Yan Song(嚴嵩), for his wife Ouyang(歐陽氏), selected a burial ground, summoning several dozen guests skilled in Feng Shui from among his followers. He addressed them, saying, ‘My wealth has reached its peak. What more could I desire? I only hope that you, sirs, will choose for me a piece of auspicious land so that my descendants may be as prosperous as I am. Then I shall be content.’ These guests readily agreed.
Within a month, one of them came forth and said, ‘There is a grave on a certain mountain. If you are buried there, Sir, your descendants will surely be wealthy and long-lived, just like you.’
Yan Song instructed these Feng Shui experts to inspect the site. One guest remarked, ‘Though the descendants buried here may indeed be wealthy, the vitality of this place is short-lived. At most, it will last for six or seven generations.’ Everyone concurred with this assessment.
Yan Song purchased this burial site. When they began excavating the grave, they discovered a tombstone already present within. After cleaning it off, they saw that it bore the epitaph of Yan Song’s seventh-generation ancestor. Yan Song was greatly alarmed and hastily sealed the grave, making a distinguishing mark. After this incident, the Yan Song family suddenly declined, eventually meeting a fate of losing all their possessions.
This account was narrated by Yan Song’s descendant, Yan Binglian(嚴秉璉).
Translated from 《介溪墳》in 《子不語》:
嚴介溪為其妻歐陽氏卜葬，召門下風水客數十人，囑曰：「吾富貴已極，尚何他望？只望諸君擇地，生子孫能再如我者而甘心焉。」諸客唯唯。未一月，有客來云：「某山有穴，葬之，子孫貴壽，與公相埒。」介溪命群客視之。一客獨曰：「若葬此，子孫雖貴，但氣脈大遲，恐在六七世後耳。」俱以為然。介溪買成。開穴，中有古墳墓志，摩視之，即嚴氏之七世祖也。介溪大駭，急加封識。然自此嚴氏大衰，且籍沒矣。此事嚴後裔名秉璉者所言。
🎨 《槐蔭消夏圖》 Anonymous, in the Song Dynasty