Judge Lu: Whispers of the Enigmatic Past

Explore the supernatural transformations and miraculous events surrounding Judge Lu in this intriguing folklore.

In Lingyang, there was a scholar named Zhu Erdan, whose courtesy name was Xiaoming. He had a frank and open-minded personality but was a bit foolish. Although he studied diligently, he had not yet gained much reputation. One day, his friends from the literary society gathered for drinks, and someone jokingly said to Zhu Erdan, “You have a reputation for being straightforward, right? If you dare to go to the Ten Kings’ Hall in the middle of the night and bring back the judge from the left corridor, we’ll all chip in to treat you.” It turned out that in Lingyang, there was a Ten Kings’ Hall in the underworld, where the gods and spirits were carved from wood and decorated vividly. In the east corridor, there was a standing judge, with his green face and fiery red beard, looking particularly fierce and ominous. Legend had it that one could often hear sounds of interrogation and torture coming from the two corridors at night, and those who visited here would often feel a chill down their spine. So, everyone decided to tease Zhu Erdan using this challenge.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Erdan laughed and got up, heading straight to the Ten Kings’ Hall. After a short while, they heard a loud voice from outside, “I have invited the great bearded master!” Everyone quickly stood up. In an instant, Zhu Erdan returned carrying the judge and placed him on the table. He raised his wine glass and toasted the judge three times in a row. Everyone looked at the judge’s appearance and was so frightened that they couldn’t even sit still. They hurriedly asked Zhu Erdan to take the judge back. Zhu Erdan spilled wine on the ground and respectfully prayed to the deity, “I was impulsive and disrespectful just now. The Grand Master should not take offense, I hope you won’t be confined to the realm of the living and the dead. My home is not far from here, you should come to my house for a drink while you’re in high spirits. I hope you won’t be limited by the boundaries between humans and spirits.” With that, he carried the judge away.

The next day, as expected, everyone invited Zhu Erdan to a feast. In the evening, Zhu Erdan returned home somewhat tipsy, his thirst for alcohol not yet quenched. He lit a lamp and began pouring himself more wine. Suddenly, someone lifted the curtain and walked in. To his surprise, it was the judge. Zhu Erdan quickly got up and said, “I must be in big trouble now! I must have offended you last night, and today you’ve come to execute me, right?” The judge, with a mouth full of thick beard, smiled and said, “No, that’s not it. I was invited last night with great kindness, and tonight, I happened to have some free time. I’ve come respectfully to fulfill your invitation as a man of talent.” Zhu Erdan was delighted to hear this, he pulled the judge’s sleeve and hurriedly offered him a seat. Then, he personally cleaned the cups and plates and lit the alcohol stove. The judge said, “The weather is warm; we can have some chilled drinks.” So, Zhu Erdan followed the order and stopped heating the wine, placing the wine bottle on the table. He quickly went to inform his family to prepare dishes and fruits. His wife, upon hearing this, became extremely fearful and begged her husband not to go out. But Zhu Erdan did not listen. He waited until everything was prepared as instructed by his wife, and then he came out with the dishes. They drank together, cup after cup. After a while, Zhu Erdan asked for the judge’s name, and the judge replied, “My surname is Lu, I have no given name.” They then discussed ancient classics, and the judge responded fluently. Zhu Erdan asked again, “Do you understand the art of writing in the Eight-Legged Essay?” The judge said, “I can distinguish beauty from ugliness and right from wrong. Studying and writing in the underworld is similar in principle to the mortal realm.” Judge Lu had a high alcohol tolerance and downed ten cups in one go. Zhu Erdan, who had been drinking all day, was now so drunk that he couldn’t hold himself up and fell asleep on the table. When Zhu Erdan woke up, he saw that the lamp was dim, and the ghostly guest had already departed.

