Loach(鱧魚), a creature in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, that’ll surprise you with its unique abilities. It can climb trees, make sheep-like sounds, and is found in a mountain rich with gold.
Seventy li to the west is a mountain called Ying. On the mountain grow many locust trees and catalpa trees. To the north of the mountain there is much iron, and to the south there is much red gold.
The Tang Dynasty’s Chancellor, Duke Pei Du of Jin(裴度), was thin and small in stature, lacking the distinguished appearance that hindered his success in the realm of achievements and fame. Perplexed by this, he sought guidance.
Fortuitously, there was a renowned physiognomist in Luoyang, highly esteemed by scholars and officials. Pei Du purposely visited him, seeking insight into his fate. Upon scrutinizing Pei Du’s countenance, the physiognomist remarked, “Sir, your appearance exudes an extraordinary aura.
Du Bo(杜伯), also known as Heng, was a senior official of the Zhou dynasty. The king’s concubine, Nv Jiu(女鸠), wanted to have an affair with Du Bo, but Du Bo refused. Nv Jiu was angry and one day told the king, “Du Bo is secretly trying to seduce me.” The king believed her and imprisoned Du Bo in Jiaodi. He sent Xuefu(薛甫) and Sikong Qi(司空锜) to kill Du Bo.
Du Bo’s friend, Zuo Ru, tried to persuade the king not to kill Du Bo nine times but failed.
In the Tang Dynasty, Cui Chang studied in Dongjing Zhuang. There was a child with a remarkably unusual appearance who walked over and stopped in the courtyard. Over time, the child slowly climbed the steps, sat at the head of Cui Chang’s bed, and Cui Chang ignored him, continuing to read his book. The child then used his hand to flip through the pages of Cui Chang’s book. Cui Chang asked slowly, “Who are you, and what do you want here?”
During the Tang Dynasty, in Jinjiang County, Quanzhou, there was a county official named Zhang Zong who had a great fondness for fish. One day, he suddenly fell ill and, though appearing dead, his chest remained warm. After seven days, he unexpectedly revived. At the same time, Li E, a censor, had been demoted and appointed as the new county official of Jinjiang. He was at a colleague named Wang’s house, indulging in a fish feast.
In the second year of the Dali period, Magistrate Li Zuoshi of Shanyin fell ill with a serious illness. After several days, his condition improved slightly, and he traveled from Kuaiji to Longqiu. His cousin, Magistrate Li Shu, was serving as the county magistrate in Longqiu, and he invited Li Zuoshi to stay at the county office for a few days.
One night, Li Zuoshi was talking with his guest, Li Ju, by candlelight when suddenly twenty or so men dressed in red robes and carrying weapons appeared in the corridor.
In the Langya region, there was a man named Qin Juebu who was already sixty years old. One day, he was walking home at night after drinking. He passed by the Fengshan Temple when he saw his two grandsons coming to meet him. They supported him for over a hundred paces, suddenly grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground.
“You old slave, you beat me once, and now I’m going to kill you!”
Wei Shanjun was a man from Duling in the capital district of Jingzhao. He traveled all over the country in search of the Dao, visiting all the famous mountains. He met a deity who gave him a letter of summons from the Three Sovereigns, granting him the Daoist arts of transformation.
Wei Shanjun sometimes lived quietly in the wilds of the mountains, and sometimes he would get drunk and sleep on the road.
In the summer, a heavy storm flooded the toilet of Lu Yanxu, the warehouse keeper of Xuzhou. The water soon drained away, and Lu Yanxu invited his neighbors to come and see. They saw a grave pit below, with a large coffin in the middle. Inside the coffin lay a woman in her twenties. She was white and clean, with fingernails that were five or six inches long. She had more than ten gold hairpins in her hair.
Xie Duan was a man from Houguan County, Fujian Province, in the Jin Dynasty. He was orphaned at a young age and had no relatives, so he was raised by his neighbors. When he was 17 or 18 years old, he was a respectful and careful person who avoided doing anything illegal. He began to live on his own.
The villagers pitied and cared about Xie Duan, and they discussed together how to find him a wife, but they were unsuccessful.
In the heart of Yingyang village, there lived an unknown man named Anonymous. One day, he was drunk and walking home. When he reached the Shrine of the Young Woman, he couldn’t walk anymore. He tied up his horse and fell asleep at the door of the shrine.
After sleeping for a long time, he seemed to wake up. He wanted to get up and walk, but only his head could move and his body wouldn’t get up.
