Harsher Penalties for the Mastermind 阅微草堂笔记：严惩主谋

The following story is from the book ‘Gossips From the Micro-reading Hall’.
In 1732, during the rule of Emperor Yong Zheng of Qin dynasty, there was a daughter-in-law from a respectable family. She did not appear to be a quarrelsome person.
One day there suddenly was a thunder storm with lightning. Lightning came through the window, pierced through the heart of the daughter-in-law, and went on to strike the son’s back. The young lady was killed instantly and the young man badly burned.
When he regained his consciousness, the son cried, ‘I am hot tempered and it is true that I often quarrel with my mother. But, you were not such a person. You merely quietly complained to me about your suffering and cried under the lamp at night. Why did the lightning kill you instead of me?’
He felt that the Heaven had unjustly punished his wife. However, he did not know that the law always punishes the mastermind more severely than the accomplice. It is the same here as in the netherworld.
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下面的故事来自‘阅微草堂笔记’。
雍正壬子，有宦家子妇，素无勃谿状。突狂电穿牖，如火光激射，雷楔贯心而入，洞左胁而出。其夫亦为雷焰燔烧，背至尻皆焦黑，气息仅属。
久之乃苏，顾妇尸泣曰：‘我性刚劲，与母争论或有之。尔不过私诉抑郁，背灯掩泪而已，何雷之误中尔耶？’
是未知律重主谋，幽明一也。

王子猷:：乘兴而行 Wang Ziyou: On the Impulse of Pleasure

It is said that Chinese literati who cultivate their mind must have a more subtle sensitivity for pleasure and more refined needs than sheer sensual ones. They would act according to pure impulsive, but not with any thought of sensuous pleasure.
Here is a story on Wang Ziyou, as recorded in Shi Shuo Xin Yu, A New Account of Tales of the World.
Wang Ziyou, also known as Huizhi (died in 388), was a son of the Chinese calligraphy sage, Wang Xizhi (321 - 379).
Wang lived at Shanyin, near present Hangzhou. One night he was awakened by a heavy snowfall. He opened the door and told his servant to bring some wine.
Looking outside, everything within sight was covered by a shimmering layer of snow. Feeling a little restless, he started reciting Zuosi’s poem ‘Ode to the Recluse’.
Suddenly he thought of his friend Dai Andao, who lived in San. Immediately he took a boat and went to see Dai. It required the whole night for him to reach Dai’s house. But when he was just about to knock at the door, he stopped and returned home.
When asked about the reason for this act, he replied, ‘I came on the impulse of my pleasure, and now it is ended, so I go back. Why should I see Dai?’
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通常说，中国文人修身养性，对快乐要有更深层领悟和高深需求，而不只是物欲享受。他们的行动率性纯真，但无意于物欲快感。
这里有个王子猷的故事，出自‘世说新语’。
王子猷（死于388年）就是王徽之，书圣王羲之（321-379）的儿子。
‘王子猷居山阴，夜大雪，眠觉，开室，命酌酒。
四望皎然，因起彷徨，咏左思《招隐诗》。
忽忆戴安道，时戴在剡，即便夜乘小船就之。经宿方至，造门不前而返。
人问其故，王曰：“吾本乘兴而行，兴尽而返，何必见戴？”’

Song Dingbo and Ghost 宋定伯与鬼

It is said that the following ghost story was told by Cao Pi (187 - 226), the Emperor Wen of Wei.
Song Dingbo, a young man in Nanyang, met a ghost one night while walking along the road. ‘Who is it?’ he asked.
‘I am a ghost.’ The ghost answered, ‘who are you?’
‘I am a ghost too.’ Song lied.
‘Where are you going?’ The ghost asked.
‘I am going to Wan city.’ Song answered.
‘I am going there too.’ The ghost said. So they went a few miles together.
‘It is very tiring to walk like this. Why don’t we take turns to carry each other on our backs?’ The ghost said.
‘It is a great idea.’ Song agreed. First the ghost carried Song for a few miles.
‘You are very heavy. Are you really a ghost?’
‘I am heavy because I died quite recently.’ Song said. Then it was his turn to carry the ghost, which was almost weightless. They went on like this, each carry the other several times.
‘Since I have just died, I do not know what a ghost fears.’ Song said.
‘A ghost fears nothing but to be spat at.’ The ghost told him.
They came to the river. Song asked the ghost to cross it first. He listened and found that the ghost made no noise at all. When he crossed the river, he made a lot of noise.
‘Why did you make so much noise?’ The ghost asked.
‘I beg your pardon. I am a new ghost and I have not learned how to cross a river quietly.’ Song answered.
They were approaching Wan city when Song put the ghost on his shoulder and held it tight with his hands. The ghost demanded in loud voice to be let off, but Song turned a deaf ear to it. He walked straight to the centre of the town. When he put the ghost on the ground, it turned itself into a goat. He sold it and spat at it again for feat that it might change again. After getting fifteen hundred coins, he went away.
So people said at the time, ‘Song Dingbo earned fifteen hundred coins by selling a ghost.’
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以下据说是魏文帝曹丕(187 - 226)讲的鬼故事。
南阳宋定伯，年少时，夜行逢鬼。问曰：‘谁？’鬼曰：‘鬼也。’鬼曰：‘卿复谁？’
定伯欺之，言：‘我亦鬼也。’鬼问：‘欲至何所？’答曰：‘欲至宛市。’鬼言：‘我亦欲至宛市。’共行数里。鬼言：‘步行大亟；可共迭相担也。’
定伯曰：‘大善。’鬼便先担定伯数里。鬼言：‘卿大重！将非鬼也？’定伯言：‘我新死，故重耳。’定伯因复担鬼，鬼略无重。如其再三。
定伯复言：‘我新死，不知鬼悉何所畏忌？’鬼曰：‘唯不喜人唾。’
于是共道遇水，定伯因命鬼先渡；听之了无声。定伯自渡，漕漼作声。鬼复言：‘何以作声？’定伯曰：‘新死不习渡水耳。勿怪！’行欲至宛市，定伯便担鬼至头上，急持之，鬼大呼，声咋咋，索下不复听之。径至宛市中，着地化为一羊。便卖之，恐其便化，乃唾之，得钱千五百，乃去。于时言：‘定伯卖鬼，得钱千五百。’

