#### Scroll One (卷上)
(I. Preface –序)
Mr. Liu, dwelling in exile at Dragon City (Longcheng, i.e., Liuzhou), thereby collected and recorded the matters he heard among the central court officials and literati, gathering those accounts which were verifiable facts. This work may thus serve to supplement the deficiencies in the official histories for posterity.
#### II. Wu Qiao Excelled in Astronomy
Wu Qiao (吴峤), a native of Zhexi (霅溪), became a Daoist priest at the age of thirteen. In the first year of Emperor Yang of Sui (605 CE), he passed through Yepin (鄴中) and announced to the local magistrate: "The Central Star is not holding its position, indicating suspicion towards the ruler in the Grand Palace (Taiwei); and the vital energies of prosperity are flowing and converging upon the land of Qin (the West). Are you aware of this?" The magistrate did not believe him. Only when Divine Emperor Gaozu (神尧, Li Yuan) ascended the throne did he realize the words were not false. Wu Qiao was skilled and clear-sighted in astronomy; he was, in fact, the teacher of Yuan Tiangang (袁天剛), the famous diviner.
#### III. Wei Zheng’s Fondness for Pickled Celery
Left Chancellor Wei (魏左相, Wei Zheng) was an honest counsellor whose forthright advice assisted the myriad affairs of the state, truly a Minister of the Altars (社稷臣, pillar of the nation). One day, after the morning court, Emperor Taizong (太宗) laughed and said to his attendant ministers: "I do not know what this Goat-Nosed Gentleman (羊鼻公) is fond of that can stir his emotions?" An attendant replied: "Wei Zheng is fond of vinegar-pickled celery (醋芹). He eats it with evident delight and expresses his satisfaction; this shows his true nature." The Duke (公) was visibly delighted, flapping his wings (欣喜翼然, showing great joy). Before the meal was finished, the celery was consumed. The Emperor laughed and said: "You claimed to have no particular fondness, but today We have witnessed it." The Duke bowed and replied: "The Sovereign (君) is without action and thus without fondness. Your servant, being engaged in work, only has a predilection for this astringent food." Taizong was quietly moved. After the Duke withdrew, Taizong looked up and sighed three times in admiration.
#### IV. The Supreme Deity Confiscates Wang Yuanzhi's *Yijing Zong*
During the Shangyuan period (674-676), Wang Yuanzhi (王远知), a Daoist priest from Taizhou, was adept at the *Book of Changes* (Yijing), having attained great subtlety in its observation and perception. He was skilled in predicting the life, death, misfortune, and fortune of men. He authored fifteen scrolls of the *Yijing Zong* (易总, Comprehensive Record of the Changes), the originals of which were secretly treasured by the world. One day, while he was airing his books, a sudden thunderstorm arose. Dark clouds surged and rolled directly into his sleeping chamber, with thunder rumbling and red lightning circling the room. In the dim fog, an old man descended, his clothing only discernible as emerald green, its make unknown. Yuanzhi burned incense, bowed twice, and prostrated himself, as if awaiting a command. The old man angrily shouted, commanding him to rise: "Where is the book that was divulged? The Supreme Deity (上帝) has commanded Us to seize it with the Six Dings and Thunder Spirits (六丁雷电)." Yuanzhi, trembling with fear, propped himself up. Beside him, six men in green garments were already standing, holding the books. The old man reprimanded him: "The texts prohibited by the Upper Heavens are protected by Flying Celestials. They are secretly stored in the Mysterious Capital within jade caskets and golden codes. Who are you, that you should dare to hide them in your silk covers? Tell me truly how you obtained them." Yuanzhi replied fearfully: "The Prime Elder of Qingqiu (青丘元老) transmitted them to me due to my insufficiency." The old man nodded slightly after a moment and said: "An edict has descended from the Supreme Deity; as your immortal rank is already attained, the term of your transmission is extended by twenty-four years, a count of two cycles." Yuanzhi prostrated himself to receive the command. Immediately, a whirlwind arose, ripping the curtains and splitting the tent. It was then the second watch of the night; the bright moon was in the East, the stars shone brilliantly, and the spirits had vanished without a trace. The book that was taken was the *Yijing Zong*. Yuanzhi was somewhat distraught. He subsequently shut his door and did not emerge, abstaining from food for a year. People peered into his silent room, but only heard the sounds of cheerful toasts and merrymaking, yet could not discern who was there. During the Guangzhai period (684-690), he was summoned to reside at the Yuqing Temple (玉清观), but he would sometimes escape. This happened several times. Empress Wu (天后) enfeoffed him as Grand Master of the Golden and Purple Light (Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, 金紫光禄大夫), but he merely smiled without acknowledging the honour. One day, announcing his impending death, he left instructions that his body should be committed to the rapid eastern flow of the river. The Empress did not permit this and ordered him to be buried on the Kaiyin Plateau. Later, during the Changshou period (692-693), a man from Taizhou encountered a storm at sea, his ship tossed and about to break apart, drifting aimlessly. Suddenly, a painted boat (画船) appeared faintly from beyond the horizon. Startled, he saw that it was Yuanzhi. As they drew closer, the Taizhou man bowed and called out to him. Yuanzhi said: "How did you arrive at this peril, Sir? This is ten thousand *li* east of the great ocean," he told the man. The Taizhou man asked how he might return. Yuanzhi said: "I will lend you a swift wind. Heading due West, you can reach Dengzhou in a single night. Convey a message for me to the Daoist Zhang Guangdao at the Altar of Heaven Temple (Tian Tan Guan)." Having bid farewell, the man’s boat returned as swiftly as a feather in flight. He only felt the wind rushing past him. The next day, he arrived in Dengzhou, where he learned that Yuanzhi had died long ago. Inquiring after the Daoist at the Altar of Heaven, his disciples reported that he, too, had died two days earlier. It was thus confirmed that both men had achieved immortality (仙去).
