JIAONA

There was a scholar named Kong Xuegasa, a descendant of Confucius. He was a kind and generous person, and he was very good at making poems. He had a good friend who was a magistrate in Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, and wrote to him to invite him to play. When he arrived at Tiantai, the county official happened to die. Kong Sheng was stranded there and could not return to his hometown, so he had to live in the Bodhidharma Temple and was hired by the monks to copy Buddhist scriptures. More than a hundred paces west of the temple, there is Mr. Shan's compound. Mr. single is the son of a bureaucratic family, because of a lawsuit, so that the family lost, coupled with the scarcity of people, has been moved to the countryside to live, the compound is vacant.

 One day, the snow was heavy, and there were no pedestrians on the road. Kong Sheng happened to walk through the door of the single family, just came across the door out of a graceful, beautiful young man, the young man saw Kong Sheng, immediately greeted, bowed and saluted, after a few words of pleasantries, he begged Kong Sheng to his home as a guest. Kong Sheng quite like this young man, then quickly agreed to his request, and went in with him. The house in the courtyard was not very spacious. Inside, there were brocade curtains hanging everywhere; on the walls there were also many paintings and calligraphy of the ancients. There was a book on the table, a book called Luang Huan Zuo Ji (琅嬛琐記). Kong Sheng casually turned it over to look at it, all of which he had not read. He thought that this young man lived in the single family compound, must be the owner of the compound, and did not ask him about his family history. The young man asked about Kong Sheng's experience, sympathized with his plight, and advised him to open a museum to accept students. Kong Sheng sighed and said, "I am a stray person, no relatives and no friends, who will recommend me to people?" The young man said, "If you don't think I am stupid, I would like to be your teacher." Kong Sheng was delighted to hear this, but did not dare to be a teacher, but only asked to be friends with him. So he asked, "Why is this house always locked?" The young man replied, "This compound was originally owned by Mr. Shan, and it has been empty for a long time because Mr. Shan moved to live in the country. My surname is Huangfu, and my ancestry is from Shaanxi. Because my old home was destroyed by wildfire, I had to temporarily borrow this place to make my home." Kong Sheng then realized that the teenager was not the owner of the Shan family's house.

 That night, the two men talked and laughed and were very much in touch with each other. Late at night, the young man kept Kong Sheng to sleep with him in the same bed. Early the next morning, there was a boy in the house to make a charcoal fire. The boy got up first and went to the inner room. Kong Sheng was still sitting on the bed with the quilt around him. The boy ran in and said, "Your father is here!" Kong Sheng was startled and hurriedly got out of bed. He saw an old man with white hair coming in and thanked him earnestly, saying, "I am very grateful that you do not think my son is stupid and are willing to teach him to read. However, he has just begun to learn, so sir must not treat him as a peer just because he is a friend." After saying this, he presented him with a set of brocade clothes, a sable hat, and a pair of shoes and socks. When Kong Sheng had finished freshening up, he ordered wine and food to be set out. The table and couch in the room, and the clothes worn by the master were so gorgeous that Kong Sheng could not name them, and only felt dazzled by their splendor. After pouring wine a few times, the old man got up to take his leave and walked away on his crutches. After the meal, the teenage eunuch sent him to do the coursework, all the ancient poetry, and not the eight-legged essay that was popular at the time. Kong Sheng asked what the reason, the male son smiled and replied, "I do not want to take the imperial examinations to seek merit." At dusk, he set up another banquet and said, "Drink to your heart's content tonight, but you won't be able to do so tomorrow." And he greeted his scholar boy, saying, "Go and see if Tai Gong is asleep. If he is asleep, quietly call Xiangnu here." The book boy went for a while, and first brought the lute in an embroidered bag. Then came in a maid, very pretty in red and green. The eunuch asked her to play a piece of "Xiang Fei's Complaint. She plucked the strings with her teeth and made a stirring and mournful sound, with a melody and rhythm unlike anything he had ever heard before. After playing, the young man asked Xiangnu to drink a large glass of wine. And so they played until the third night. The next day, they got up early in the morning and read together. The young man was very clever and could read from memory. Two or three months later, the composition was very wonderful and incisive. They agreed to drink once every five days, and every time they drank, they asked Xiangnu to accompany them. One night, Kong Sheng drank a little too much, and looked at Xiangnu. Seeing what Kong Sheng meant, the duke said, "This girl was adopted by my father. Brother is far away from home, there is no family around to take care of, I have long been considering on your behalf day and night, and will soon be able to find a suitable companion for you." Kong Sheng said, "If you find one for me, it must be one like Xiang Nu." The Gongzi laughed and said, "You are really a little short-sighted person, if Xiangnu is the standard of goodness, then your wish is too easy to fulfill."

