法苑珠林 75.45

75.45

晉時有盧充。范陽人。家西三十里有崔少府墓。年二十時。先冬至一日。出宅西獵戲。見有一麞便射之。射己麞倒而復走起。充步步趁之。不覺遠去。忽見道北一里間。瓦屋四周有如府舍。不復見麞。到門中有一鈴下唱客前。復有一人。捉一襆新衣曰。府君以此衣將迎郎君。充便取著以進見少府。語充曰。尊府君不以僕門鄙陋。近得書為君。索小女為婚。故相迎耳。便以書示充。充父亡時。充雖小然己識父手迹。便即歔欷無復辭託。崔便勅內盧郎已來。便可使女郎莊嚴就東廊至黃昏內白女郎。嚴飾竟。崔語充。君可至東廊。既至郎。婦已下車。立席頭。即共拜。時為三日供給飲食。三日畢謂充曰。君可歸去。若女有相生男。當以相與。生女當自留養。勅外數車送客。充便辭出。崔送至中門執手洟零。出門見一獨車駕青牛。又見本所著衣及弓箭。故在門外。尋遣傳教。將一人捉襆衣。與充相聞曰。姻媛始爾。別甚悵恨。今致衣一襲。被縟自副。充便上車去。馳如電逝。須臾至家。母問其故。充悉以狀對。別後四年三月三日。充臨水戲。忽見傍水有獨車乍沈乍浮。既而上岸。四坐皆見。而充往開其車後戶。見崔氏女與四歲男兒共載。女抱兒以還充。又與金鋺別。并贈詩一首曰。

During the Jin dynasty, there was Lu Chong of Fanyang. Thirty *li* to the west of his home was the tomb of Cui, the Major of the Palace. When Chong was twenty, on the day before the winter solstice, he went out west of his residence on a hunting outing. Seeing a roebuck, he shot it; after being struck, the roebuck fell, then got up again and ran. Chong pursued it step by step, unaware of how far he had gone. Suddenly, about a *li* north of the road, he saw tile-roofed buildings on all four sides, resembling an official mansion; the roebuck was no longer visible. When he reached the gate, an usher called out for the guest to step forward. There was another person holding a bundle of new clothes who said: 'The Lord of the Manor invites the young gentleman with these clothes.' Chong took and put them on, and went in to see the Major of the Palace. The Major said to Chong: 'Your noble father did not consider my family humble and lowly; recently I received a letter from him asking for my younger daughter's hand in marriage on your behalf, which is why I have welcomed you here.' He then showed the letter to Chong. When Chong's father died, Chong was still young, but he recognized his father's handwriting; he then wept and made no excuses. Cui ordered the inner quarters: 'Young Master Lu has arrived; have the young lady adorn herself and proceed to the eastern gallery.' At dusk, the inner quarters reported: 'The young lady's adornment is complete.' Cui said to Chong: 'Sir, you may proceed to the eastern gallery.' Having arrived, the bride had already descended from the carriage and stood at the head of the mat. They immediately bowed together. For three days, they were provided with food and drink. When the three days were over, Cui said to Chong: 'Sir, you may return home. If my daughter happens to bear a boy, she will give him to you; if she bears a girl, she will keep and raise her herself.' He ordered several carriages outside to escort the guest. Chong then took his leave and departed. Cui escorted him to the middle gate, held his hands, and wept. Stepping outside the gate, he saw a single carriage harnessed to a blue-gray ox, and also saw the clothes and bow and arrows he had originally worn, still outside the gate. Soon an attendant was sent with a person holding a bundle of clothes to deliver a message to Chong: 'Our marital alliance has just begun, and parting brings great sorrow. I now present a set of clothes, complete with quilt and mattress.' Chong boarded the carriage and left, speeding like lightning. In an instant he reached home. His mother asked what had happened, and Chong reported the details fully. Four years after the parting, on the third day of the third month, Chong was by the water's edge enjoying the festival when he suddenly saw a single carriage beside the water, sinking and floating by turns. Soon it came ashore, seen by everyone seated around. Chong went and opened the carriage's rear door, and saw Lady Cui sitting with a four-year-old boy. She handed the boy back to Chong, gave him a golden bowl as a parting gift, and also presented a poem that read: