法苑珠林 67.56

67.56

Zhang Zuo of Anding in the Jin served as Regional Inspector of Liangzhou during the Jinhe era, and thereupon established himself as King of Liang. Zhang Cui, the Regional Inspector of Hezhou, had strong and flourishing forces; Zuo was suspicious and jealous of him, and secretly sent troops to plot against Cui. Cui led his forces to resist Zuo, and Zuo was ultimately killed by Cui. Afterwards, Cui repeatedly saw Zuo coming, clad in armour with an entourage, pointing his finger at Cui and saying, 'Lowly slave! I will certainly cut off your head.' Cui entered Guzang and established Zhang Xuanjing as King of Liang, making himself Governor of Liangzhou. He also plotted to depose Xuanjing and declare himself king. Before the matter was accomplished, he rode in the same carriage with Xuanjing out the west gate of the city. The bridge was solid and strong, yet suddenly broke and collapsed. According to old customs of the Regional Inspector, birds were released on New Year's Day; those released from Cui's hands died immediately. A stork came to nest on the Guangxia Gate; when pellets were shot at it, it did not leave. When he went in person to look at it, Song Hun of Dunhuang sent his younger brother Song Cheng to murder Cui right at the nesting place. Cui, when facing death, said to Cheng, 'You were burdened with marital alliance yet engaged in rebellion. August Heaven and Empress Earth will certainly observe this! I may well die, but I will make your [fate] worse than mine!' Hun himself became Master of Writing and assisted the government. When he fell ill, during daylight he saw Cui descend from the roof and suddenly enter a pillar; the pillar took on the appearance of being scorched by fire, but when they dug into the ground nothing was seen. Hun died of his illness. Cheng also lit a lamp, and the oil turned into blood. In the stable, the horses lost their tails in a single night. A three-year-old child called out in the voice of an old man, saying, 'Song Hun and Cheng, cut off your heads!' Also, fire emerged from the water east of the city. Three years later, Cheng was killed by Zhang Yong.