The Chinese All Souls Day and the Cold Food Day 清明节与寒食

The Chinese All Souls Day, or Qingming Festival, meaning Clear and Bright Festival, is a time for people to visit and clean their ancestral grave yards. It usually starts on 4 or 5 April every year, which is in the third month of the lunar calendar. This year it starts on 4 April afternoon.
The festival is also known by a number of other names in the English: Clear Brightness Festival, Festival for Tending Graves, Grave Sweeping Day, Chinese Memorial Day, Tomb Sweeping Day, and Spring Remembrance, etc.
In China, there is one tomb or mausoleum that is visited by many, especially during the Qingming festival. That is the Huangdi Mausoleum in the Huangling County, Yan-an City, Shaanxi Province of China. The Chinese people consider Huangdi to be their common ancestor and for thousands of years, every Qingming swarms of people have come here to hold a memorial ceremony to Huangdi. In 2008, the memorial ceremony was attended by 8,000 people. In recent years, the memorial ceremony has become a major national event in China’s Qingming calendar.
Qingming is not just a day of remembrance; it is also a day to celebrate the coming of spring. It is therefore also a time for spring outings. Another unique pastime during Qingming is that people fly kites at night. In modern China, the Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees. Since 1979, 12 March has become the official Tree Planting Day in China.
There is another festival which is practised one day before Qingming Festival. It is known as the Haishi Day (or Cold Food Day). On that day every year, no fire or smoke is allowed and people shall eat cold food for the whole day.
According to the legend, the day is in memory of Jie Zhitui who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). Jie worked for Crown Prince Chong-er of the Jin State. Before Chong-er became the king, Jie once saved Chong-er’s life by cutting the fresh off Jie’s own leg and boiled for Chong-er. After ascending the throne, Chong'er decided to reward his officials. But he forgot about Jie Zitui. Jie was so sad that he left and lived in seclusion with his mother in mountains.
Chong-er felt so guilty that he went to the mountains to look for Jie. For it was impossible to find him in the endless trees and hills, Chong-er ordered to set the mountain on fire, so as to force Jie out of his hiding place. But Jie didn't show up; he and his mother were found to be dead in arms after the fire was put out, together with a note written by him in blood: ‘I cut off my own flesh to dedicate to you, only to wish my king will always be clear and bright.’
Chong'er was deeply saddened by this tragedy. He ordered that a temple be built in memory of his most loyal follower. He also ordered that no fires were allowed on the anniversary of Jie Zitui's death. So people had to eat their cold food on that day, or the day of Hanshi. In addition, people began to visit Jie Zitui's tomb and pay their respects to his memory.
The tradition of the Hanshi Festival was gradually combined into the Qingming Festival and today, it is part of the Qingming festival.
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清明节是人们前往扫墓的日子。清明是在农历三月初，西历则在每年的四月四或五日开始。今年的清明节就从四月四日下午开始。
在中国，有一个墓陵被很多人祭拜，那就是在中国陕西省延安市黄陵县的黄帝陵。黄帝是华人的共同祖宗，所以千年以来，每逢清明都有不少人到那里做公祭。2008年就有超过8千人参与公祭拜祖大典。近年来，公祭黄陵大典已成为中国清明的一项重要活动。
清明并不单是纪念先人的日子，它也庆祝春天的到来。所以也是春游的好时刻。另一个独特的风俗是人们在晚间玩风筝。在现在的中国，清明也是种树的日子。自从1979年以来，三月十二日已成为正式的植树日。
在清明节的前一天，还有一个节日，那就是寒食节。每年这一天，不准起火或生烟，人们只能整日吃寒冷的食物。
据传说，这是为了纪念春秋时代(770-476BC) 的介子推。介子推是晋公子重耳的臣子。晋公子登位前，有一次为了救重耳一命，介子推把自己腿上的肉割下来煮给重耳吃。重耳登位之后，决定重赏旧臣，但他把介子推忘了。介子推很伤心，与母亲离开到深山里隐居。
重耳感到内疚，到山里找介子推。可是无穷的树和山，根本就没法找到介子推。为了把介子推从他的隐居中逼出来，重耳下令放火烧山。可是介子推并没有出来。火平息后，却发现介子推与其母拥抱在一起的尸体，还有他以血书写的字条：‘割肉奉君尽丹心，但愿主公常清明。’
重耳为了这个悲剧而大为伤感。他下令为这位忠臣建庙纪念，并规定在他的每年忌日不可起火。所以人们只好在当天吃寒冷的食物。同时，人们开始到介子推的坟墓去参拜与怀念。
后来寒食节慢慢地融入清明节。今天，它已成为清明节风俗的一部分了。