From then on, Judge Lu would visit every two to three days, and their friendship grew even closer, sometimes sleeping side by side. Zhu Erdan would show his writings to Judge Lu, who would take up a red pen and make corrections, often saying that the writing was not good enough. One night, Zhu Erdan got drunk, fell asleep first, and Judge Lu continued to pour himself drinks. While Zhu Erdan was in a drunken stupor, he suddenly felt a slight discomfort in his internal organs. He woke up and saw Judge Lu sitting by the bed, dissecting him, meticulously rearranging his intestines and stomach. Shocked, Zhu Erdan asked, “We have no past grievances, no recent conflicts, why are you killing me?” Judge Lu smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I am replacing your heart with a wiser one.” He calmly put the intestines back into Zhu Erdan’s abdominal cavity, stitched it up, and finally wrapped it with a bandage around Zhu Erdan’s waist. After the surgery, there was no trace of blood on the bed, and Zhu Erdan only felt a slight numbness in his abdomen. When Zhu Erdan saw a piece of meat on the table, he asked what it was. Judge Lu replied, “This is your old heart. I noticed that you were not quick-witted in your writing, and your insights were blocked. I chose a brilliant heart from among thousands of souls in the underworld and replaced yours with it, leaving this one to fill the void.” With that, Judge Lu stood up, closed the door, and left. After dawn, Zhu Erdan removed the bandage and saw that the wound had already healed, leaving only a red line as a scar. From then on, Zhu Erdan’s literary skills greatly improved, and he never forgot anything he read. After a few days, Zhu Erdan showed Judge Lu an essay he had written. Judge Lu said, “This is well-written. However, your fortune is not great; you won’t become very wealthy. You’ll probably just become a scholar or a civil servant.” Zhu Erdan asked, “When will I pass the imperial examination?” Judge Lu replied, “You will undoubtedly take the top spot this year.” Soon after, Zhu Erdan achieved the highest score in the imperial examination. His classmates, who had often mocked him, were stunned when they saw his test paper. After inquiring about the details, they finally understood the strange events. They unanimously asked Zhu Erdan to introduce them to Judge Lu and expressed their desire to be friends with him. Judge Lu agreed to their request. They prepared a grand feast and awaited Judge Lu’s arrival. In the early hours, Judge Lu appeared, with his red beard fluttering, and his eyes shining like lightning. Seeing him, the guests were overwhelmed with fear, their faces pale, bodies trembling, and teeth chattering. Before long, one by one, they all retreated and left in fear.

Zhu Erdan invited Judge Lu to his home for a drink. As they became quite intoxicated, Zhu Erdan said, “I have already received a great favor with the heart transplant and abdominal surgery. However, there is one more thing I’d like to ask for your assistance with, if it’s possible. Would you be willing?” Judge Lu encouraged Zhu Erdan to speak his mind. Zhu Erdan said, “If hearts can be replaced, I presume faces can also be changed. My wife, she is my original wife, her body is quite attractive, but her facial appearance is not very pleasing. I was wondering if I could trouble you to perform another operation to improve her appearance. Would that be possible?” Judge Lu smiled and replied, “Very well, I will look for an opportunity to do so in due time.”

A few days later, in the middle of the night, Judge Lu came and knocked on the door. Zhu Erdan hurriedly got up to welcome him in, holding a candle to light the way. He saw that Judge Lu had something wrapped in his garment. When he asked what it was, Judge Lu replied, “The task you entrusted me with before was quite challenging to fulfill. Just now, I happened to acquire the head of a beautiful woman, and I’ve come respectfully to fulfill the request.” Zhu Erdan moved aside the wrapping to take a look, and the blood on the woman’s neck was still fresh. Judge Lu urged them to quickly enter the inner room so as not to disturb anyone. Zhu Erdan was worried that the inner room’s door might be locked, but Judge Lu approached it, pushed it gently, and the door opened. In the bedroom, they found Zhu Erdan’s wife sleeping on her side. Judge Lu handed over the beautiful woman’s head to Zhu Erdan, then took out a sharp dagger from his boot. He placed it against his wife’s neck, and with a single swift motion, her head rolled off like cutting tofu. It was done effortlessly. Judge Lu quickly took the beautiful woman’s head from Zhu Erdan, placed it on his wife’s neck, adjusted it carefully, and then sealed it in place. After finishing, Judge Lu stuffed the pillow beside his wife’s shoulder, instructed Zhu Erdan to bury his wife’s original head in a secluded place, and then he left. Zhu Erdan’s wife woke up later, feeling a slight numbness in her neck and her face dry and uneven. She rubbed her face and some blood clots fell off, which frightened her immensely. She immediately called for a servant to fetch water for washing her face. When the servant saw the bloodstains on her face, she was nearly terrified. As she washed her face, the basin of water turned red. When she lifted her head and looked into the mirror, she was in utter shock, not knowing what had happened. At that moment, Zhu Erdan entered the room and explained the situation to his wife. He carefully examined her and saw that her long eyebrows extended to her temples, and a pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her look like a woman from a painting. When he unbuttoned her collar and examined her neck, there was indeed a red line scar around her neck, where the color of the flesh above and below the scar was distinctly different.

In earlier times, there was a daughter of an official in the Wu family who was exceptionally beautiful. She had been engaged twice, but both times, her prospective husbands died before the marriage could take place. Consequently, by the age of nineteen, she had yet to be married. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, during the Lantern Festival, she went to visit the Ten Kings’ Hall. At that time, the place was crowded with visitors, and among them was a scoundrel who became captivated by her beauty. He secretly found out where she lived and, under the cover of darkness, climbed a ladder and jumped over the wall into her courtyard.

He dug a hole outside the young lady’s bedroom and entered. There, he killed one of her maids who was by her bedside, and then he attempted to rape the young lady. She fought back desperately, shouting loudly for help, which agitated the scoundrel. In his panic, he killed the young lady as well. Lady Wu, the mother, vaguely heard the commotion and sent a maid to investigate. When the maid saw the corpses, she was filled with terror. This commotion woke up the entire household, and they placed the young lady’s body in the main hall, positioning her head near her neck.

The entire family, young and old, wept and mourned throughout the night. By the time morning arrived and they uncovered the sheet covering the young lady’s body, they found that her body was still there, but her head was missing. The master of the house punished all the maids, believing that their lax vigilance had allowed the young lady’s head to become the prey of wild dogs. Wu, the official, reported the heinous crime to the county magistrate, who ordered the constables to capture the culprit and solve the case. However, even after three months had passed, the murderer remained elusive.

The news of Zhu’s wife having her head swapped gradually reached the ears of Official Wu. Official Wu had his doubts about the matter and sent an old woman to inquire at Zhu’s residence. When the old woman saw Lady Zhu, she was so frightened that she turned and ran back to report to Official Wu. Official Wu, seeing that his daughter’s body was still intact, was both alarmed and suspicious. He couldn’t understand the situation and began to suspect that Zhu Erdan might have used sorcery to harm his daughter. Therefore, he went to Zhu’s house to question them about the matter.

Zhu Erdan told Official Wu, “My wife’s head was changed in her dream, and I truly don’t know how it happened. It’s a false accusation to say that I killed the young lady.” Official Wu didn’t believe him and reported the matter to the authorities. The authorities interrogated all the members of the Zhu family, and their testimonies matched what Zhu Erdan had said. The county magistrate couldn’t find any evidence to convict Zhu Erdan, so he had no choice but to release him.

Zhu Erdan returned and sought the advice of Judge Lu. Judge Lu said, “This matter is not difficult. I will have Official Wu’s daughter speak for herself.” That night, Official Wu dreamt of his daughter saying, “Father, I was killed by Yang Danian from Suxi, and it has nothing to do with Scholar Zhu. He once found fault with his wife’s appearance, so Judge Lu replaced my head with his wife’s. My body may be dead, but my head is still alive. I hope you won’t bear a grudge against the Zhu family.” Upon waking, Official Wu told his wife about the dream, and she had a similar dream.

Subsequently, Official Wu informed the authorities about the dream. After an investigation, they found a man named Yang Danian. He was apprehended and ultimately confessed to the crime. Official Wu then visited Zhu Erdan and requested a meeting with his wife. As a result, the two families became related by marriage. They buried Zhu Erdan’s wife’s head together with Official Wu’s daughter’s body.

Zhu Erdan had participated in the Ministry of Rites examinations in the capital three times but failed each time due to violating exam regulations. Consequently, he became disheartened with the path of becoming an official through examinations. This continued for thirty years until one evening when Judge Lu informed Zhu Erdan, “Your lifespan is not long.” Zhu Erdan inquired about the timeline, and Judge Lu told him he had five days left. Zhu Erdan asked, “Can you save me?” Judge Lu replied, “Everything is predetermined by heaven. How can people act according to their own wishes? Besides, for those who are enlightened, life and death are essentially the same. Why should we find joy in life and grief in death?”

