Chinese Mythology Tales ⑴

Hello everyone! Starting today, I'll be sharing Chinese mythological stories with you. This first story comes from Liaozhai Zhiyi (a classic collection of supernatural tales from 17th century China, full of ghosts, fox spirits, and strange encounters - kind of like China's version of Twilight Zone meets ancient folklore).

I'll do my best to explain any terms that might be unfamiliar, so before reading the story, it would help to understand some background about these special terms. The title of this story is:The Examination for the City God​

Term Explanations:

官府 (Guānfǔ)​: The government office/yamen - the administrative headquarters where officials worked in imperial China, similar to a city hall combined with courthouse.

​官差 (Guānchāi)​: A government runner/messenger - low-ranking officials who carried out tasks like delivering documents or making arrests.

​秀才 (Xiùcai)​: A scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination - equivalent to a bachelor's degree holder in today's terms.

​城隍 (Chénghuáng)​: The City God - a Taoist deity who serves as the spiritual magistrate of a city, judging souls and maintaining cosmic order.

​关壮缪 (Guān Zhuàngmiù)​: Another name for Guan Yu, the deified general from the Three Kingdoms period, now worshipped as the God of War.

​Story Content:

My brother-in-law's grandfather, Scholar Song Tao, was a government-supported scholar in our county. One day while bedridden with illness, he saw an official messenger arrive holding a document and leading a white-blazed horse.

"You're summoned to take an examination," declared the messenger.

"But the Examiner hasn't arrived," protested Song. "How can there suddenly be an exam?"

The messenger remained silent, only urging him to hurry. Weak as he was, Song mounted the horse and followed along unfamiliar roads until they reached a magnificent city resembling an imperial capital.

They entered a grand government office with splendid halls. About a dozen officials sat in judgment - Song recognized only one: the deified General Guan Yu. Two writing desks stood ready below the eaves, where another scholar already waited. Song joined him as examination papers came floating down bearing the prompt: "One man, two men; with intent, without intent."

Song's essay contained this passage: "Good deeds done with calculation deserve no reward; evil done without malice deserves no punishment." The gods praised this wisdom and summoned him forward.

"The City God position in Henan is vacant," declared the chief judge. "You're worthy of it."

Realizing this was no mortal examination, Song kowtowed tearfully: "I dare not refuse this honor, but my seventy-year-old mother has no one to care for her. Please let me serve only after her passing."

The judge consulted the Book of Lifespans. A long-bearded official reported: "She has nine years remaining."

General Guan Yu proposed a solution: "Let Scholar Zhang act as interim City God until then." Turning to Song, the judge decreed: "We grant you nine years' leave for your filial devotion. When the time comes, we'll summon you again."

After exchanging farewells with Scholar Zhang (who gifted him a poem containing the lines "With flowers and wine, spring stays forever; Without lamps or candles, night shines bright"), Song rode home - only to awaken as if from a dream. He had actually been dead for three days; his mother heard moaning from his coffin and revived him.

Nine years later when his mother passed, Song buried her, cleansed himself, and peacefully died. That same day, his father-in-law's family saw Song arriving in divine splendor - riding a jeweled horse with a crimson banner, accompanied by a celestial retinue - to bid them formal farewell before ascending to his post as City God.