During the Tianbao period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, there was a secretariat of Changzhou. Let's call him Xingyanggong in the county where his surname is located, but hide his real name and surname and don't write it out. At that time, his reputation was very high, and there were many child servants at home. When he was fifty, he had a son who had just turned twenty. He is very handsome, smart and literary, and he is the most prominent among his peers and is highly respected by everyone. My father likes and values him very much, claiming, "This is our fast pony!" " "At this time, Xingyang's son was recommended by his county to go to Chang 'an to take the scholar exam and was about to leave. So Xingyang Gong prepared a lot of clothes, chariots and horses for him, and predicted his living expenses in Beijing. He said to him, "In my opinion, you can get excellent results in an exam. Now I have prepared two years' living expenses for you to ensure that you have enough materials to help you realize your wishes. " Childe is also very conceited, and it is as easy to get a good ranking as pointing to his palm. He set out from Piling, arrived in Chang 'an more than a month later, and lived in Buzheng.
On one occasion, my son went to visit the East City. On his way home, he went in from the east gate of Pingkangli, ready to visit his friends living in the south, the city and the west of the city. When he arrived in Mingkequ, he saw a house. Although the door is not very spacious, the house is very close and deep. At this time, the door was closed, and a young woman stood there leaning against a little girl with a double bun, with a charming posture, which can be described as peerless. Childe suddenly saw her, unconsciously stopped to dismount, stood for a long time, and reluctantly left. So he deliberately dropped the whip on the ground and waited for his servant to come and let him pick it up. He kept squinting at the girl, and the girl turned to look at him, showing infinite affection. However, the son did not dare to speak up and walked away.
Since then, my son felt that he had lost something, so he secretly went to find a friend who was familiar with Chang 'an and asked him about the girl. A friend told him: "that's the residence of prostitute Li!" " The son said, "Can that girl pursue it?" The friend replied, "Li is very rich. She used to associate with dignitaries and she got a lot of money. You don't have millions of money, and I'm afraid you can't touch her heart. " The son said, "I'm afraid things can't be done." If it is useful, what is the pity of spending millions? " A few days later, he dressed neatly and took many followers to ask for an audience. He knocked at the door, and soon a maid answered it. The son asked, "Whose mansion is this?" The servant girl didn't answer, and quickly turned around and shouted, "It's the son who lost his whip last time!" " "When Li Wa heard this, she said happily," Please receive him first, and I'll get dressed before I change. "Childe after hearing this, the in the mind secretly happy. So he was led to the front of the gate and saw an old woman with gray hair and hunchback. This is Liwa's mother. The son came forward and bowed down and said, "I heard that there is a vacant room here, and I am willing to rent it." I don't know if this is the case? " The old woman said, "I'm afraid it's too narrow and humble to condescend to live here, let alone rent it!" " "I also invited my son to the reception room to receive guests. I saw that it was beautifully decorated. The old woman sat opposite her son and said, "I have a daughter who is very petite and can't sing and dance very well, but I'm glad to meet you and want to introduce her to you." So she called Li Wa out. Li Wa's eyes are bright, her wrists are white, and her walking style is enchanting. Childe hurriedly got up and stood up after seeing her, afraid to look up at her. After seeing her, we exchanged a few pleasantries, only to see that her manners are beautiful and moving, which is really unprecedented. They sat down again, and tea and wine were brought, and the utensils used were extremely clean. Sitting like this for a long time, it was getting late, and the drums of dusk came from everywhere. The old woman asked her son if he lived far away. The son lied to her and said, "There are still ten miles outside Yanping Gate." He wants to go further and be left behind. The old woman said, "The drums have already sounded, so hurry back and don't violate the ban." The son said, "I was lucky enough to be received by you. When I was joking, I arrived at night unconsciously." It's far away from home now, and there are no relatives in the city. What should I do? "Li Wa said," It's not that my son doesn't like the remoteness and simplicity here. He is going to rent it. What's the harm of staying one night now! The son looked at the old woman several times before the old woman said, "All right, all right." . The son sent two fine silks and asked you to prepare a banquet. "。 Li Wa stopped him with a smile and said, "According to the etiquette of the host and guests, it is wrong for you to do so. For tonight's expenses, please use what our poor family has to give you some simple meals and help yourself. Your kindness will wait until later. " Childe insisted, Li Wajian refused politely and never promised. After a while, they moved to the west hall and sat down. I see the curtains and couches dazzling here, and the toiletries and bedding are gorgeous. So I lit candles and put food on it. It was very delicious and rich. After dinner, the old woman got up and left here. Childe and Riva Tan Xing are good friends, joking with each other and having no scruples. The son said, "Last time I happened to pass by your house, I saw you standing between two doors. Since then, I have often thought of you in my heart, even when I was sleeping and eating. "Li Wa told him," My heart is the same as yours. "My son added," I came here today, not just to rent a house, but to realize my lifelong wish, but I don't know my fate? " Before the words were finished, the old woman came in and asked what they were talking about, and they all told her. The old woman smiled and said, "The mutual love and desire between men and women are innate. If two people have love, even parents' decisions can't stop them. But my daughter is really humble. What qualifications are there to serve you? "The son then stepped down from the sofa, thanked the old woman and said," If my wish can come true, I would like to be a slave to repay it. The old woman took him as her son-in-law. They drank together again until the party was over. Early the next morning, my son moved out all his belongings and settled in Liwa's residence. From then on, my son lived in seclusion in Liwa's house and no longer contacted his relatives and friends. Every day, he is with prostitutes, geisha and so on. Have a party, eat, drink and be merry. When all his possessions were used up, he sold his horses and chariots, and later even his children. After more than a year, childe's money, servants, horses and chariots were all sold out. As a result, the old lady's feelings for her son have become colder and colder recently, while Li Wa's feelings for her son have become deeper and deeper.
