南嶽總勝集 3.40

3.40

陳良卿。景祐四年。自永州隨鄉書赴部試。十月至長沙。夢一人引入一巨艦中。見一道士。自稱青精先生。與之談論。辭語高古。謂陳曰。吾已薦子於堯為直言極諫臣。陳曰。堯今何在。曰見司南岳。陳曰。堯者古聖君也。安可在公侯之列。先生曰。堯人間之帝也。秉火德而王。棄天下而位。神乎南方。子何疑焉。陳辭以名宦未立俟它。曰應乃許以十年為期。既悟甚惡之為異夢。錄以自寬。明年登甲第。調官全州判官。道出嶽州南驛。偶晝寢夢使者持檄來召。遽驚覺喟曰。豈堯命乎。同行相勉以夢不足信。復執書秩臥讀之。晚食具呼之已逝。

In the fourth year of the Jingyou reign era, Chen Liangqing traveled from Yongzhou upon recommendation by the prefectural exams to sit for the Departmental Examinations. In the tenth month, arriving in Changsha, he dreamed that a person led him into a giant warship where he saw a Daoist priest who called himself Master Qingjing. Engaging him in conversation with lofty and archaic diction, the Daoist said to Chen, 'I have already recommended you to Yao as an official of outspoken and utmost admonition.' Chen asked, 'Where is Yao now?' He replied, 'He is presently in charge of Nanyue.' Chen said, 'Yao was an ancient sage ruler; how could he be ranked among dukes and marquises?' The master said, 'Yao was an emperor in the human world; ruling by virtue of the Fire Virtue, he abdicated the realm and took up this throne, becoming a divinity in the southern regions. Why should you doubt it?' Chen declined on the grounds that his career in office was not yet established, asking that it be deferred to another day, whereupon the master agreed to a term of ten years. Upon waking, he detested it as a strange dream and recorded it merely to ease his mind. The following year he passed the highest civil examination and was assigned to the post of assistant magistrate of Quanzhou. While passing by the Southern Post Station in Yuezhou, he took a nap during the day and dreamed of an envoy bearing a summons coming to call him. Startled awake, he sighed, 'Could this be Yao's command?' His travel companions encouraged him, saying that dreams were not worth believing. He then took up a bundle of books, lay down, and read them. When the evening meal was ready and they called him, he had already passed away.