#### Scroll Two (卷下)
#### I. The Old Man Lectures on the Art of Cultivation
When I was transferred to the South, passing through Gaoxiang (高乡), I encountered an old man leading some youths on the road, lecturing clearly on the art of cultivation: "Deep plowing, close planting, timely weeding, timely mounding, keeping away the trampling of cattle and horses, removing the harm of pests (螟螣), labouring morning and evening, fertilizing with manure, will ensure the benefits of the Autumn harvest, and wealth will be abundant year after year. As for the floods and droughts of the eras of Yao and Tang, or the untimely frost and hail, these rest with Heaven." I was moved by these words, and intended to inscribe them upon my sash. They are words applicable to all who govern the people and manage life, and they are truly profound.
#### II. Li Mingshu’s Insight into Ancient Vessels
Li Zhao (李照), styled Mingshu (明叔), from Jiankang, was a truly admirable scholar, learned and fond of antiquity. One day, he visited me in the capital, carrying his own provisions, and accompanied me on my travels between Qin and Wei. This man was wary of the deceitfulness of official life and was indifferent to it, but he was fascinated by ancient vessels. Of the items recorded in the catalogs from the Warring States period down to the Xiao Liang period, he possessed five or six out of ten, and all were exquisitely crafted and uniquely ingenious, unmatched by later generations. However, his literary composition was somewhat sluggish. If he were to dedicate his heart to literature as much as he pursued ancient vessels, he would certainly surpass his contemporaries.
#### III. Jia Shi’s Writing and Ascent to Immortality
Jia Shi (贾奭), styled Shidao (师道), a native of Heyang, was a fellow student of my predecessor (my father). He was a cautious man, with little involvement in social affairs. He served as the magistrate of Henan County and was a capable official. At the age of fifty, he abandoned his family and retreated to the Minggao Mountain (鸣皋山), near Heluocun (和乐村) in the small water region of Yiyang. He wrote twenty scrolls titled *Minggaozi* (鸣皋子). In recent years, his fate became unknown. People in the mountains claim he ascended to immortality (仙去), but these fantastical rumours cannot be confirmed. His son, Song (竦), styled Zimei (子美), was also talented but did not attain his father's style.
#### IV. The Seventy Thousand Scrolls of the Kaiyuan Library
Of the Tang Dynasty, the Kaiyuan period (713–741) possessed the most complete collection of literary works. The Imperial Collection (Jixianyuan, 集贤院) housed up to seventy thousand scrolls. The scholars of that time included Chu Wuliang, Pei Yu, Zheng Tan, Ma Huaisu, Zhang Yue, Hou Xingguo, Lu Jian, Kang Ziyuan, and forty-seven others, who were responsible for the collation of the texts. Alas, as the rebel forces suddenly rose and fire spread through the two capitals (Chang'an and Luoyang), the collection was reduced to ashes, with nothing remaining. What a tragedy!
#### V. The Omen of Yao and Song
When the Supreme Emperor (明皇, Xuanzong) first ascended the throne, he dreamt of two dragons carrying talismans (符) that emerged from a red fog. The Emperor personally inscribed the four characters Yao Chong Song Jing (姚崇宋璟) and affixed them to two large trees, around which the dragons coiled and departed. Upon waking, the Emperor summoned the Prince of Shen (申王) and the Prince of Yuanzhao (圆兆王), saying: "Two trees (木) form the character for Minister (相). These two names were sent by Heaven. The dragons affixing them to the trees signify that Yao Chong and Song Jing are destined to serve as Chief Ministers." The Emperor marvelled at this.