One day, Li Wa said to her son, "I have lived with you for a year, but I have never been able to get pregnant and have children. It is often said that there is a Zhong Zhulin God who gives whatever he wants, and as long as his voice echoes, he will get what he deserves. I want to prepare some sacrifices to ask for. Do you think it is possible? " Childe doesn't know her strategy, but he is also very happy. So he went to the pawnshop to pawn his clothes, prepared sacrifices such as cattle, sheep and pigs and sweet wine, went to the temple with Liwa to worship Buddha and pray, and stayed there for two nights before coming back. When her son rode a donkey behind Liwa and walked to the north gate of Pingkangli, Liwa said to her son, "There is my aunt's house in the alley that turns east from here. Let's have a rest and have a look. Do you think so? " Childe agrees with her. They only walked a hundred steps forward, and sure enough they saw a gate in the shape of a car. Looking in, they saw it was very spacious and bright. The maid stopped her son from behind the car and said, "Here we are." When the son got off the donkey, a man came out and asked, "Who is it?" Answer: "It's Li Wa." Those who go out to meet you will report in. After a while, a woman of about forty came out, stepped forward to meet her son and asked, "Is my nephew there?" Liwa got off the bus and the woman greeted her and asked her, "Why haven't you contacted for a long time?" The two men smiled at each other. Li Wa introduced her son to explore menstruation. After meeting, they went into a side yard of the west gate together. There are rockeries and pavilions in the yard, bamboo forests are lush, and waterside pavilions and terraces are quiet. The son said to Liwa, "Is this the private residence of menstruation?" Li Wa smiled and said nothing. She said something else to him. After a while, refreshments and fruits were served, which were very rare. After dinner, a man rode a good horse, sweating profusely, and said, "The old lady suddenly fell ill and hardly knew anyone. Come back quickly!" " Li Wa said to menstruation: "I have lost my mind. I'll ride back first, then I'll have the horse sent back, and then you come with your son. " My son wants to go with Liwa. After whispering to Shi Er of Liwa, he called his son with his hand and told him to stop outside, saying, "The old lady is dying. You should discuss the funeral with me to save Liva's crisis. How can you go back with her at once? " My son had to stay and plan the expenses of funeral, fasting and sacrificial activities together. It's getting late, and the horse to pick them up hasn't arrived yet. Menstruation said: "I haven't seen anyone talking back and forth. What's the matter?" Go back and see, I will come later. " So the son left, but when he arrived at the original Li family's house, he found the doors and windows locked and sealed with mud. The son was surprised and asked the neighbors about the situation. My neighbor told me, "The Li family rented this house and lived in it. The lease is up. The owner took back the house and the old lady moved to another place for two days. " Asked where he moved, he replied, "I don't know where he moved." Childe wants to get to Xuanyangli as soon as possible to ask about menstruation, but it's getting late. Calculate the distance, I'm afraid I can't arrive on time. So, he had to take off his clothes, change something to eat, and then rent a bed to sleep. My son was so angry about it that he didn't sleep a wink from night to morning. At dawn, he immediately got on the donkey. I kept knocking at the door when I arrived, and no one promised to eat. Childe shouted a few times, just have an official appearance of people slowly come out. The son hurried forward and asked him, "Is so-and-so menstruation in it?" The answer is: "There is no such person." The son said, "She was here last night. Why did you hide her? " Asked whose residence this is, he replied, "This is Cui Shangshu's residence. Yesterday, a man rented this yard and said that he would receive a distant cousin and left before dark. " After listening to this, my son was both frightened and confused. He was very angry. He didn't know what to do, so he had to go back to the hotel where Buzheng had stayed. The shopkeeper saw his pity and gave him food. Childe's resentment is hard to dissipate. He didn't eat or drink for three days and became seriously ill. After more than ten days, the situation got worse. The shopkeeper was afraid that he could not afford to get sick, so he transferred him to the funeral home. He was in a daze for a long time, and people here sympathized with him and took turns feeding him. Later, I got better and could stand up with crutches. Since then, unscrupulous people have used him every day to ask him to bring up his mental account and support himself with his earned salary. After a few months, he gradually recovered. However, whenever he hears someone singing an elegy at a funeral, he laments to himself. He might as well die, always sobbing and crying, tears streaming down his face, unable to control himself. When he came back from work, he also learned to sing. Childe is a very clever man. It won't be long before he sings an elegy. Even the whole Chang 'an, there is no one like him.
