Library

(Attached are two letters, appended to *Shuanghong Kan Ji* [Collection of Frost-Redded Nook])
Enduring hardships alone, now we must part; within the universe, ancient righteousness remains, and in life and death, true understanding is revealed. Bound in shackles, yet resilient as grass; transmitting the lamp of knowledge not through poetry, but through action. This endless work spanning millennia, strive hard to comfort our mutual longing.

In Jiangzhou (referring to where Yuan Jixian was imprisoned), seeking death is impossible; for now, one can only face it with composure. I hear you have entered the mountains wearing a Taoist crown to care for your mother—excellent, excellent! At this time, you must not take a single step out of the mountain. A volume of poems has been entrusted to Xi from Quwo, with instructions to deliver them to your residence for storage in the mountains. Have they arrived? (Winter of Yichou year)

Have the previous poems arrived? If they have not reached your hands, do not go to retrieve them yourself. You may ask Cao Shuogong, a Xiaocong (scholar who passed provincial exams) from Xihe, to intercede and retrieve them, ensuring they are stored safely at your residence. Currently, I am writing two books: *Jingguan* [Observations on Classics] and *Shiguan* [Observations on History]. *Jingguan* is nearly complete, but *Shiguan* is unfinished. I wonder if I will be able to finish this endeavor? Among the scholars of Jin (Shanxi), only you understand me deeply. As long as I remain alive (before the coffin lid is closed), I dare not betray your trust, lest I feel ashamed to call Yuan Jixian my friend in the future.

Early Autumn of Bingyin Year, Yuan Jixian (Zishan) of Yichun

(Originally published in *Chibe Outan* [Odd Tales from the North Pond])
Fu Shan, courtesy name Qingzhu, also known as Gongzhituo, was from Taiyuan. His mother dreamed of an old Buddhist monk before giving birth to him, and he did not cry upon birth. A blind monk came to the door and said, "Since you have come, why not cry?" Then he cried. At six years old, he consumed *Polygonatum sibiricum* (Huangjing, Huang Jing) and disliked grain food; when forced, he resumed eating. He read the Thirteen Classics, various philosophical schools, and histories as if he had understood them in a past life. In the tenth year of Chongzhen, Yuan Jixian, styled Linhou, served as the Education Commissioner of Shanxi. He was arrested after being falsely impeached by Censor Zhang Sunzhen. Fu Shan carried documents with him, prostrated himself before the palace gates, and submitted a memorial to clear his冤 (injustice). Ma Shiqi (courtesy name Junchang), a Yu De (Imperial Tutor), wrote *Biographies of Two Righteous Men of Shanxi* (referring to Fu Shan and Xue Zhouzhou of Fenyang), comparing them to Pei Yu and Wei Shao. After the chaos of war, Fu Shan dreamed that the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon him a Taoist crown and a monk's robe, so he adopted the attire of a Taoist priest. His medical skills were miraculous; he would only see officials if summoned in his capacity as a physician, otherwise refusing to meet them. In the Wuwu year of Kangxi, he was conscripted and invited to the capital, but declined due to old age and illness. In the Jiwu year, along with Du Yue from Fanyang, he was appointed as a Zhongshu Sheren (Secretariat Attendant) in the Grand Secretariat and returned to his hometown. Fu Shan excelled in Bafen clerical script and stone/seal carving; his paintings belonged to the "Yi" (Elegant/Untrammeled) category. His son, Fu Mei, courtesy name Shoumao, was also skilled in painting and composed dozens of ancient-style fu (rhapsodies). Fu Shan often traveled to sell medicine, with his son pushing the cart together. Upon arriving at an inn in the evening, he would light a lamp and supervise the recitation of classics, histories, and selections of Sao and Fu literature. They had to memorize them by dawn before departing; otherwise, they were punished with a cane.