My brother-in-law’s grandfather, Mr. Song Tao, was a scholar in the county. One day, as he lay sick in bed, he suddenly saw a government officer holding an official document and leading a horse with a white patch on its forehead. The officer approached him and said, “Please, sir, come to take the examination.” Mr. Song asked, “How can the exam suddenly take place without the provincial examiner’s presence?” The officer did not respond, only urging him repeatedly to set off. Mr. Song, with no other choice, managed to mount the horse and followed the officer, finding the path they traveled unfamiliar.
Before long, they arrived at a city, which seemed like an imperial residence. Soon, they entered a government office with grand and magnificent palaces. In the main hall sat over a dozen officials, most of whom Mr. Song didn’t recognize, except for one—Guan Yu, the revered General Guan. Below the hall, near the eaves, there were two tables and two stools, with another scholar already seated at one. Mr. Song took a seat next to him. On each table, there were sheets of paper and writing brushes.
After a while, a paper with a question written on it descended from the hall. Mr. Song looked at it and saw the eight characters: “One person, two people, with intention, without intention.” Both scholars wrote their essays and submitted them to the hall. In Mr. Song’s essay, he included the following sentence: “If one intends to do good deeds, though good deeds are done, he should not be rewarded; if one unintentionally commits bad deeds, though bad deeds are done, he may not be punished.” The officials in the hall passed his paper around, continuously praising it. They then summoned Mr. Song to the hall and said, “There is a vacancy for the City God in Henan, and you are well-suited for this position.”
Mr. Song suddenly realized the situation and, bowing his head while crying, said, “How could I dare refuse such an honor? However, my elderly mother is over seventy and has no one to care for her. Please allow me to take up the post after she passes.” The emperor-like figure in the hall immediately ordered someone to check his mother’s lifespan. A long-bearded official took out a record of human lifespans and, after flipping through it, said, “Mr. Song’s mother has nine more years of life.” While the officials were hesitating, General Guan said, “Let that scholar surnamed Zhang act as a substitute for nine years, and then Mr. Song can take over.” The emperor-like figure then said to Mr. Song, “You should have taken office immediately, but considering your filial piety, you are granted a nine-year leave. You will be summoned when the time comes.” He then said a few encouraging words to Scholar Zhang. The two scholars bowed in gratitude and descended from the hall together. Scholar Zhang held Mr. Song’s hand and escorted him to the outskirts of the city, introducing himself as a native of Changshan, surnamed Zhang. He gave Mr. Song a farewell poem, though Mr. Song could only remember two lines: “With flowers and wine, spring always stays; without candles or lamps, the night is bright.”
After mounting his horse, Mr. Song took his leave. When he returned home, it was as if he had suddenly awakened from a long dream. By that time, he had already been dead for three days. His mother heard groans from inside the coffin and quickly helped him out. It took half a day before Mr. Song could speak. He sent someone to inquire in Changshan, and indeed, there had been a scholar surnamed Zhang who died on the same day.
Nine years later, Mr. Song’s mother passed away. After burying her, Mr. Song bathed and prepared himself, entered his room, and passed away. His father-in-law, who lived inside the west gate of the city, suddenly saw Mr. Song riding a splendidly decorated horse, followed by many carriages and attendants. Mr. Song entered the inner hall, bowed, and bid farewell. The entire family was bewildered, not realizing that Mr. Song had become a deity. His father-in-law sent someone to Mr. Song’s hometown to inquire and learned that Mr. Song had indeed passed away.
Mr. Song had written a short autobiography, but unfortunately, it was lost during the war. The account here is just a rough outline of the events.
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