At the beginning, two fierce shops here that could rent funeral appliances were competing with each other to see who would win or lose. Things like horses and chariots in Dongsi are very beautiful, but they can't compare with anything except singing badly. Dongsi boss knew that his son sang elegy, so he collected 20 thousand yuan to hire him. The old masters among the associates secretly taught the childe a new voice cavity with their best skills, and they sang together. After dozens of days, no one outside knows. At this time, the leaders of the two fierce companies discussed with each other: "Let's take the funeral utensils to Tianmen Street for exhibition and compare who is superior and who is inferior. The loser will be fined 50,000 yuan for the banquet. How about it? " Both families agreed. So, they asked someone to write down the agreement, and both parties signed it to ensure that they would abide by it. Then, they exhibited their handicrafts. On that day, men, women and children in Beijing got together and gathered tens of thousands of people. In this case, a small local official made a report to the department in charge of public security, and the sheriff informed the chief executive of Beijing. In this way, people from all walks of life in all directions are rushing here, and the streets and alleys of Chang' an are empty. From morning to noon, the two houses exhibited and listed funeral vehicles, etiquette appliances and so on. But the west store is better than the east store. West boss's leadership is guilty and ashamed. So, he set up a high platform in the south corner of the street. He saw a bearded man coming with a big bell cover, and several people were watching him. The man brushed his eyebrows, hugged his wrists and kowtowed, climbed up the high platform excitedly and sang a song "White Horse Song". Relying on his own skill, he looked around and no one was watching. The audience cheered and praised him in unison, thinking that he was unique and invincible. After a while, the leader of Dongsi set up a high platform on the north side of the street. A young man wrapped in a black headscarf was surrounded by five or six people, and his big hands fanned out to prepare for the funeral. He is the son of Xingyang. The son got dressed, moved freely slowly, cleared his throat and began to speak. Infinite sadness seems unbearable to him. He sang Autumn Dew, which shook the trees in Shan Ye with a clear and passionate voice. Before the song was finished, the listener hid his face and wept. As a result, the leaders of Xisi were laughed at by everyone, and they felt more and more embarrassed and ashamed, so they secretly put the lost money in front and slipped away. People around us stared in surprise, wondering what had happened.
