Grand Secretary Mao Ji in the Ming Dynasty was born of a poor family. His father often tended cattle for others. Living in the same county was Zhang and his family, who were rich and influential. They had recently built a grave site on the southern slope of East Mountain.
There was a rich household on the western outskirts of Yidu. Shandong Province. The master had recently acquired a concubine, who was very pretty. The master’s wife treated the concubine badly, often flogging her for no reason at all.
“The Treasury Official” is a concise yet profound short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Through the mysterious figure of a “Treasury Official of the Netherworld,” it showcases Pu Songling’s philosophical reflections on fate, wealth, and the vicissitudes of life.
There was a scholar in Binzhou, Shandong Province. One day,he was reading in his studio when there was a knock at the door. He answered it and saw a white-haired old man in plain clothes. The scholar let him in and asked his name.
There was a cave outside the county town of Fengdu in Sichuan Province. It was unfathomable. It was said that this was the entrance to Hades of the King of Hell.
During the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli, Zhang Huadong of Zouping County, Shandong Province, was a court official. He had accepted an order from the emperor to offer sacrifices on sacred Mount Hengshan, which was situated in southern Hunan Province. On his way south, he was crossing Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
“The Willow Scholar” is a symbolic short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai. Blending myth, fable, and social concern, it explores the relationship between humans, nature, and spirits through the resolution of a locust plague.