Zhu Erdan found this reasoning quite profound. Therefore, he prepared the clothing, bedding, and coffin for his final moments. Once everything was ready, he dressed in his finest attire and passed away. The next day, as his wife was mourning by his coffin, Zhu Erdan suddenly appeared as if floating in from outside. His wife was extremely frightened, but Zhu Erdan said, “Though I am now a ghost, I am no different from when I was alive. I worry about you, a widow with an orphaned child, and I can’t bear to leave!” His wife was overcome with sorrow and couldn’t help but burst into tears, wetting her clothes. Zhu Erdan gently comforted and consoled his wife. She asked, “In ancient times, there were stories of the dead returning to life. Since you can manifest as a spirit, why not return to life?” Zhu Erdan replied, “Fate cannot be violated.”

His wife asked, “What are you doing in the underworld?” Zhu Erdan responded, “Judge Lu recommended me to handle literary matters there. I hold an official position and do not suffer.” His wife wanted to ask more questions, but Zhu Erdan said, “Judge Lu and I came together. You can prepare some food and drinks.” After saying this, he quickly left the house. Following his wife’s instructions, she prepared food and drinks. Laughter and merriment could be heard from inside the house, sounding just like when he was alive. When she peeked inside at midnight, the house was empty, with no trace of the two.

From then on, Zhu Erdan would return home every three to five days, sometimes staying overnight and taking care of household matters. Zhu Erdan had a son named Wei, who was only five years old. Each time he came home, he would hold his son. When his son reached the age of seven or eight, he would teach him to read under the lamplight. His son was quite bright, and by the age of nine, he could write essays. At the age of fifteen, he became a scholar, not knowing that he was a child who had lost his father. Over time, Zhu Erdan’s visits home became less frequent, occurring only once every couple of months.

One evening, Zhu Erdan came again and said to his wife, “Tonight, I bid you farewell forever.” His wife asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “I have been appointed by the Heavenly Emperor to serve as Taihua Qing and will be posted to a distant land. There, the tasks are numerous, and the journey is long, so I won’t be able to return.” Mother and son both held Zhu Erdan, weeping bitterly. Zhu Erdan consoled his wife, saying, “Don’t be like this! Our son has grown into an adult, and the household can continue to sustain itself. There are no married couples who can remain together for a hundred years!” He looked at his son and said, “Be a good person and don’t ruin the legacy I leave behind. We will meet again in ten years.” With that, he walked straight out the door and disappeared without a trace.

One evening, Zhu Erdan came again and said to his wife, “Tonight, I bid you farewell forever.” His wife asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “I have been appointed by the Heavenly Emperor to serve as Taihua Qing and will be posted to a distant land. There, the tasks are numerous, and the journey is long, so I won’t be able to return.” Mother and son both held Zhu Erdan, weeping bitterly. Zhu Erdan consoled his wife, saying, “Don’t be like this! Our son has grown into an adult, and the household can continue to sustain itself. There are no married couples who can remain together for a hundred years!” He looked at his son and said, “Be a good person and don’t ruin the legacy I leave behind. We will meet again in ten years.” With that, he walked straight out the door and disappeared without a trace.

One evening, Zhu Erdan came again and said to his wife, “Tonight, I bid you farewell forever.” His wife asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “I have been appointed by the Heavenly Emperor to serve as Taihua Qing and will be posted to a distant land. There, the tasks are numerous, and the journey is long, so I won’t be able to return.” Mother and son both held Zhu Erdan, weeping bitterly. Zhu Erdan consoled his wife, saying, “Don’t be like this! Our son has grown into an adult, and the household can continue to sustain itself. There are no married couples who can remain together for a hundred years!” He looked at his son and said, “Be a good person and don’t ruin the legacy I leave behind. We will meet again in ten years.” With that, he walked straight out the door and disappeared without a trace.

One evening, Zhu Erdan came again and said to his wife, “Tonight, I bid you farewell forever.” His wife asked, “Where are you going?” He replied, “I have been appointed by the Heavenly Emperor to serve as Taihua Qing and will be posted to a distant land. There, the tasks are numerous, and the journey is long, so I won’t be able to return.” Mother and son both held Zhu Erdan, weeping bitterly. Zhu Erdan consoled his wife, saying, “Don’t be like this! Our son has grown into an adult, and the household can continue to sustain itself. There are no married couples who can remain together for a hundred years!” He looked at his son and said, “Be a good person and don’t ruin the legacy I leave behind. We will meet again in ten years.” With that, he walked straight out the door and disappeared without a trace.