Prior to this, the Emperor of Heaven had just issued an imperial edict, which made officials from all over the country come to Beijing once a year, which was the so-called "calculation". At this time, it happened that his son's father was in Beijing. He and his colleagues took off their official clothes, put on casual clothes and secretly went to see them. He has an old servant who is the husband of his son's wet nurse. After seeing his son's manners, he wanted to come forward to recognize him, but in the end he dared not act rashly, just shed tears sadly. The son's father was surprised to ask him why, and he replied, "Elegy looks like your dead son." The son's father said, "Why did my son come here because he brought more money to murder the thief?" Say that finish, also shed tears. When they returned to their residence, the old servant took the opportunity to drive to the fierce boss and asked the son's colleague, "Who was the man who sang just now?" How can you sing so touching? "Everyone told him," He is someone's son. "Ask his name again and find that it has changed. The old servant was very surprised after hearing this. He walked slowly and observed his son at close range. When the son found the old servant, his face changed greatly and he was ready to hide in the crowd. The old servant then grabbed his sleeve and said, "Aren't you so-and-so?" Say that finish, two people holding hands and crying. So the old servant took his son back to his residence in a car. After arriving at the residence, the son's father scolded him and said, "Your behavior is so depraved that you insult my home. How dare you come to see me again? "So he took his son out, walked to the east of the apricot garden in the west of Qujiang, took off his clothes and beat him hundreds of times with a whip until his son couldn't stand the whip and fainted. His father left him there and left. When the old servant left with his son, the owner of the fierce boss asked people close to his son to accompany him in the dark. When they come back, they tell their colleagues. Everyone felt sorry for this and sent two people to bury their son with reed mats. When they arrived, they found that the sun's heart was still warm, so they lifted him up. It was a long time before he was slightly relieved. So they carried him back and fed him water spoon by spoon with a reed pipe. It took him a night to wake up. More than a month has passed, and the childe's hands and feet still can't move by himself. The places where he was whipped were festering, festering and filthy. The people with him got tired of him and left him on the side of the road one night. People on the road feel sorry for him when they see him, and often throw some leftovers to him to satisfy their hunger. It was another hundred days before he could stand up on crutches. He was wearing a cotton coat, patched and tattered, like a hanging quail tail; Walking around the streets with a broken rice bowl in hand, begging for a living. From autumn to winter, I get into caves or broken houses where garbage and excrement are put at night, and spend the day together in the market.
One morning, it snowed heavily. Being hungry and cold, my son had to go out to beg in the snow. Begging and shouting sounds sad, and everyone who hears them feels sad and pitied. It was snowing heavily, and most people's doors were not opened. He walked to the east gate of Anyili, turned north along the fence, walked seven or eight families, and found one family with only the left door open, which was Li Wa's residence. Childe didn't know this was Liwa's residence, so he repeatedly shouted, "Freeze to death, starve to death ...! ""The voice is so sad that people can't bear to listen to it. After hearing the crying in the boudoir, Li Wa said to the maid, "This must be Xingyang's son. I recognize his voice. "Come on, get out of here. See childe is very thin, covered in scabies, almost can't see people's appearance. Li Wa was very excited and said to him, "Aren't you Xingyang's son? "Childe saw Li Wa, I was so angry that I fainted to the ground and couldn't say a word. Finally, he just nodded. Li Wa stepped forward and grabbed the childe's neck, wrapped him in embroidered clothes and helped him into the west wing. Then she burst into tears and said, "It's my sin to get you into this situation at once!" " She woke up crying. Her mother was shocked when she learned about it. She quickly asked, "Who is it?" Li Wa said, "It's the son of Xingyang!" Mother said anxiously, "We should drive him away. How can we call him here? " Li Wa immediately turned and said with a serious look, "You can't say that. He is the innocent son of a good family. At the beginning, he came to our house in a tall carriage with money, and it didn't take long to spend it. We set a trap to throw him away and drive him away. This is simply beyond human ability. This made him lose his ambition and degenerate to the point of being despised by human beings. The love between father and son is natural, but my father broke off this friendship, beat him half to death and threw him away. Now, he is so poor that people all over the world know that we did it. The relatives and friends of the son are all over the court. Once the authorities know the whole story in detail, we will be in big trouble. Besides, you can't get the blessing of ghosts and gods by deceiving God and being ungrateful to others, so don't ask for trouble yourself! I have been your daughter for twenty years. Let's estimate that the money I earned for you is more than 1000 yuan. Now that my mother is over 60 years old, I want to redeem myself with the money you gave me for 20 years of food, clothing, housing and transportation, and then I will find a place to live with this son. The residence won't be too far away from you. I can greet you safely and warmly in the morning and evening. In this way, my wish is satisfied. The old woman thought that Li Wa had made up her mind and could not change it, so she promised her. After Li Wa paid the ransom for the old woman, she still had one hundred dollars. She rented an empty house outside four or five houses in the north. So, she bathed her son, changed clothes, fed some porridge to moisten her stomach, and then moistened her five internal organs with condensed milk. It took him more than ten days to give him delicacies. The clothes my son wears, from headscarves to shoes and socks, are given