在客栈住着，病渐渐好了，为报答客栈主人而做女婢，自立更生。结果却突然被古镜照到，无法再当人了。因为她变成人形太久，羞于变回狐狸，于是求古镜主人在死前赐她一夜笙歌。临死前她歌一曲：“宝镜宝镜，哀哉予命！自我离形，而今几姓？生虽可乐，死必不伤。何为眷恋，守此一方！”开完趴的第二天早上，狐女就去世了。

当人有什么好的呢？故事里她只是不想回头再当狐狸了，可能当狐狸无法受人尊重，享受人类社会微不足道的福利。能从这悲戚的人生里说出“生虽可乐”，可见女狐狸和女人一样，都有坚毅的心性。

关于宝镜的用途我有太多槽想吐。宝镜的主人王度，他用宝镜的方式还算是合理。用对象的话说都是一些”local scope”. 无非是：满月的时候关门欣赏古镜散发的光芒；或是用作斩除一些作恶到自家门前的妖怪，又或者拯救自己辖区内病苦的百姓等等。古镜对主人没什么怨言，只是抱怨了一下自己上工很累呀：百姓生病是上天定好的，那么快治好没必要罢了。老板王度也及时地将它收起来，让它好好休养生息了。

然而王度有个弟弟，弟弟非要在乱世出去到处游玩作死。他无私地把镜子借给弟弟王勣以后，事态陡变。镜子碰到了弟弟，仿佛就是一个high performer IC碰到一个bad manager. 王勣竟整一些impact巨大、干起来累，又无用的项目。他上来就把谈吐不凡的乌龟精和白猿精给整死了，这两个妖精只是与他谈天说地而已，并没有要害他。他害死它们的原因可能只是嫉妒二妖谈吐不凡？接下来他又非要在浪急的时候渡江，让古镜摩西分海，太不energy-efficient了吧？甚至还大材小用，把镜子当作山林里的防熊喷雾！暴殄天物。最后古镜精灵终于受不了了：神力被无意义地耗干了，想回天上了。于是镜子托梦给弟弟让他赶紧回家。最后它在哥哥家又呆了数月就回天上去了。

可见bad manager对于high performer IC的消耗巨大。

注：IC 指的是公司背景中的“个体贡献者”，这个类比用于描述镜子作为一个强大的打工人的形象。

黑粉捏造的谣言——评<补江总白猿传>

这是我第一次看这个故事。

首先名字就很离谱：江总是南朝陈后主的好朋友兼副手，但俩人都不管事，日常活动就是一起写淫词艳语。这个标题意思是江总这个人，写了篇文章叫<白猿传>，这个佚名作者受到江总所托，来补上白猿传的另一部分。然而可笑的事，江总并没有写过白猿传，这篇文章自然也是瞎编的。

读到结尾时我满头问号：这个白猿的遗腹子姓欧阳，又擅长书法，难道是……欧阳询？！仔细一查，果然这篇小说是当时某个欧阳询的黑粉写的，主要目的是讽刺欧阳询的长相——因为欧阳询很瘦，状似“猕猴”。而唐朝以胖为美，他就算是长得很丑的人了。人类好糟糕啊，偶尔闲话一句嘲笑人家的长相还不够，竟然还要特地写一篇小说出来讥讽。我顿时觉得欧阳询很惨。

关于他的长相还有个八卦。欧阳询参加长孙皇后葬礼的时候，碰到了当时修国史的文官许敬宗。许敬宗看到欧阳询的丑陋，忍不住哈哈大笑，结果被巡查的御史弹劾贬职了。许敬宗这个人真是不专业到极点。但初唐时，文化开放，经济蒸蒸日上，这种有污点的人才也不愁有份好工作，所以许敬宗后来又被提拔起来了，甚至一度做到了宰相level. 台湾有个庙还供着许敬宗，是一个类似文昌星君的神呢。

话说回来，欧阳询不仅被同僚嘲笑，他还被唐高宗李渊评价过：“没想到欧阳询的名声竟大到连远方的夷狄都知道。他们看到欧阳询的笔迹，一定以为他是位形貌魁梧的人物吧。”可见在大老板的心里，他的长相也是配不上这个书法大家的称谓的，只是老板很文明，没有明着没说出来罢了。

我本觉得他因容貌被嘲笑很悲惨。然而仔细一查，发现欧阳询也挺会嘲讽别人的。《全唐诗》一共录用了他三首诗，二首都是作来讥讽他人的。人类真的太糟糕了，这些当时的名士、书法大家，其实人品也不过如此。

欧阳询的生平也挺起伏的，但总的来说很幸运。他出生在官宦家庭，本应该养尊处优，然而父亲造反，株连全家。因为陈后主跟前的红人江总特别喜欢欧阳询，觉得他聪慧，所以收养了小欧阳询，他这才得以从父亲这灭门的滔天罪过中活命。之后，他经历了南朝灭亡、隋朝灭亡，并迎来了改革开放吹遍江南大地的唐朝。最终在唐朝做了一个收入稳定的文职公务员……真是坎坷但幸运的一生。

欧阳询的四儿子欧阳通就没那么幸运了。他从小就是被妈妈徐氏鸡娃的对象。徐氏最终成功鞭笞了欧阳通来继承爸爸大书法家的衣钵，被称为大小欧阳。小欧阳没被人嘲笑过丑陋，可能是妈妈徐氏长得很美吧！

欧阳通因为反对武则天立武家人当太子，被武则天的狗腿子来俊臣投入牢里殴打。来俊臣殴打了欧阳通好长时间，也套不出他的罪证。于是他只好把欧阳通认识的人给关了起来，屈打成招。让欧阳通的友人诬蔑欧阳通谋反，这才找机会把欧阳通给杀了。即使武则天为欧阳通平反了，小欧阳这身世也太惨了。

在古代当一个有原则的知识分子公务员好累：必须按照三纲五常好好对皇帝谏言，还要接受会被喜怒无常的皇帝随机杀掉的命运。令人叹息。

追爱小说的范本——评<离魂记>

第一次读这个故事是在西方人画的儿童绘本《Zen Ghosts》上，当时我对这个故事的印象非常差：首先我觉得这个故事跟Zen关系不大；其次，这样原分不动照抄故事的绘本，让我有些许的反感。这些绘本的好处在于：可以传播给一些有阅读障碍的人群，比如儿童。但是绘本售价昂贵，又能为多少人所看到呢？此外我认为这些绘本应该标注上原创作者，写上自己只是作画而已。像《Zen Ghosts》这样的改编，很难脱离抄袭的范畴。难道仅仅因为原作是文字形式，而这作是儿童绘本形式，就不算抄袭吗？

话说回来，儿童绘本的作者提到，他读的原作是日本的禅语故事<Sei and Her Soul Separate>. 因为我对绘本中的故事一头雾水，决定读读这个原作来参禅悟道。读完我觉得这个故事和禅的联系非常微弱。

直到最近读到了这篇<离魂记>，我脑海中灵光一现：哦！真正的原作是这样的！我认为拿这个故事来参禅，就和拿毛巾来参禅是一个效果，并不特别贴切。说起来，对象之前借的一本日本禅宗的书也引用了很多唐宋古诗来参禅。它摘抄的古诗大多是第一、第二句起兴写景的，其中甚至有些恋爱诗，十分奇怪。大约日本的参禅方式还是跟我国不太一样。虽然千人参千禅，但作为在中国文化里长大的人来看，这篇小说的重点并不在于证悟。

我觉得这个故事更多还是探讨封建时代自由恋爱的问题。元代作家郑光祖还受到启发，将<离魂记>改编为杂剧《倩女离魂》。此篇更是影响了明代汤显祖的《牡丹亭》。后二者都提到了女性为了追求所爱竟然离魂追随的情节，与此文简直如出一辙。不过汤显祖集所有人之大成，加了更多的起承转折，使得故事更离奇丰满了。