 Kong Sheng stayed in the house of Prince Huangfu for half a year. One day, when he wanted to walk in the countryside, he came to the gate and saw that the two gates were unlocked, so he asked what was the reason. The Duke said, "My father is afraid of being distracted by socializing, so he has closed the gates to visitors." After hearing this, Kong Sheng was discouraged from going out. It was a hot summer day, humid and stuffy, so the two of them moved to a garden pavilion to study. Kong Sheng's chest suddenly grew like a peach like a big bag, overnight work will be swollen like a rice bowl so big, the pain he wailed endlessly. The Duke came to visit him morning and evening, and he was so anxious that he couldn't sleep or eat. After a few more days, the sores got worse, so painful that he couldn't even swallow the porridge. The Duke also came to visit him, and sighed with sorrow with the Duke. The Duke said, "I thought last night that Jiao Na's sister could cure you, so I sent someone to my grandmother's house to ask her to come back. But I don't know why she hasn't come for so long?" As he spoke, the scribe came in and said, "Auntie Na has returned, and Auntie and Auntie Song have also come along." Hearing this, Huangfu's father and son hurried into the inner room. In a short while, the eunuch led Jiao Na to see Kong Sheng. Jiao Na was about thirteen or fourteen years old, her eyes were bright and beautiful, sparkling with intelligence, and her willow-like waist was particularly moving. When Kong Sheng saw such a beautiful girl, he immediately forgot his pain and his spirit was refreshed. The male then said to his sister, "This is a good friend of my brother's, as if he were a blood brother; my sister must give him the cure with all her heart." Upon hearing this, Jiao Na put away her shyness, lifted up her long sleeves, and drew near to the bed to give Kong Sheng a medical treatment. While checking his pulse, Kong Sheng smelled Jiao Na's fragrant breath, which seemed to smell even better than orchids. Jiao Na smiled and said, "I really deserve this disease, my heart pulse is beating very fast. Although the condition is very dangerous, it can still be cured; it's just that the poisonous sores have congealed into lumps, so it's not possible without surgery." When he had finished speaking, he took off a gold bracelet from his wrist, placed it on the swollen sore, and then slowly pressed it downward with his hand. The swollen sore bulged an inch high in the gold bracelet and protruded outside the bracelet, and the remaining swelling at the root was collected in the bracelet, not as large as before. She used her other hand to lift up the lapel, took off a knife with a blade thinner than paper, one hand pressed the bracelet, one hand holding the knife, gently cut against the root of the sore. Purple-red pus and blood flowed straight out, polluting the bed. Kong Sheng because of the greed close to the beautiful appearance of Jiao Na, not only do not feel the pain, on the contrary, afraid of surgery is over too quickly, so that he can not snuggle up more time. Not long after, the rotten flesh was cut off, round as a wooden tumor cut from a tree. Jonna called for more water to be brought in to clean Kong Sheng's wound. Then she spat out a small red pill from her mouth, the size of a marble, and placed it on top of the wound and spun it around. Just turned a circle, Kong Sheng felt hot fire steam; turn another circle, the wound crisp and itchy; after three circles, all over the body cool, penetrate the bone marrow. At this time, Jiao Na put away the red pill into the mouth, said: "good!" Then quickly step out of the room. Kong Sheng jumped out of bed and ran out to thank her. Kong Sheng's stubborn malady seems to have suddenly disappeared, but his heart is always in suspense about Jiao Na's radiant appearance, which is simply uncontrollable.

