冥報記 3.23

3.23

During the Zhenguan era, Wei Qingzhi of Jingzhao, Senior Administrator of the Prince of Wei's household, had a maiden daughter who died prematurely, and the couple grieved over her deeply. Two years later, when Qingzhi was about to gather relatives and guests and slaughtered meat to prepare a feast, his household bought a sheep but had not yet slaughtered it. Qingzhi's wife dreamed at night that she saw her deceased daughter, wearing a green skirt and a white blouse, with a pair of jade hairpins in her hair—the very garments she had worn in life. She came to see her mother and said weeping, 'I once made use of property in secret without telling my parents. In consequence of this karmic retribution, I have now received the body of a sheep to repay my parents with my life. Tomorrow I will be slaughtered. The green sheep with a white head is me. I specifically pray for your compassionate grace, that you may grant me my life.' The mother awoke in alarm. At dawn she went to inspect it: the sheep's neck and shoulders were completely white, and on its head were two white spots opposite each other, shaped like jade hairpins. The mother wept facing it, and told her household not to slaughter it, but to wait until Qingzhi arrived and then release it. Soon Qingzhi arrived and hurried the meal. The cook reported, 'The lady does not permit slaughtering the green sheep.' Qingzhi was angered and at once ordered it slaughtered. The butcher hung the sheep up to kill it, and several guests had already arrived; they saw a young woman of graceful countenance appeal to the guests, saying, 'I am Senior Administrator Wei's daughter. I beg you to save my life!' The guests were shocked and stopped the butcher. The butcher, fearing Qingzhi's anger and seeing only a sheep bleating, slaughtered it anyway. Soon the guests were seated and the food arrived, but none of the guests would eat. Qingzhi was surprised and questioned them, and the guests told him everything. Qingzhi was overwhelmed with grief and fell ill, and eventually could not rise again. Most scholars in the capital know of this. Minister Cui Dunli recounted it in full to me, [Tang] Lin, and Minister Yan Lide also spoke of it in this manner.