不过在这个故事各种变体里，为什么都是女性离魂追随男方而去呢？为什么男方都必须中科举，在封建社会大为成功才行呢？也许作者们觉得普通男子并配不上这些大胆追爱的女性吧。一定要男做官，女嫁郎才算是圆圆满满。美丽女子如果只是与一普通男性私奔，便无法引得大众的惋惜与共情了。

功名利禄如梦幻泡影——评<枕中记>

没想到<枕中记>说的就是进入枕头后的故事。我看到最后，卢生梦醒了，黄米饭还没煮熟，突然意识到这就是“黄粱一梦”的由来。年幼的时候看过这个故事，但印象里都是荣华富贵多么多么好，醒来发现自己什么都没有，我深深地共情了故事的主人公：啊如果我在现实中也有荣华富贵就好了！

但是，这次读完，发现梦里荣华富贵的世界没有那么美好啊！做梦的卢生在梦里经历了大起大落的人生，甚至说出了“吾家山东，有良田五顷，足以御寒馁，何苦求禄？而今及此，思短褐、乘青驹，行邯郸道中，不可得也！”结尾卢生醒来，向老道感谢并表示自己悟到了。人到中年读起这段来真是感慨万千。加上之前查到的大小欧阳的官场故事，也佐证了这篇小说。

类似的故事还有一个，叫“南柯一梦”。鲁迅还评价过这两篇小说，认为“南柯一梦”的原型<南柯太守传>更胜一筹。我读完，又发现以前读过。

南柯太守淳于棼，同样做了场大梦，醒来后竟然与朋友一起找到了梦中的槐安国。在槐安国中，他享受了数不清的荣华富贵、经历了过山车般的人生起伏。令人细思极恐的是，梦中槐安国的预言还与现实一一对应。最后淳于棼还发现，他在槐安国碰见的两个朋友，在现实中也几乎精神幻灭，与梦中对应。

故事的结局是：原本混沌度日的淳于棼，开始栖心道门，戒弃酒色。然而命运已定——梦中与父亲的三年之期方到，淳于棼即逝世了。

这篇故事确实比<枕中记>精彩。它将梦境和现实的一一对应：让人不知梦是当下，还是当下如梦。<枕中记>的最后，卢生或许可以过更幸福、更清醒的一生；但<南柯太守传>的最后，淳于棼入道门，也无法改变自己的死期。后者的结局增添了悲哀的色彩。

另外我很惊讶：这两篇小说都有英文版本。是这两篇小说太有名，还是维基百科太强大呢？维基百科的英文版甚至是全文翻译……这两篇小说一定会被世界各地的禅学家拿来参禅吧？有兴趣的话可以去英文版的链接看看。

狐女和人类共存的科幻世界——评<任氏传>

这篇故事很长，是典型的美丽狐女和普通人类男性的感情故事。

故事从美若天仙的狐女任氏，与又穷又丑的郑六发生了一夜情开始。随后二人发展起稳定的亲密关系。故事中，郑六有个有钱有势的兄弟韦崟，企图强上任氏，结果被任氏一介狐女所成功教化，学会了尊重任氏。之后三人发展出了和谐的亲密关系：任氏一度想办法报答韦崟、帮郑六赚点小钱。最后故事结束于一个悲剧：俩兄弟不信玄学预言，导致任氏暴毙。

整个剧情跌宕起伏，除了中间一段让人作呕：任氏报答韦崟的方法竟然是通过祸害别的狐女。其他的部分我都看得津津有味。

这篇小说有点像狐女小说的开山鼻祖，以往狐狸精都是来害人的，但这篇“开后世赋予狐精以美好形象的风气”。有趣的是，韦崟跟任氏提到的美女，几乎都是任氏的亲戚——也就是狐狸。说明这篇小说塑造了一个狐女和人类共存的世界（不过好像没有狐男哈）。