 From then on, he stopped reading, and all day long he sat stupefied and bored. The Duke saw through his mind, and said, "I am looking for a companion for my brother, and I have got a very good one." Kong Sheng asked anxiously, "Who is it?" The Duke said, "Also a relative of mine." Kong Sheng pondered for a long time and only said, "Don't bother." Then he turned his face to the wall and chanted, "Once the ocean was hard to be water, except for Wushan it is not cloud."

 Understanding Kong Sheng's meaning, the Duke said, "My father admires your high talent and erudition, and has often wanted to marry you. But I have only this little sister, and she is too young. I have a cousin, my aunt's daughter, called Ah Song, this year eighteen years old, quite not vulgar, nor shallow. If you don't believe me, Sister Pine goes to the garden pavilion every day; you may wait in front, and you will see her then." Kong Sheng according to the Prince's instructions, and indeed saw Jiao Na accompanied by a beautiful woman, that beautiful woman painted black and curved moth eyebrow, graceful gait, the appearance of the same with Jiao Na is not the same. Kong Sheng was so delighted with the sight that he asked the Prince to make a match for him. On the next day, the Prince came out of his inner room and congratulated him, saying, "It is done." So he packed another house and held the wedding for Kong Sheng. That night, the gongs and drums were very lively. Kong Sheng originally thought that the unattainable fairy, this night suddenly share the same bed, therefore, he really suspect that the moon palace fairyland may not be far away in the clouds. After the wedding, Kong Sheng mood comfortable, the days go by very quickly.

 One evening the Duke said to Kong Sheng, "I will never forget the favor of my elder brother in studying and learning with me to learn from each other. But recently Duke Shan has returned from his lawsuit and has pressed for the house several times, and we intend to leave here and go back to Shaanxi. The situation is so urgent that I am afraid it will be difficult for us to get together again. Therefore, the heart is filled with parting sorrows, and it is very unpalatable." Kong Sheng expressed his willingness to go west with them. The Duke, however, advised him to return to his hometown, and he felt embarrassed. The Duke said, "There is no need to fret; I can send you home at once." As he spoke, the Taigong came leading Songniang and presented Kongsheng with a hundred taels of gold. The Duke stretched out his right and left hands and clasped each of them with the couple's hands, and instructed them to close their eyes and not to look. Kong Sheng felt his body floating in the air and only heard the wind whistling in his ears. After a long time, the eunuch said, "It's here." Kong Sheng opened his eyes and saw that he had returned to his old home. Only then did he realize that the gongzi was no mortal. He happily went to knock on the door of his house. The mother opened the door and saw that her son had come home, which was really unexpected, and saw that she had brought back a beautiful daughter-in-law, which was even more gratifying. When they looked back, the son was gone. Songniang served her mother-in-law with filial piety, and she was known far and wide for her beauty and virtue.

 Later, Kong Sheng passed the entrance examination and was appointed as a magistrate of Yan'an Province, and he took his family to the office. His mother did not go with him because of the long journey. Songniang gave birth to a boy there and named him Xiao Huan. Soon after, Kong Sheng was dismissed from his post because he had offended his superiors, but he could not return home immediately because of some unfinished business. Once, Kong Sheng went hunting in the countryside and met a young man riding a black horse, who kept looking back at him. He took a closer look and realized that it was Mr. Huangfu. He immediately reined in and dismounted, and the two of them were overcome with grief and joy. The Duke then invited Kong Sheng to walk with him, and when he arrived at a village, he saw only flourishing trees and thick shade. The gate of the Duke's house was studded with large yellow brass nails, as luxurious as a noble family. Kong Sheng inquired about Jiao Na's recent situation and learned that she had already married and her mother-in-law had passed away, lamenting to each other. Kong Sheng stayed for a night, said goodbye to go back, and Song Niang and his son came to visit relatives. At this time, it is just that Jiao Na also came. She picked up Songniang's child and teased him, saying, "Sister has messed up my family's seed." Kong Sheng thanked her for her kindness in healing him. Jiao Na smiled and said, "Sister-in-law is noble. The sore has long since healed, haven't you forgotten the pain?" Brother-in-law Wu Lang also came to pay his respects and stayed for two nights before leaving.

