In The River: Mysterious Encounters on a Moonlit Boat Trip

Join Wang Shengyu on a moonlit boat trip, where strange encounters with ghosts and legends unfold on an ancient battlefield in the middle of the river.

Wang Shengyu went on a tour to the south and anchored his boat in the middle of the river. That night, after going to bed, he saw the moonlight shining as bright as a sword, and he couldn’t fall asleep. So, he asked his servants to give him a massage. Suddenly, he heard what sounded like children walking on the roof of the boat, trampling on the reed mats on top of the boat, making a “huā huā” sound. The sound was coming from the back of the boat and gradually approaching the cabin door. Wang Shengyu was afraid it might be thieves, so he hastily got up and asked the servants. The servants also heard it. Between their questions and answers, they saw a person lying on the roof of the boat, hanging their head and peering into the cabin. Wang Shengyu was greatly shocked, grabbed his sword, and called the other servants. Everyone on the boat woke up.

Wang Shengyu told everyone what had just happened, and some suspected it might be an illusion. Suddenly, the sound on the roof of the boat started again. Everyone came out of the cabin to look around, but there was no one in sight, only the bright moon and the surging waves in the river. They sat in the boat, and after a while, they saw a blue flame like a lamp suddenly rising from the water’s surface. It floated with the waves and gradually approached. When it was about to reach the side of the boat, it suddenly went out. Then, a black figure emerged from the water, standing upright on the surface, with its hands gripping the boat’s railing. The people on the boat shouted, “It must be this thing causing trouble!” and they were about to shoot arrows at it. Just as they were about to draw their bows, the figure quickly sank into the water and disappeared.

Wang Shengyu asked the boatman what was going on, and the boatman said, “This is an ancient battlefield, and ghosts and monsters often appear here. It’s nothing to be surprised about.”

《江中》

王圣俞南游，泊舟江心。既寝，视月明如练，未能寐，使童仆为之按摩。忽闻舟顶如小儿行，踏芦席作响，远自舟尾来，渐近舱户。虑为盗，急起问童，童亦闻之。问答间，见一人伏舟顶上，垂首窥舱内。大愕，按剑呼诸仆，一舟俱醒。告以所见，或疑错误。俄响声又作。群起四顾，渺然无人，惟疏星皎月，漫漫江波而已。众坐舟中，旋见青火如灯状，突出水面，随水浮游，渐近舡，则火顿灭。即有黑人骤起，屹立水上，以手攀舟而行。众噪曰：“必此物也！”欲射之。方开弓，则遽伏水中，不可见矣。问舟人，舟人曰：“此古战场，鬼时出没，其无足怪。”