《陆判》

陵阳朱尔旦，字小明。性豪放，然素钝，学虽笃，尚未知名。一日，文社众饮，或戏之云：“君有豪名，能深夜赴十王殿，负得左廊判官来，众当醵作筵。”盖陵阳有十王殿，神鬼皆以木雕，妆饰如生。东庑有立判，绿面赤须，貌尤狞恶。或夜闻两廊拷讯声，入者，毛皆森竖。故众以此难朱。朱笑起，径去。居无何，门外大呼曰：“我请髯宗师至矣！”众皆起。俄负判入，置几上，奉觞酹之三。众睹之，瑟缩不安于座，仍请负去。朱又把酒灌地，祝曰：“门生狂率不文，大宗师谅不为怪。荒舍匪遥，合乘兴来觅饮，幸勿为畛畦。”乃负之去。

次日，众果招饮。抵暮，半醉而归，兴未阑，挑灯独酌。忽有人搴帘入，视之，则判官也。朱起曰：“意吾殆将死矣！前夕冒渎，今来加斧锧耶？”判启浓髯微笑曰：“非也。昨蒙高义相订，夜偶暇，敬践达人之约。”朱大悦，牵衣促坐，自起涤器爇火。判曰：“天道温和，可以冷饮。”朱如命，置瓶案上，奔告家人治肴果。妻闻，大骇，戒勿出。朱不听，立俟治具以出。易盏交酬，始询姓氏，曰：“我陆姓，无名字。”与谈古典，应答如响。问：“知制艺否？”曰：“妍媸亦颇辨之。阴司诵读，与阳世略同。”陆豪饮，一举十觥。朱因竟日饮，遂不觉玉山倾颓，伏几醺睡。比醒，则残烛昏黄，鬼客已去。

自是三两日辄一来，情益洽，时抵足卧。朱献窗稿，陆辄红勒之，都言不佳。一夜，朱醉，先寝，陆犹自酌。忽醉梦中，觉脏腑微痛，醒而视之，则陆危坐床前，破腔出肠胃，条条整理。愕曰：“夙无仇怨，何以见杀？”陆笑曰：“勿惧，我为君易慧心耳。”从容纳肠已，复合之，末以裹足布束朱腰。作用毕，视榻上亦无血迹，腹间觉少麻木。见陆置肉块几上，问之。曰：“此君心也。作文不快，知君之毛窍塞耳。适在冥间，于千万心中，拣得佳者一枚，为君易之，留此以补阙数。”乃起，掩扉去。天明解视，则创缝已合，有綖而赤者存焉。自是文思大进，过眼不忘。数日，又出文示陆。陆曰：“可矣。但君福薄，不能大显贵，乡、科而已。”问：“何时？”曰：“今岁必魁。”未几，科试冠军，秋闱果中经元。同社生素揶揄之，及见闱墨，相视而惊，细询始知其异。共求朱先容，愿纳交陆。陆诺之。众大设以待之。更初，陆至，赤髯生动，目炯炯如电。众茫乎无色，齿欲相击，渐引去。

朱乃携陆归饮。既醺，朱曰：“湔肠伐胃，受赐已多。尚有一事欲相烦，不知可否？”陆便请命。朱曰：“心肠可易，面目想亦可更。山荆，予结发人，下体颇亦不恶，但头面不甚佳丽。尚欲烦君刀斧，如何？”陆笑曰：“诺，容徐图之。”

过数日，半夜来叩关。朱急起延入，烛之，见襟裹一物。诘之，曰：“君曩所嘱，向艰物色。适得一美人首，敬报君命。”朱拨视，颈血犹湿。陆立促急入，勿惊禽犬。朱虑门户夜扃，陆至，一手推扉，扉自辟。引至卧室，见夫人侧身眠。陆以头授朱抱之，自于靴中出白刃如匕首，按夫人项，着力如切腐状，迎刃而解，首落枕畔。急于生怀取美人头合项上，详审端正，而后按捺。已而移枕塞肩际，命朱瘗首静所，乃去。朱妻醒，觉颈间微麻，面颊甲错，搓之，得血片，甚骇，呼婢汲盥。婢见面血狼藉，惊绝。濯之，盆水尽赤。举首则面目全非，又骇极。夫人引镜自照，错愕不能自解。朱入告之。因反复细视，则长眉掩鬓，笑靥承颧，画中人也。解领验之，有红线一周，上下肉色，判然而异。

