法苑珠林 67.51

67.51

秦始皇時終南山有梓樹。大數百圍蔭宮中。始皇惡之。興兵伐之。天輒大風雨飛沙石。人皆疾走。至夜瘡皆合。有一人中風雨。傷寒不能去留宿。夜聞有鬼來問樹言。秦王凶暴相伐得不困耶。樹曰。來即作風雨擊之。其奈吾何。又曰。秦王使三百人。被頭以赤絲。繞樹伐汝。得無敗乎。樹漠然無聲。病人報秦王。案言伐之。樹斷中有一青牛出。逐之走入河。於是秦王立旄頭騎（右一驗出玄中記）。

In the time of the First Emperor of Qin, there was a catalpa tree on Mount Zhongnan whose girth was several hundred spans, shading the palace. The First Emperor abhorred it and raised troops to fell it. The sky immediately sent down great wind and rain, blowing sand and stones; everyone fled swiftly. By night, all [the tree's] wounds closed up. There was a man struck by the wind and rain who fell ill with cold; unable to leave, he stayed overnight. At night, he heard a ghost come and ask the tree, saying, 'The King of Qin is cruel and violent; in felling you, did he not cause you distress?' The tree said, 'When he comes, I make wind and rain strike him. What can he do to me?' [The ghost] also said, 'If the King of Qin dispatches three hundred men, their heads bound with red silk, to encircle you and fell you, could you avoid defeat?' The tree remained silent and made no sound. The sick man reported this to the King of Qin. [The King] followed his words and felled it. When the tree was severed, a green ox came out from inside it. They chased it, and it ran into the river. Thereupon the King of Qin established the vanguard cavalry with yak-tail banners. (The one evidential account above is from the Xuanzhong ji.)