古代的狐女太惨，她们因为种族原因，被认为是社会的最底层。只能住破房子，靠幻术来变成普通人。当人类的底层人民郑六看上她的美貌和身段，并不介意她的狐女身份后，她就十分感动、决心一意报答了。换成今天的语境，就是一个世界小姐级别的少数族裔，看上了一个普通的大农村的白人，白人还因为少数族裔的种族，而绝对不会和她结婚。虽然人和人不能用任何方式来比较贵贱，但不知道多少人看到这种故事，要在网上替任氏觉得不值。

最好笑的是写小说的作者也是这么想的：他觉得郑六粗人一个，根本不懂任氏的细腻内心，居然什么都没记录下来，还是靠文人间口口相传，最后作者这个不相干的人写了任氏的传记。作者觉得任氏对郑六死心塌地，真是可惜极了。这个评价也充满了偏见，仿佛作者觉得只有任氏爱上了文艺青年，文艺青年多写点文章歌颂她，此生才算不亏。

但文人政客就能比郑六对任氏更一心一意吗？任氏到底喜欢什么样的男子呢？被写下来歌颂就那么重要吗？哦对了，古代的时候女子的想法并不重要，主要是靠文人墨客来评判她和她的如意郎君是否相配。总之这个评价语我觉得很可笑了。

不知不觉啰嗦地写了好多，第一卷就评价到这里吧。接下来我也会按卷分成不同的文章，敬请期待。

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English Version – Impressions from Thousands of Years Ahead: A Critique of the “Anthology of Tang and Song Tales” – Volume One

Recently inspired by my Mastodon friends, I’ve delved into the collection of Tang and Song legendary novels. Initially, I treated it as casual bathroom reading, but unexpectedly, a mix of old memories and new impressions flooded my mind as I delved deeper. After finishing each section, I couldn’t resist sharing these stories with my significant other, who provided some witty commentary. As a result, I’ve decided to jot down these reflections. The writing may not be meticulously crafted, so consider it more of a casual critique.

Why the Fox Woman Suffers, Why the Ancient Mirror Sorrows – A Review of “The Record of the Old Mirror“

Feels like the second time reading this article. The vivid portrayal of the ancient mirror, described as “eight inches in width, with a nose resembling a crouching unicorn, adorned with images of tortoises, dragons, phoenixes, and tigers,” brings the magical world to life. The use of the mirror for divination based on lunar phases adds a touch of profound Taoist symbolism. The intriguing competition for supremacy between the ancient mirror and another precious sword, along with Su Chuo’s divination about the mirror’s whereabouts, adds a dynamic layer, foreshadowing the story’s conclusion.

The millennia-old fox spirit has quite a tough life, transforming into a woman but facing the tragic fate of Chinese women – marriage, escape, abduction, and abandonment. Her poignant song, “Precious mirror, oh, my lamentable fate! Departing from my form, how many lifetimes remain? Though life may bring joy, death won’t inflict pain. Why cling to the past, guarding this small realm?“

What is there to cherish in being human? Perhaps it’s the reluctance to look back. The fact that she can say “Though life may bring joy” amid such a tragic existence reflects the fox spirit’s resilience.

Additionally, Wang Du, the owner of the mirror, seems to use it reasonably – combating evil spirits and aiding the suffering. The mirror, however, deems saving numerous commoners unnecessary and complains about the burden of work. Yet, after lending the mirror to his brother, Wang Ji, the applications he came up with seemed like a high-performing individual contributor encountering a bad manager, initiating projects with massive impact but ultimately useless. He immediately targeted the articulate Turtle Spirit and White Ape Spirit, causing their untimely demise. What did they do wrong? Following that, in a bizarre turn of events, he decided to cross the river in turbulent waters, asking the ancient mirror to perform a Moses act and part the sea – quite energy-inefficient, to say the least. Not to mention the mirror being misused as bear repellent in the wilderness. Well, after numerous attempts to reason, the wise mirror spirit resorted to dream communication, urging the brother to return home. He stayed at Wang Du’s place for a few more months before finally returning to the heavens. It’s evident that a bad manager can be a significant drain on a high-performing IC.

