典藏书目

In Yixing, there was a Chengwu Lang (an official rank) whose medical skills were exquisite and profound, yet he was greedy for wealth. He would not yield to anyone unless they were of great power and influence. When Zhai Zhonghui Gong resided in Changshu, he wished to see this doctor but could not succeed. The doctor then made an excuse that the Prefect of Pingjiang, Minister Liang, had invited him, and only then did he come.

Upon returning from Pingjiang, a wealthy man suffering from an illness happened to come seeking treatment. The doctor said, "This illness can be cured with just a few doses of herbal decoction, but if you do not offer five hundred thousand coins as gratitude, I will not treat it." The wealthy family initially agreed to pay half, so the doctor brushed off his robes and left. Eventually, the family complied with his demands, additionally presenting fifty taels of silver as medication funds, begging him to increase the reward to one hundred taels before he would produce medicine and treat them. After several days, the patient recovered. The doctor returned westward with his earnings. On the midway journey, he dreamed at night of a person wearing red robes who said, "The Supreme Deity considers you a physician, yet you greedily take bribes and have no heart to aid others. You are ordered to receive twenty strokes on your back." He then commanded his attendants to whip him. Upon waking, he felt pain in his back and called his servant to inspect it; the marks of beating were clearly visible. He returned home and died shortly thereafter. (From *Ji Zhi*)

In Mingzhou, a daughter of a household returned to her natal home after marriage. Her personal maid, Youlan, followed other maidservants to the backyard garden to pick vegetables when she suddenly felt dizzy and fainted to the ground, speaking incoherently as if possessed by a spirit. She was carried to a room and woke up only after half a day.

When asked about the cause, she said, "I must die. In my past life, I was an ophthalmologist in Hebei. An elderly woman living alone suffered from red eye disease. Secretly coveting her wealth, I administered purgative medicine to kill her and concealed all treasures within the house, leaving no witnesses outside. The old woman appealed to the Eastern Peak Deity (Dongyue Dadi) in the underworld, who ordered my arrest and trial. However, my lifespan in this life had not yet ended, so I could not be searched for in the mortal realm. Twenty years ago, after my previous life ended, I was reincarnated into this household in this prefecture. The old woman has harbored resentment for a long time in the yellow springs and appealed again to Yue Di. Yue Di, pitying her, selected a vigorous clerk and sent him to search throughout all commanderies and counties under heaven, covering almost every place, until finally arriving in eastern Zhejiang. Upon reaching here, preparing to enter the city, the gatekeeper stopped and questioned him, showing the document. The gatekeeper said, 'This is merely a talisman of the City God. Affairs within our city are governed by Lord Bao Jun (Baowang), unrelated to the City God. Entry is denied.'

Youlan continued, "Myself and that old woman wandered to beneath Gaoqiao, thirty li outside the city, and hid for several days. Another ghost official came from the west and also stationed by the bridge, exchanging greetings with Yue Di's messenger. The ghost official said, 'I am subordinate to Lord Bao Jun, serving as an urgent courier. I recently returned from delivering a letter to the Temple of Lord Dongting on Junshan Mountain. It is fortunate that we meet here. I miss you greatly; if you follow me, I will pray to the city guards to let you in.' The two bowed and thanked him and went together, successfully entering the city. They went directly to the hall of Lord Bao Jun to present the warrant. Lord Bao Jun unrolled it and said, 'This is a warrant of the City God. How did you enter?' I told him everything truthfully. Lord Bao Jun summoned the former ghost official and said, 'I dispatch you to go together and pursue.' The ghost official acknowledged and, holding Youlan, exited. For several days, they failed to find the target. One night, they arrived at Qiu Jia Xiang and heard an old woman burning evening incense and praying, saying, 'There is a certain girl in a certain residence as a concubine-maid...'. The words were roughly like this. Youlan happily said, 'The enemy can now be found.' She hurried towards the residence, but the Door Gods did not admit her. She then hid in the backyard, just as the judgment was being confirmed and recorded by the underworld authorities, imminent arrest inevitable. The karmic debt from past lives was destined to have no escape. The family wanted to summon a shaman or priest for salvation, but before they could act, Youlan took a knife and gouged out her own eyes, dying instantly. (From *Wu Zhi*)