法苑珠林 56.23

56.23

唐戶部尚書武昌公戴文胄。素與舒州別駕沈裕善。胄以貞觀七年薨。至八年八月。裕在州夢。其身行於京師義寧坊西南街。忽見胄著故弊衣顏容甚瘁。見裕悲喜。問公生平修福。今者何為。答曰。吾時誤奏殺人。吾死後他人殺羊祭我。由此二事。辯答辛苦不可具言。今亦勢了矣。因謂裕曰。吾平生與君善友。竟不能進君官位。深恨于懷。君今自得五品文書。已過天曹。相助欣慶。故以相報。言畢而寤向人說之。冀夢有徵。其年冬裕入京參選。有銅罰不得官。又向人說所夢無驗。九年春裕將歸江南行至徐州。忽奉。

Under the Tang dynasty, Dai Wenzhou, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and Duke of Wuchang, had long been on good terms with Shen Yu, Vice Governor of Shuzhou. Zhou died in the seventh year of the Zhenguan reign era. In the eighth month of the eighth year, Yu had a dream while in his prefecture. His body was walking on the southwest street of Yining Ward in the capital. Suddenly he saw Zhou wearing old, tattered clothes, his face and appearance exceedingly haggard. Seeing Yu, he was both sorrowful and glad. [Yu] asked: 'Throughout your life, my lord, you cultivated merit; what are you doing now?' He replied: 'In my time, I mistakenly memorialized the execution of someone. After I died, others slaughtered sheep to sacrifice to me. Due to these two matters, the hardship of arguing and answering [in the underworld] cannot be fully told. Now the situation is finished.' He then said to Yu: 'Throughout my life, I was a good friend to you, yet in the end I was unable to advance your official post; I deeply regret this in my heart. Now you will personally obtain a document of the fifth rank, which has already passed through the Celestial Bureau. Rejoicing to assist you, I have therefore come to inform you.' Having finished speaking, [Yu] awoke and recounted it to others, hoping the dream would have proof. In the winter of that year, Yu entered the capital to participate in the civil selection, but due to a fine of bronze he did not obtain an office. He again said to others that what he had dreamed had no verification. In the spring of the ninth year, as Yu was about to return south of the Yangtze River and reached Xuzhou, he suddenly received