【Note: IC refers to Individual Contributor in the corporate context, and the analogy is used to describe the mirror’s role as an active, high-impact entity.】

Rumors Fabricated by Haters — Review of “A Supplement to Jiang Zong’s ‘Biography of a White Ape‘”

This is my first time diving into this story, and right off the bat, the title is quite absurd. Jiang Zong, supposedly the close friend and deputy of Chen Dynasty’s last emperor, Chen Houzhu, spent their time not attending to official matters but rather writing sexual poems together. The title suggests Jiang wrote a piece called “The Tale of The White Ape,” and this anonymous author is here to supplement another part of it. However, Jiang Zong never wrote “Biography of a White Ape“, making this article entirely fabricated.

As I reached the end, I was left with a head full of question marks. The child of this white ape is surnamed Ouyang and is also skilled in calligraphy. Could it be… Ouyang Xun? A quick check confirmed that this article was written by some enemy back then to satirize Ouyang Xun. Apparently, when Ouyang Xun aged, he became thin, resembling a “macaque.” In a time when Tang Dynasty valued plumpness, he was considered unattractive. Humans are quite terrible; not only do they mock others for their appearance, but they also go the extra mile to write a novel specifically to ridicule them. Suddenly, Ouyang Xun’s life seemed quite miserable.

Because Ouyang Xun was deemed ugly, when he attended the funeral of Empress Changsun, he encountered a governor Xu Jingzong, who was recording national history at the time. Xu Jingzong burst into laughter upon seeing Ouyang Xun’s ugliness and was later accused and demoted by a censor. This person was quite unprofessional, but maybe during early Tang, with an open culture and a thriving economy, talented individuals with blemishes could still secure employment. Xu Jingzong was eventually promoted and even reached the level of prime minister. There’s a temple in Taiwan dedicated to him, similar to a literary deity.

Not only was he ridiculed by colleagues, but the second Emperor of Tang, Li Yuan, also commented, “I never thought Ouyang Xun’s reputation would be so great that even the distant barbarians know about him. When they see Ouyang Xun’s handwriting, they must think he is a well-built figure.” Clearly, in the emperor’s eyes, his appearance didn’t match his title as a calligraphy master. He just didn’t say it out loud.

Thinking that he faced ridicule due to his looks was already sad, but upon closer inspection, Ouyang Xun was quite adept at mocking others. Out of the three poems included in the Complete Tang Poetry, two were written to satirize others. Humanity is indeed terrible; these so-called calligraphy masters aren’t much better in terms of character.

Ouyang Xun’s life had its ups and downs. Coming from an official family, his father’s rebellion led to the family’s downfall. As Ouyang Xun was still young, he was spared due to Jiang Zong’s appreciation for his wit, expressed through charming yet indecent poems. After surviving the downfall of Southern Chen and the Sui Dynasty, he finally secured a stable bureaucratic position in the Tang Dynasty. What a tumultuous journey.

The fourth son, Ouyang Tong, was groomed by his mother, Mrs. Xu, to inherit his father’s legacy, earning him the nickname ‘Little Ouyang‘ or ‘Ouyang Junior‘. Fortunately, Little Ouyang was spared from being ridiculed for his appearance; it seems Xun’s wife, Mrs. Xu must have been quite beautiful. Because he opposed the appointment of Emperor Wu’s family members as crown princes, he was imprisoned and beaten by Wu Zetian’s lackey Lai Junchen. Despite being beaten, no evidence of a crime was found. So, they decided to imprison people Ouyang Tong knew, force confessions accusing him of treason, and then execute them. Although he was later exonerated, Little Ouyang’s background was indeed quite tragic. In ancient times, being a principled intellectual and civil servant was exhausting. One had to adhere to Confucian values, bravely speak out, and face the unfortunate fate of being killed if the emperor wasn’t pleased with the advice.

