Experience the captivating story of Xian Chao, who encounters a celestial maiden and shares an otherworldly bond that transcends time.
During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a county magistrate named Xian Chao in the Jibei Commandery of the Wei Kingdom, with the courtesy name Yiqi. In the reign of King Jia of Wei Qi, one night while he was sleeping alone, he dreamt of a goddess who came to accompany him. She claimed to be a celestial Jade Maiden from the heavens, a person from the Dong Commandery, with the family name Chenggong and the courtesy name Zhiqiong. In her early years, she had lost her parents, and out of compassion, the Heavenly Emperor sent her to the mortal realm to marry and follow her husband. While Xian Chao dreamt, his spirit was refreshed, and he felt a clear presence. He praised Zhiqiong for her extraordinary beauty, unlike anyone he had ever seen before. When he woke up, he pondered whether it was real or just a dream. This continued for three or four nights. One day, Zhiqiong appeared in person to visit, riding in a carriage with eight maidservants. They were all dressed in luxurious silk and exquisite attire, with grace and beauty resembling celestial beings. She claimed to be seventy years old but appeared as if she were a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. The carriage was filled with jars, containers, and blue-and-white glassware, and the food and drink were exceedingly peculiar. She arranged a fine wine and shared it with Xian Chao. She said to him, “I am a Jade Maiden from the heavens, sent down by the Heavenly Emperor to marry and follow you. I didn’t expect you to possess such virtue; it must be a karmic connection from a previous life that we should be husband and wife. I cannot say there are any benefits, nor will there be any harm. We can frequently travel in a light carriage, ride fat horses, and enjoy exotic delicacies like mountain treasures and seafood. Silks and brocades will never be lacking. However, I am a divine being and will not bear you children, nor do I harbor jealousy to interfere with your marital affairs.” Thus, they became husband and wife. Zhiqiong composed a poem for Xian Chao, and the poem went: “I wander in the immortal realm of Penglai, where cloud boards and stone chimes play heavenly music. Lingzhi mushrooms do not require rain for nourishment; supreme virtue awaits the opportune moment. Immortals do not act on mere intuition but follow the will of heaven to come and assist you. Allow me to bring honor to your five generations, and I will not oppose or harm you.” This is the general idea of the poem, which had over two hundred characters and cannot be entirely reproduced here. She also provided commentary on the Book of Changes (Yijing) in seven volumes, including hexagram explanations, line explanations, and explanations using the trigrams. Thus, the text contains both philosophical meanings and can be used for divination of good and bad fortune, similar to Yang Xiong’s “Tai Xuan” and Xue’s “Zhongjing.” Xian Chao was able to understand the essence of these texts and use them for predicting outcomes and weather changes.
After being married for seven or eight years, Xian Chao’s parents, following his marriage to Zhiqiong, noticed that every other day, Zhiqiong and Xian Chao would eat together, and every other night, they would sleep together. Zhiqiong would come at night and leave in the morning, moving as fast as if she were flying. Only Xian Chao could see her; no one else could. Although she lived in a place where others couldn’t see her, her voice could always be heard, and her traces were often seen, but her appearance remained invisible. Later, someone became curious and questioned Xian Chao, who eventually revealed their secret. Zhiqiong then requested to leave, saying, “I am a divine being, and even though we have been together, I do not want others to know about it. But your character is rough, and now that my identity has been completely exposed, I can no longer be with you. After all these years of companionship, the bond is not light, and parting will be heartbreaking. The situation forces us to do so, so let us both do our best.” She instructed her maids to prepare a meal, opened a bamboo box, and took out two sets of colorful silk and golden-threaded clothing for Xian Chao. She also gifted him a poem, bid farewell with her arm linked with his, tears in her eyes, and a sorrowful expression, then boarded the carriage and left as if flying. Xian Chao was in deep sorrow for many days, almost reaching a state of despair.
Five years after Zhiqiong’s departure, Xian Chao was dispatched on a mission to Luoyang by the county magistrate. He arrived at a small road at the foot of Mount Yushan in Jibei. As he traveled west, he could see in the distance a curved road with a carriage at the end, resembling Zhiqiong. Xian Chao rode his horse quickly and indeed found it was her. They unveiled the curtains and reunited with a mixture of sorrow and joy. He held the reins of the left horse and climbed onto the carriage with her, traveling together to reach Luoyang. Once again, they became husband and wife and reconciled. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin, in the Taikang era, they continued to live together but did not meet every day. Instead, Zhiqiong would visit on special occasions like the third day of the third month, the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, the ninth day of the ninth month, the first and fifteenth day of each month. She would stay for one night and then depart. Zhang Maoxian wrote a poem titled “Ode to the Divine Maiden” for her.
《弦超与神女》
魏济北郡从事掾弦超，字义起。以嘉平中夜独宿，梦有神女来从之。自称天上玉女，东郡人，姓成公，字知琼，早失父母，天帝哀其孤苦，遣令下嫁从夫。超当其梦也，精爽感悟，嘉其美异，非常人之容。觉寤钦想，若存若亡。如此三四夕。一旦，显然来游，驾辎车，从八婢，服绫罗绮绣之衣，姿颜容体，状若飞仙。自言年七十，视之如十五六女。车上有壶、榼、青白琉璃五具，食啖奇异。馔具醴酒，与超共饮食。谓超曰：“我，天上玉女，见遣下嫁，故来从君。不谓君德，宿时感运，宜为夫妇。不能有益，亦不能为损。然往来常可得驾轻车，乘肥马；饮食常可得远味异膳，缯素常可得充用不乏。然我神人，不为君生子，亦无妒忌之性，不害君婚姻之义。”遂为夫妇。赠诗一篇，其文曰：“飘飖浮勃逢，敖曹云石滋。芝英不须润，至德与时期。神仙岂虚感，应运来相之。纳我荣五族，逆我致祸菑。”此其诗之大较，其文二百余言，不能尽录。兼注《易》七卷，有卦有象，以彖为属。故其文言既有义理，又可以占吉凶，犹扬子之《太玄》、薛氏之《中经》也。超皆能通其旨意，用之占候。
作夫妇经七八年，父母为超娶妇之后，分日而燕，分夕而寝，夜来晨去，倏忽若飞，唯超见之，他人不见。虽居暗室，辄闻人声，常见踪迹，然不睹其形。后人怪问，漏泄其事。玉女遂求去，云：“我，神人也。虽与君交，不愿人知。而君性疏漏，我今本末已露，不复与君通接。积年交结，恩义不轻，一旦分别，岂不怆恨？势不得不尔，各自努力！”又呼侍御下酒饮啖。发簏，取织成裙衫两副遗超。又赠诗一首，把臂告辞，涕泣流离，肃然升车，去若飞迅。超忧感积日，殆至委顿。
去后五年，超奉郡使至洛，到济北鱼山下陌上。西行，遥望曲道头有一马车，似知琼。驱驰至前，果是也。遂披帷相见，悲喜交切。控左援绥，同乘至洛。遂为室家，克复旧好。至太康中，犹在。但不日日往来，每于三月三日、五月五日、七月七日、九月九日、旦、十五日辄下，往来经宿而去。张茂先为之作《神女赋》。