Mr. Wang Yuncang was appointed to an official post in the region of Hubei (Chu). On his way, he planned to visit the Celestial Master (Zhang Tianshi) at Mount Longhu (Dragon Tiger Mountain), the ancestral seat of the Taoist Zhengyi sect. When he reached the lake and had just boarded his boat, a man in a small skiff came alongside and asked to be announced. Wang received him and saw a tall, imposing figure. The man produced a visiting card from the Celestial Master and said: “Hearing that your retinue was approaching, my master sent me ahead to serve as your forerunner.”
Wang was surprised that the Celestial Master knew of his coming, and this made him even more reverent. He proceeded with sincere devotion. The Celestial Master received him with a sumptuous feast. The attendants serving there wore unusual clothing, with strange beards and hair – most of them did not look like ordinary people. The earlier messenger also stood nearby.
After a while, the messenger whispered something to the Celestial Master. The Master then said to Wang: “This gentleman is from your own native place – do you not recognise him?” Wang asked who he was, and the Master replied: “This is the one known in the world as the Hail God, Li Zuoche.” Wang was startled and his expression changed.
The Celestial Master continued: “He has just informed me that he has received an order to send down hail, so he is taking his leave.” Wang asked: “Where?” The Master answered: “Zhangqiu.” Since Zhangqiu was adjacent to Wang’s own hometown, he felt personally concerned, rose from his seat, and begged for exemption. The Celestial Master said: “This is a jade decree from the Supreme Emperor (the Heavenly Jade Emperor); the number of hailstones is fixed. How can I bend the rules?” Wang pleaded incessantly.
The Master pondered for a long while, then turned to Li and instructed: “Let most of the hail fall in the mountain valleys, and do not harm the crops.” He added: “Since there is an honoured guest here, go gently and not violently.”
The Hail God went out into the courtyard. Suddenly, smoke rose from beneath his feet, curling and spreading over the ground. After about the time it takes for a quarter of an hour, he strained and leaped up, but only rose as high as the courtyard trees. He leaped again and rose above the pavilions. Then with a thunderous crack, he flew off northwards, shaking the buildings and rattling the feast vessels. Wang exclaimed in alarm: “Is he going off with such thunder?” The Celestial Master replied: “I had just cautioned him, which is why he delayed. Otherwise, with a single clap, he would have vanished instantly.”
After taking leave and returning home, Wang noted the date and sent someone to inquire in Zhangqiu. It turned out that on that very day a great hailstorm had indeed fallen there – the ditches and streams were filled, but in the farmland only a few hailstones were found.
Note
From Liaozhai, this tale tells of upright official Wang Yuncang visiting the Celestial Master. Learning the Hail‑God will strike his hometown, he pleads for mercy. The deity diverts most hail to valleys, sparing farm crops.
As in many Liaozhai tales, the story blends historical figures (Li Zuoche, Wang Yuncang) with supernatural elements, lending credibility to the miraculous event. The precise dating and subsequent verification (sending a messenger to Zhangqiu) reinforce the tale’s authenticity in the eyes of contemporary readers.
Wang Yuncang (王筠苍):
Original name is Wang Mengzhen(王孟震). He is also recorded as Wang Yuncang (王筠苍), a Ming dynasty official. The story is set during his journey to take up a post in Hubei, Hunan area (referred to as Chu in the text).
Wang Mengzhen was an official renowned for his integrity and unyielding rectitude. Pu Songling featured him as the protagonist in The God of Hail from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Through a myth‑tale, the story celebrates his spirit of loving the people as his own children and pleading on their behalf. Though this is a literary adaptation, it reflects the profound popular recognition of his image as an upright official.
Mount Longhu (龙虎山):
Located in present-day Jiangxi Province, this is the sacred headquarters of the Zhengyi (Orthodox Unity) school of Taoism. The Celestial Masters (Tianshi) – hereditary Taoist popes – have resided there since the Han dynasty, and the title “Celestial Master” is traditionally held by the Zhang family.
Celestial Master (天师):
The hereditary leader of the Zhengyi Taoist tradition. In the Qing period, the Celestial Master was still officially recognised by the imperial court and was believed to have authority over spirits, weather, and demons. He was often consulted for rainmaking and exorcism.
Li Zuoche (李左车):
Li Zuoche was historical figure from the early Han dynasty (c. 3rd century BCE), a military strategist who served under General Han Xin. He bequeathed the famous maxim: “Even the wise are not always free from error (智者千虑，必有一失); even fools may occasionally get things right (愚者千虑，必有一得).” He also authored the military treatise Lord Guangwu, which expounds strategies for warfare and exerted far‑reaching influence.After his death, he was deified in Chinese folk religion and came to be worshipped as the God of Hailstorms. This is a classic example of a historical person being absorbed into the Taoist pantheon.
Zhangqiu (章丘):
A county in Shandong Province, near the author Pu Songling’s own hometown (Zichuan). It is also adjacent to the native place of Wang Yuncang, which explains his urgent plea.
Supreme Emperor (上帝玉敕):
In Chinese folk religion and Taoism, the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Dadi) is the supreme deity of heaven, who issues decrees (chì) to his divine officials. The “jade decree” signifies an unalterable celestial command.
In another great literary work, Journey to the West, the Dragon‑Kings possess the power to summon clouds and bring rain, yet hold no authority to dispense rain of their own will. The timing, rainfall volume and locations of precipitation must all strictly follow the Jade Emperor’s imperial edict. The Dragon‑King of Jinghe tampered privately with the scheduled time and rainfall amount, violating celestial laws, and was eventually beheaded by Wei Zheng in his dream.
“Go gently, not violently” (文去勿武):
A play on the Chinese concept of wen (civil/gentle) versus wu (martial/violent). The Celestial Master instructs the Hail God to depart in a calm, dignified manner rather than with explosive force, out of respect for the honoured guest (Wang). This also explains why the departure, though accompanied by thunder, was delayed and gradual.
The thunder and delay:
In Taoist mythology, deities often travel with great speed and noise. The fact that the Hail God takes several leaps and only then departs with a thunderclap indicates he is complying with the instruction to “depart gently” – otherwise he would have vanished instantly with a single explosive sound.
The moral:
The story highlights the power of the Celestial Master, who can mediate divine commands, and also emphasises the virtue of compassion: Wang’s earnest plea, grounded in concern for his neighbours’ crops, leads to a partial mitigation of the disaster. It reflects a common theme in Chinese folklore – that sincere human sympathy can sometimes influence celestial arrangements.
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