Archetypal Love Pursuit Novel in Ancient China— Review of “An Account of the Detached Soul“

My first encounter with this story happened to be in a children’s picture book, “Zen Ghosts,” and the experience was not very good. Firstly, I found the story to be loosely connected with Zen. Secondly, having read numerous books from the Zen series, I felt a slight aversion to these picture books that almost mechanically reproduce the original stories. While these picture books serve the purpose of reaching audiences with reading difficulties, such as children, their high prices limit their accessibility. Additionally, I believe they should credit the original authors and include the name of the illustrator. Adaptations like “Zen Ghosts” find it challenging to escape the realm of plagiarism just because the original work is in written form, while the adaptation is a children’s picture book. Is it not still considered plagiarism?

The author of the children’s picture book claims to have read the original work, a Japanese Zen story titled “<Sei and Her Soul Separate>.” So, I decided to read that story myself for enlightenment but still found it quite forced. It wasn’t until I came across “An Account of the Detached Soul” that it clicked in my mind: Ah! So, it’s this Tang and Song dynasty legendary novel! After finishing it, I concluded that using this story for Zen meditation is akin to practicing Zen with a towel — not that helpful. I’ve previously borrowed a Japanese Zen book that used many Tang and Song poems for meditation, most of which were picturesque descriptions or even some love poems, which I found rather odd. The approach to Zen meditation in Japan seems quite different from that in China. While thousands practice a thousand ways, as someone raised in Chinese culture, I don’t see the focus of this novel on enlightenment.

This story primarily delves into the issues of free love during feudal times. A quick online search reveals that Yuan Dynasty writer Zheng Guangzu adapted it into a drama titled “<The Enchanting Soul Separation>,” which significantly influenced Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu’s “<The Peony Pavilion>.” Both of the latter works mention the plot where a woman separates her soul to pursue the one she loves, mirroring this story. However, Tang Xianzu added more twists and turns, making the narrative more intriguing.

Yet, in various variations of this story, why is it always the female who separates her soul to pursue the male? Moreover, the male must pass the imperial examination, achieving significant success in feudal society. Perhaps the authors believe that a man who doesn’t pass the imperial examination isn’t worthy of these daring and love-pursuing women. It seems that the woman can only find fulfillment if the man achieves success in the feudal hierarchy. Otherwise, the elopement of a beautiful woman with an ordinary man wouldn’t evoke the sympathy and sorrow of the public.

Fame and Fortune, Like a Dream’s Fading Mirage — Review of “The World Inside a Pillow“

Unexpectedly, the literal meaning of “The World Inside a Pillow” refers to the story that unfolds within a pillow. Upon reaching the end, awakening to find the yellow rice not yet cooked, I suddenly realized that this is the origin of the phrase “fanciful dream of wealth and rank“. I always thought I encountered this story in my youth, but my impression was one of wealth and grandeur, waking up to emptiness, leaving both the protagonist and me disheartened. Yet, after reading it this time, it turns out that the dream was not that great. Lu Sheng, the dreamer, experiences a rollercoaster life within the dream, even uttering, “My family in Shandong has five acres of fertile land, enough to ward off cold and hunger. Why seek an official position? But now, I think of the short brown robe, riding a green steed, traveling the road to Handan, unattainable!” At the end, Lu Sheng echoes the old Taoist, expressing gratitude and claiming to have attained enlightenment. Reading this passage in middle age is truly a reflection on life.

Similar stories always remind me of an idiom, “delusion of grandeur,” and I discovered that Lu Xun had also evaluated these two novels, considering the prototype of “The Governor of Nanke” , to be superior. I immediately went to read it. After finishing, I found it strangely familiar; I had read it before.

