Pu Songling’s “The Haunted House“ tells a story that is both eerie and oddly whimsical. In the residence of Mr. Li of Changshan – the nephew of the Grand Minister of Justice, Li Huaxi – strange occurrences keep happening. A wooden bench turns flesh‑coloured and soft to the touch. A white staff slithers into the wall like a snake. Even more bizarrely, a group of three‑inch‑tall little people carry in a four‑inch‑long coffin, set up tiny stools, and stage a complete miniature funeral – complete with a weeping woman in mourning attire – only to vanish into thin air when discovered.
The story contains no bloodshed, no violent struggle. Instead, its peculiar horror comes from the alienation of everyday objects and the grotesque replication of the microscopic world. It makes the reader feel that the most frightening things are not necessarily giant, fanged monsters, but those details that closely resemble our daily lives yet are absurdly distorted – a stool that should be wooden but feels like flesh, a stick that should be rigid but writhes like a living creature, a funeral that should be solemn but is reduced to a child’s toy‑like farce.
The Legendary Kindness of the Grand Minister
The “Grand Minister of Justice” in the story is not a fictional character but a real historical figure – Li Huaxi (1594–1669). He was a native of Changshan County, Shandong (present‑day Changshan Town, Zouping). He earned his jinshi degree in the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming dynasty (1634) and rose to become Governor of Shaanxi and Commander‑in‑Chief of the Three Border Regions. After the fall of the Ming, he served the Qing and was appointed Minister of Justice and Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent during the Shunzhi reign.
Li Huaxi’s life is highly controversial. As a high‑ranking Ming official, he chose to keep his troops and wait rather than fight to the bitter end as the dynasty crumbled, and he eventually surrendered to the Qing, which earned him a place in the Erchen Zhuan – a historical record of “officials who served two dynasties,” often viewed with disdain in traditional Confucian historiography. Yet toward the people of his hometown – Changshan and the nearby town of Zhoucun – he showed unwavering devotion and generosity.
His most celebrated act came in his later years, after he retired and returned to his native place. To relieve the burden on local merchants and revitalise the regional economy, he made a bold personal sacrifice: he offered to pay all market taxes for Zhoucun out of his own pocket. He would cover every commercial tax due, so that not a single copper coin need be collected from the shopkeepers. At the north end of the main street, he erected a stone stele inscribed with four characters: “Jinri Wu Shui” (今日无税 – “No Tax Today”). This served as a public declaration that the place was tax‑free. Thanks to his generosity, Zhoucun became a de facto “free‑trade zone,” attracting merchants from far and wide, thriving in trade, and prospering in every industry. The local people have remembered his kindness for generations.
Though Li Huaxi bore the stigma of a “turncoat” in political terms, in the hearts of his fellow townsfolk he was a wise and benevolent elder who used his personal fortune to benefit the public.
When a Ghost Story Meets a Real Figure – Coincidence or Hidden Intent?
Why did Pu Songling choose to set his strange tale in Li Huaxi’s mansion? Was there a deeper purpose? We might consider this from two perspectives.
- The “Celebrity Mansion” Effect
Li Huaxi held the highest rank among officials; his residence was grand and his reputation widespread. In folk tradition, the older and more illustrious a house, the more likely it is to attract supernatural rumours. Pu Songling may simply have been using Li’s fame to add credibility and appeal to his story – much like modern urban legends that claim a celebrity’s mansion is haunted. The logic is the same: a ghost is more believable when it lives at a famous address. - Goodness Keeps Evil at Bay
It is worth noting that although the apparitions appear several times, they never actually harm anyone. Mr. Li is startled when he touches the strange stool; the tutor Wang Junsheng cries out in fear and falls off his bed – but no one is injured, possessed, or killed. The spirits are more like phantoms than malevolent demons. If we connect this to Li Huaxi’s real‑life benevolence – his tax‑relief gesture – we can draw a moral: a person who is righteous and does good deeds has nothing to fear from evil spirits. The uncanny may linger, but it is only a passing illusion; it cannot shake the foundations of a true gentleman.
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