 One day, the Duke said to Kong Sheng with a sad face, "The heavens have sent down a great disaster, can you help us?" Although Kong Sheng did not know what was going to happen, he said very firmly that he would take charge of everything. The Duke rushed out and got all his family together, and surrounded Kong Sheng in the hall to kneel and worship him. Kong Sheng was shocked and hurriedly asked why. The male said, "We are not human beings, but foxes. Today we are going to suffer the calamity of being struck by lightning. If you are willing to risk your life for us to ward off this calamity, our whole family may survive; otherwise, please carry your children and leave here quickly, and don't be affected by us." Kong Sheng swore to live and die with them. The Duke then told him to take his sharp sword and stand in the doorway, and instructed him, "When the thunder strikes, you must not move!" Kong Sheng stood as he said. In the twinkling of an eye, he saw indeed the dark clouds rolling in, and the day suddenly became night, and the sky was dark. Turning back to look at the place where he lived, there is no longer a tall gatehouse, only a large mound, revealing a big hole that is too deep to see the bottom. Being surprised, the thunderbolt rumbled, the mountains were shaken up, followed by a storm, even a hundred years old trees were uprooted. Kong Sheng was deafened by the shock, but he still stood upright with his sword, motionless. Suddenly in the rolling smoke and black clouds, saw a ghost, sharp mouth and long claws, grabbed a person from the hole, about to fly up with the smoke in the air. Kong Sheng glimpsed the person's clothes and shoes like Jiao Na, hastily jumped upward, waved his sword to cut, the person fell from the air. Suddenly, a thunderbolt exploded like a heavenly crash, and Kong Sheng was knocked to the ground and died. A moment later, the rain cleared, Jiao Na has awakened himself, saw Kong Sheng died beside him, could not help but let out a loud cry, said: "Kong Lang died for me, I live for what ah!" Songniang also rushed out, and together they carried Kong Sheng inside. Jiao Na let Song Niang hold his head, and let her brother use a gold hairpin to dislodge his teeth; she herself pinched Kong Sheng's cheeks, and with her tongue sent the red pills into his mouth, and blew air mouth to mouth into them. The red pill followed the breath into his throat and made a grating sound. After a while, Kong Sheng woke up. He saw his relatives and wife standing in front of him, as if he had just woken up from a big dream. So the family reunion, panic turned to joy.

 Kong Sheng thought that the cold and gloomy tomb cave could not be lived in for a long time, so he discussed moving to his hometown together. Everyone is in favor of it. Only Jiao Na is sullen. Kong Sheng invites her to go with Wu Lang, but she worries that her in-laws won't leave their young son, and the discussion goes on all day without result. Suddenly, a small servant of the Wu family came running, sweating and panting, and everyone asked him in horror, but it turned out that Wu Lang's family had been robbed on the same day, and the whole family had died. Jiao Na beat her chest and grieved. Everyone came to comfort and persuade. In this way, the matter of returning home together was finalized.

 Kong Sheng went into the city for a few days to run errands, and then he organized his traveling clothes overnight and went on his way. After returning to their hometown, Gongzi's family lived in the empty garden. The Duke often locked the garden door behind him and opened it only when Kong Sheng and Song Niang arrived. Kong Sheng and Huangfu siblings played chess and drank wine and laughed as if they were a family. The young eunuch grew up with a clean-cut appearance, only sometimes showing the mood of a fox. When he went to the market to play, people knew that he was the child of a fox fairy.