In “The Governor of Nanke“, the main character, Chunyu Fen, too, experiences a grand dream, and upon waking, he actually found the Huai’an Country from his dream. It is where he enjoyes wealth and glory, undergoes life’s ups and downs, and even the prophecies of the dream correspond one by one to reality. In the end, he discovers that the two friends he met in Huai’an Country have also mentally disintegrated in reality.

The story concludes with Chunyu Fen, who used to live aimlessly, embracing Daoism, renouncing wine and women. However, destiny is predetermined, and despite his newfound life in the dream, he passes away when the prophesied three years has come. This story is indeed more fascinating than “The World Inside a Pillow” due to the precise correspondence between dream and reality, leaving one uncertain whether the present is a dream or the dream is the present. While Lu Sheng in “The World Inside a Pillow” might have the potential for a happier, more awakened life, the conclusion of “The Governor of Nanke” adds a touch of sorrow, as Chunyu Fen’s entry into Daoism cannot alter the inevitable outcome of his impending death. Of course, I hope he experiences a peaceful and serene final three years of life.

Moreover, I’m surprised to find English versions of both novels. Is it because these two stories are so well-known, or is Wikipedia just that powerful? The English version of Wikipedia isn’t even a summary; it appears to be a full translation. These two stories will undoubtedly be used by Zen scholars worldwide for meditation. If interested, one can explore the English versions through the provided links.

A Sci-Fi World of Fox Women and Humans — Review of “The Tale of Miss Ren“

This story is quite extensive, portraying an atypical romantic relationship between Ren, a fox woman, Miss Ren, and a human, Zheng Liu. It begins with a one-night stand between Ren and the poor and unattractive Zheng Liu, leading to the development of a stable and intimate relationship. Zheng Liu’s wealthy official friend, Wei Yin, attempted to rape Ren Shi. However, Ren Shi persuaded him to abandon the assault, and he learned to respect her instead. The narrative progresses to a harmonious relationship involving all three characters, with Ren repaying Wei Yin’s kindness and helping Zheng Liu make some extra money. Eventually, the story takes a tragic turn due to Zheng and Wei’s disbelief in the prophecy, leading to Ren’s demise. The entire plot is filled with twists and turns, and aside from a somewhat distasteful segment where Ren repays Wei Yin through acquiring other beautiful women, I found the rest of it quite engaging.

This novel somewhat resembles the originator of fox woman stories, “ushering in an era that endows fox spirits with beautiful images“. Moreover, when Wei mentions other beautiful women to Ren, she claims they are her relatives (meaning other foxes), creating a world that envisions the coexistence of fox women and humans (although it seems there are no fox men).

Ancient fox women indeed had a tough time due to their racial identity, relegating them to the lowest social strata, living in dilapidated houses, and relying on illusions to appear as regular homes. When a commoner like Zheng Liu expresses affection for Ren and becomes infatuated with her, she is determined to repay his kindness. If this were a contemporary love story between a beauty queen-level minority and an ordinary white person from a big rural village, I can’t even imagine. While it’s crucial not to assess anyone’s value using any criteria, I can’t help but wonder how many would express dissatisfaction online about Ren’s choice of a partner, deeming it unworthy. Considering the circumstances, it adds another layer of complexity to the situation.

The author indicates that Zheng Liu, being a rustic fellow, couldn’t comprehend the subtleties of Ren’s inner world and failed to record anything about her, silently lamenting the waste of Ren’s attachment to Zheng Liu. It is ridiculous. This bias is evident, as the author wishes for a literati politician to win Ren’s heart, believing that only then could her story be properly documented and her reputation restored.

However, can a literati politician be more devoted to Ren than Zheng Liu? Why doesn’t he consider what Ren truly desires? Oh, because in ancient times, a woman’s thoughts were deemed unimportant, and her compatibility with her ideal lover was judged by literati and scholars. In conclusion, this evaluation is quite laughable.

The upcoming volumes will be divided into separate articles by volume. Stay tuned for more.

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