to him with the most expensive and rare. In less than a few months, my son's body gradually became strong and plump, and after one year, he has recovered as before. After a while, Li Wa said to her son, "Your body has become stronger and your ambition has become bigger. Calm down and think about your previous studies. Can you remember? The son thought for a moment and said, "I can remember about 23/ 10." Li Wali immediately called a car out, while his son rode behind. They went to a bookstore selling classics at the south gate of the city flag pavilion. Li Wa asked the son to buy books, and spent a total of 100 gold, all of which were shipped home. She asked the son to abandon all other thoughts, concentrate on reading, and work tirelessly day and night. Liwa often sits together and doesn't go to bed until midnight. Seeing that my son is tired and sleepy, let him recite poems and write poems. In this way, after two years, childe's study has been greatly improved, and he has not read all the articles and classics in the world. So the son said to Liwa, "I can sign up for the exam." Li Wa said, "No way. We must also make our study more proficient and skilled to cope with various exams. " After another year, Li Wa said, "You can take the exam. "So my son went to take the imperial examination, and he was among the best in one exam, which made him famous and caused a sensation in the department of rites that presided over the examination. Even some old-timers who came from the imperial examination saw his articles with awe, and were willing to make friends with childe for fear that they could not do it. Li Wa said to him again, "You haven't succeeded completely. Today's scholars, if they win the first place in scientific research, think that they can easily get prominent positions in the imperial court and become famous all over the world. But your past behavior is illegal and your history is not innocent, so you can't compare with them. You should study harder and get good grades in the exam so that you can make a wide range of talented celebrities and compete with many heroes. " As a result, my son studied harder and harder and his reputation became higher and higher. This year, just in time for the emperor to hold the triennial examination and recruit talents from all over the country. The son took the exam because of his outspoken advice, and ranked first in the exam results, and was awarded the official position of Chengdu Prefecture to join the army. From Qiu and Stuart to the following court officials, he became his friends. When her son was about to take up his post, Li Wa said to him, "Now, I have restored your due position and will never let you down again. I am willing to spend the rest of my life, from now on, to support my old mother, and you should form a good marriage with a friend of a noble family and let her be a housewife and take charge of the housework. If you want to marry a noble family, you can't lower yourself. Please cherish yourself and encourage yourself. I have left you since then. " The son cried and said, "If you want to abandon me, I will commit suicide and die. "Li Wajian never agreed to his son's request, but his son repeatedly asked and was more sincere. Finally, Liwa had to say, "I'll take you across the Yangtze River and let me come back at Jianmen. "Childe had to promise, after more than a month's journey, they arrived at the sword door. The new appointment letter arrived before the son set off again. Gongzi's father was recalled from Changzhou and appointed as Chengdu Yin. He also served as an interviewer for Jiannan. Twelve days later, the son's father arrived at Jianmen. The son then sent his father a business card with his resume on it and went to the post office to visit him. Father dare not recognize him. He was shocked when he saw the official names of his ancestors and father on the famous post. He told his son to stand up and cry for a long time, and then said, "You and I are still father and son, as before. "Then I asked him what happened, and my son told him in detail what happened. After hearing this, Xingyang Gong was deeply surprised and immediately asked Li Wa where she was now. The son said, "She sent me here and should let her go back." Father said, "You can't do this. "The next day, Xingyang bus and childe went to Chengdu first, leaving Liwa at Jianmen and building a house for her to live in. On the second day in Chengdu, they asked the matchmaker to send a message to Geng Tie as a matchmaker, and formally married Li Wa according to the proper etiquette, and they finally formed a good marriage. After Li Wa married Xingyang's son, she presided over the sacrifice on holidays, kept the women's morality and kept a strict house, and was loved and respected by her parents. A few years later, the parents of Xingyang's son died, and Li Wa was very considerate in mourning and filial piety. In this way, Ganoderma lucidum grows in the thatched cottage where she lives, with three flowers in one ear. Her local government reported the situation to the court. There are dozens of white swallows nesting on the beams of her house. When the emperor learned about this, he was very surprised and gave Xingyang childe an extra reward. After the expiration of the mourning period, my son moved to your official position many times. In ten years, he took charge of several county officials. Li Wa was also made a monarch by the imperial court. They have four sons, all of whom have become big officials, and the youngest is Taiyuan Yin. The brothers are all married to famous families, and they are very brilliant both inside and outside. Nobody can compare with them.
Alas! Li Wa is a prostitute, but she can have such noble moral integrity. Although she was an ancient martyr, she did not surpass her. How can you not sigh for her? My great-uncle used to be the secretariat of Jinzhou, but later he was transferred to the Ministry of Living in the Mainland. He has been transferred to Xingyang childe three times, so he is familiar with their affairs. During the years of Dezong and Zhenyuan, Li Gongzuo, a native of Longxi, and I talked about Women's Day, so I told the story of this country's wife. Li Gongzuo listened carefully to my narrative and asked me to make a biography of it. So I dipped my pen in ink and recorded it in detail. This was written by Bai Xingjian, a native of Taiyuan, in the autumn and August of Yihai.