Daoist Zhang Ting(張挺) was in charge of repairing the City God Temple in Huzhou(湖州). He ordered craftsmen to carve a three-zhang tall statue of the City God out of sandalwood and embroidered a ceremonial robe to dress the statue. Just three days after the new City God statue was enshrined, Zhang Ting dreamt of a giant standing before him. This giant wore a celestial crown on his head but was completely naked.
During his tenure as magistrate in Henan(河南), Yang Lihu(楊笠湖) was tasked with providing relief to the famine-stricken in Shangshui County(商水縣). It was early autumn, and the scorching heat persisted relentlessly. After completing their midday duties, Mr. Yang instructed his subordinates to seek shade and coolness in the City God Temple.
As they entered the temple and settled, a man hurried towards them, imploring, “I am Zhang Xiang(張相), begging for your help, sir!”
Ye Xiangliu(葉祥榴), a Jinshi degree holder, said he had a friend named Chen, whose family had invited a teacher named Zhuang Sheng(莊生).
One August evening, after Zhuang Sheng finished teaching, feeling weary from watching the Chen brothers playing chess in the study, he stood up to return home. Zhuang Sheng’s house was a short distance from Chen’s, across a small bridge. As he walked onto the bridge that day, he stepped into emptiness, fell to the ground, hurriedly got up, and ran back home.
