Wuxiao Zhongzhi Congkan

Author: Yang Xungji et al. (Ming) | Annotation/Origin: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Tiger Hill was originally named Haishong Mountain. King He of Wu was buried here, with a burial pit measuring sixty steps in width and fifteen feet in depth, a triple bronze coffin, and a pool six feet away. It was adorned with flowing jade ducks and three thousand swords of Bianzhu, including the sword of Panying and the sword of Yuchang. Six hundred thousand soldiers were dispatched to prepare the burial, and on the third day after the funeral, a white tiger was said to have perched atop it, hence the name "Tiger Hill." The Shishuo also states: The First Emperor of Qin, following the coast to the right, passed through this mountain via Hudi. He intended to excavate King He's tomb to seize its treasures, but a white tiger suddenly appeared to obstruct him. The Emperor drew his sword and struck the tiger, which fled and vanished, leading to the renaming of the place. The hill is nine li and two hundred paces west of Wuxian County, with a height of one hundred thirty zhang and a circumference of two hundred ten zhang. During the second month and twenty-fifth day of the second year of Emperor Cheng of Eastern Jin, the Xianhe Temple was established by the late Prince Xianmu, who dedicated his residence to the cause. Initially, the hill was divided into two temples, one on the east and one on the west of the Sword Pool. In the early Song Dynasty, the two temples were merged, with the hill enclosed within the temple walls. Visitors first entered the temple gate before ascending the hill, leading Zhang Ji to compose a poem: "Old monks fear the mountain will shift, so they lock the temple gates before dusk." Later poets wrote: "Before the city, towers are seen; only after entering the temple do we climb the hill." Monk Zhi Xian also remarked: "Mountains and temples in the Central Plains vary greatly, but none are like this—where the temple is within the mountain." Indeed, among the famous mountains and temples in the world, most are temples within mountains, but Tiger Hill is unique, a sacred land where temples are atop mountains. During the Yuan Dynasty, the traveling monk Qiu Jiangyue visited the temple and wrote: "In my life, I've only seen temples in mountains, but today I see a mountain within a temple." This echoed the sentiments of the ancients.
Zhen Niang was a famous courtesan in the Tang Dynasty, and her tomb is located west of the Sword Pool in Tiger Hill. Numerous travelers have composed poems about it, with Wang Huangzhou's inscriptions being particularly renowned. His poem reads: "A woman's fate lies in her beauty, a scholar's in his talent. Without beauty or talent, death is like dust. Zhen Niang's tomb in Tiger Hill is but a heap of empty earth. Her fragrant soul and soft bones have dissipated with the yellow dust. Yet why has her name endured for millennia? In Wu and Yue, women are often buried in mountain nooks. Though lacking beauty, their tombs stand tall. Only Zhen Niang's tomb, where visitors linger in contemplation. I am a scholar who values fame, so I pour a cup for you. I am not one who seeks beauty, so future generations need not mock me." Many later poems were composed in her honor. During the Zhide era, the scholar Tan Yanliang wrote a quatrain: "Tiger Hill's valley is filled with tombs, and the pines and cypresses tell tales of sorrow. Why do people so value beauty? Zhen Niang's tomb alone bears inscriptions." From then on, others ceased to compose poems about it.
On page 22, the Haiya Chancellor's dining habits involved raising his head, stirring his tongue, and chewing vigorously. Some said this resembled a tiger's or wolf's eating, but I disagree. According to physiognomy texts, eating is the foundation of life. Irregular eating disrupts qi; handling food should be slow and orderly, chewing broad and relaxed; those who eat coarse food tend to be fat, while those who eat fine food are lean; one should not speak while holding food, nor talk while eating. A tiger's or wolf's diet leads to wealth and status; an open mouth and wide lips indicate a career in officials or soldiers; eating like a bird pecking leads to poverty. Generally, one should eat with speed but swallow without noise. Looking up while holding food or grinding one's teeth is neither auspicious nor inauspicious; chewing like a mouse leads to poverty and starvation; if food gets stuck in the tongue, one may die in a foreign land. Later, the Chancellor died in battle.
The taste of crabs in Wu is excellent, but those from Taihu Lake are inferior, with shells too soft and brittle. They are renowned as "lake crabs." On the Lantern Festival in the first month, fishermen preserve crabs for the festival, weighing three or four catties each, which are exceptionally flavorful. Thus, Lu Guiheng wrote the Crab Chronicle, Fu Ziyi composed the Crab Spectrum, and Gao Sijun compiled the Crab Outline, all celebrating the charm of crabs. In the Dade Dingwei year, crabs in Wu suffered a plague like locusts, covering the fields and devouring the rice crops. The Wu saying "shrimp famine and crab chaos" refers to this. According to the Wuyue Chunqiu, King Goujian of Yue summoned Fan Li and said: "I once planned to conquer Wu, but you said 'not yet.' Now, both rice and crabs are gone—can we act?" This implies that crabs feed on rice. The harm crabs inflict on rice has been a fact since ancient times. In the Five Elements theory, it is seen as a sign of war, akin to warriors in armor. The following year, pirates Xiao Jiudao ravaged the region, killing and bloodshedding.
On page 23.