先是，吴侍御有女甚美，未嫁而丧二夫，故十九犹未醮也。上元游十王殿。时游人甚杂，内有无赖贼窥而艳之，遂阴访居里，乘夜梯入。穴寝门，杀一婢于床下，逼女与淫。女力拒声喊，贼怒，亦杀之。吴夫人微闻闹声，呼婢往视，见尸，骇绝。举家尽起，停尸堂上，置首项侧，一门啼号，纷腾终夜。诘旦启衾，则身在而失其首。遍挞侍女，谓所守不恪，致葬犬腹。侍御告郡。郡严限捕贼，三月而罪人弗得。

渐有以朱家换头之异闻吴公者。吴疑之，遣媪探诸其家。入见夫人，骇走以告吴公。公视女尸故存，惊疑无以自决，猜朱以左道杀女，往诘朱。朱曰：“室人梦易其首，实不解其何故。谓仆杀之，则冤也。”吴不信，讼之。收家人鞫之，一如朱言，郡守不能决。朱归，求计于陆。陆曰：“不难，当使伊女自言之。”吴夜梦女曰：“儿为苏溪杨大年所贼，无与朱孝廉。彼不艳于其妻，陆判官取儿头与之易之，是儿身死而头生也。愿勿相仇。”醒告夫人，所梦同。乃言于官。问之，果有杨大年，执而械之，遂伏其罪。吴乃诣朱，请见夫人，由此为翁婿。乃以朱妻首合女尸而葬焉。

朱三入礼闱，皆以场规被放，于是灰心仕进。积三十年，一夕，陆告曰：“君寿不永矣。”问其期，对以五日。“能相救否？”曰：“惟天所命，人何能私？且自达人观之，生死一耳，何必生之为乐，死之为悲？”朱以为然。即治衣衾棺椁，既竟，盛服而没。翌日，夫人方扶柩哭，朱忽冉冉自外至。夫人惧，朱曰：“我诚鬼，不异生时。虑尔寡母孤儿，殊恋恋耳。”夫人大恸，涕垂膺，朱依依慰解之。夫人曰：“古有还魂之说，君既有灵，何不再生？”朱曰：“天数不可违也。”问：“在阴司作何务？”曰：“陆判荐我督案务，授有官爵，亦无所苦。”夫人欲再语，朱曰：“陆公与我同来，可设酒馔。”趋而出。夫人依言营备，但闻室中笑饮，亮气高声，宛若生前。半夜窥之，窅然已逝。自是三数日辄一来，时而留宿缱绻，家中事就便经纪。子玮方五岁，来辄捉抱，至七八岁则灯下教读。子亦惠，九岁能文，十五入邑庠，竟不知无父也。从此来渐疏，日月至焉而已。

又一夕来，谓夫人曰：“今与卿永诀矣。”问：“何往？”曰：“承帝命为太华卿，行将远赴，事烦途隔，故不能来。”母子持之哭。曰：“勿尔！儿已成立，家计尚可存活，岂有百岁不拆之鸾凤耶！”顾子曰：“好为人，勿堕父业。十年后一相见耳。”径出门去，于是遂绝。

后玮二十五，举进士，官行人。奉命祭西岳，道经华阴，忽有舆从羽葆，驰冲卤簿。讶之，审视车中人，其父也，下马哭伏道左。父停舆曰：“官声好，我目瞑矣。”玮伏不起。朱促舆行，火驰不顾。去数步，回望，解佩刀遣人持赠，遥语曰：“佩之当贵。”玮欲追从，见舆马人从，飘忽若风，瞬息不见。痛恨良久。抽刀视之，制极精工，镌字一行，曰：“胆欲大而心欲小，智欲圆而行欲方。”

玮后官至司马，生五子，曰沉，曰潜，曰沕，曰浑，曰深。一夕，梦父曰：“佩刀宜赠浑也。”从之。浑仕为总宪，有政声。

异史氏曰：断鹤续凫，矫作者妄；移花接木，创始者奇。而况加凿削于肝肠，施刀锥于颈项者哉？陆公者，可谓媸皮裹妍骨矣。明季至今，为岁不远，陵阳陆公犹存乎？尚有灵焉否也？为之执鞭，所忻慕焉。