#### VI. Taizong Sinks the Documents in the Hutuo River
When Emperor Taizong (文皇帝) quelled Wang Shichong, there were hundreds of documents concerning mutual accusations, resentments, and conspiracies among the officials in the archives. Taizong commanded Du Ruhui (杜如晦) to manage them. Ruhui asked the Emperor how he should proceed. Taizong said: "Give them to the clerks to process." Shortly after, he heard from outside that some senior ministers were on the verge of taking their own lives. The Emperor immediately retrieved the documents, wrapped them with a heavy object—likely a stone—and personally bound them a hundredfold. He commanded a court eunuch to sink them into the Hutuo River, never to look at them again. How is this different from Emperor Guangwu's (光武) act of burning the several thousand scrolls of mutual slander?
#### VII. Zhao Yu Slaying the Dragon
Zhao Yu (赵昱), styled Zhongming (仲明), and his elder brother Mian (冕) both lived as hermits on Mount Qingcheng. Later, Yu served the Daoist priest Li Jue (李珏). Towards the end of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yangdi, recognizing his worth, summoned him, but he refused to go. The Governor of Yizhou (益州太守), Zang Sheng, compelled him to serve. Yu arrived at the capital, but Emperor Yangdi offered him high titles which he refused, asking only to be the Governor of Shu (Sichuan). The Emperor granted his request, appointing him as the Governor of Jia Province (嘉州). At that time, an old dragon (老蛟) had long been causing devastation in the Jianwei Marsh (犍为泽), sinking boats and ships, a plague upon the people of the Shu River. Yu governed for five months. A minor official informed Yu that emissaries sent to Mount Qingcheng with medicine had drowned when their boat, one of seven hundred vessels, was destroyed. Yu was furious. He led a thousand armoured soldiers and ten thousand men from the prefecture along the riverbanks, their drumming and shouting shaking Heaven and Earth. Yu grasped a sword and plunged into the water. After a moment, the river water turned entirely red, the stone cliffs partially collapsed, and a roaring sound like thunder was heard. Yu emerged from the waves, grasping the dragon's head in his left hand and holding his sword in his right. The people of the prefecture worshipped him as a god. Amidst the great turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he subsequently vanished into seclusion, his final resting place unknown. At that time, when the Jialing River swelled and its waters were turbulent, the people of Shu missed Yu. Soon after, they saw Yu riding a white horse (白马) amidst a green fog, followed by several hunters, crossing the water's surface.He cracked his whip and passed by. The people of the prefecture cried out for him, and the river's fury subsided. The Governor of Meishan submitted a memorial, and Emperor Taizong (文皇帝) enfeoffed him as the Divinely Brave Great General (神勇大将军) and ordered a temple to be built at the mouth of the Guan River (灌江口) for his worship. Whenever the people suffered illness, they prayed to him, and their prayers were always answered. When the Supreme Emperor (上皇, Xuanzong) travelled to Shu, he added the titles Prince of Chicheng (赤城王) and Marquis of Manifest Response (显应侯). When Yu slew the dragon, he was twenty-six years old. Li Jue achieved immortality and was also enfeoffed as the Master of Protecting and Responding with Mercy (佑应保慈先生).
#### VIII. Song Danfu’s Cultivation of Peonies
Song Danfu (宋单父), styled Zhongru (仲孺), a native of Luoyang, was skilled at reciting poetry and also an expert in the art of cultivation. He transformed peonies into thousands of varieties, red and white flowers competing in colour. People did not know his secret. The Supreme Emperor (上皇, Xuanzong) summoned him to Mount Li (骊山), where he planted ten thousand flowers, each colour and variety distinct. He was rewarded with over a thousand *liang* of gold. The palace women all called him the Master of Flowers (花师). This, too, was an unmatched art in the transient world.
### Glossary and Notes
- Longcheng (龙城): "Dragon City," the name given to Liuzhou (in modern Guangxi) during Liu Zongyuan's exile, hence the title of the work.
- Liu Zongyuan (柳宗元, 773–819): A prominent essayist, poet, and official of the Mid-Tang dynasty, known as one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song." His exile to Liuzhou is a central biographical fact.
- Taizong (唐太宗, 598–649): The second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin.
- Wei Zheng (魏征, 580–643): Famous Tang Chancellor known for his fearless and frank advice.
- Yuan Tiangang (袁天剛, c. 600–670): A legendary Chinese fortune teller and astrologer of the early Tang Dynasty.
- Yijing (易经): The *Book of Changes*, a classical text and divination system.
- Supreme Deity (上帝, Shangdi): A term for the highest god or the heavens in ancient Chinese belief.
- Empress Wu (天后, Tianhou): Wu Zetian (624–705), the only female emperor of China.
- Minghuang (明皇): A common title for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗, 685–762).
- Zhao Yu (赵昱): A figure in Chinese folklore and Daoist tradition, particularly known for slaying a dragon/flood monster (*jiao*) in Sichuan.
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