Chapter 3 "Testing the City God"

My brother-in-law's grandfather, named Song Tao, was a granary student in this county.One day, when he was sick and bedridden, he saw a small official coming to him with a post and a horse with white hair on its forehead, and said to him: Please go to the exam.Song Gong said: The examiner hasn't come yet, why take the exam right away?The officials who came didn't say much, but just urged Song Gong to go on the road.Song Gong had no choice but to get on his horse and follow him while sick. The road I walked was very unfamiliar, and I arrived at a city, which seemed to be the capital of a king.In an instant, he entered the palace with that person, and saw that the palace in the palace was very splendid and magnificent.There are more than a dozen officials sitting in the front hall, but none of them are recognized, but Guandi God is the only one he recognizes.There were two tables and two poufs under the eaves outside the hall. There was already a scholar sitting there, and Song Gong sat down side by side with this person.There are pens and paper on the table.

Not long after, I handed out the test questions, and saw that there were eight words on it: one person, two people, intentionally or unintentionally.After a while, the two articles were finished and submitted to the palace.There is such a sentence in Song Gong's article: If you do good with your heart, you will not be rewarded even if you are good; if you do evil without intention, you will not be punished even though you are evil.All the gods and men passed it on after reading it, and praised it endlessly.Then it was said that Song Gong went to the palace.The order said: Henan lacks a city god, you are very competent.When Song Gong heard this, he suddenly realized, and then he kowtowed to the ground, crying and said: The Great God loved me wrongly, and asked me to be a city god, and he dared not refuse.It's just that my family has an old mother who is over seventy years old and has no one to take care of her. I ask God to allow me to take care of my mother after she passes away before taking office.Sitting in front of him was a man who looked like an emperor, and asked to take Song Gong's mother's life book to check.An official with a beard held the notebook and flipped through it, and told him: There are still nine years of Yangshou.All the gods hesitated, unable to make up their minds for a while, Guan Dishen said: You might as well ask Zhang Sheng to act as an agent for nine years first!Then he said to Song Gong: You should be asked to take office immediately. I think you have filial piety, and I will give you nine years of vacation, and I will call you again at that time.Then God Guandi encouraged the scholar with a few words, and the two candidates kowtowed and went down to the hall.

The scholar held Song Gong's hand and sent it to the suburbs. He introduced himself as a native of Changshan County, surnamed Zhang, and wrote a farewell poem for Song Gong.I have forgotten the original text, but I only remember this sentence: There are flowers and wine, spring is always there, and night is self-luminous without candles and lights.Song Gong got on his horse to say goodbye and returned. When Duke Song arrived home, he woke up as if from a dream. He had been dead for three days.His mother heard groans in the coffin, opened the coffin and saw that he had woken up, helped him out, and stayed for a long time before he could speak.Later, I went to Changshan County to inquire, and sure enough, a scholar named Zhang died on this day.

Nine years later, Song Gong's mother really passed away. Song Gong finished the funeral, took a bath, put on new clothes, entered the house and died. His father-in-law lives in the west gate of the city.One day, I suddenly saw Duke Song riding a big red-tasseled horse and bringing many chariots and horses to his house to say goodbye.The whole family was very surprised, not knowing that he had become a god-man.He hurried to Song Gong's house to ask, only to find out that Song Gong was dead. Song Gong himself had a short biography, but it was a pity that he did not survive the panic.The records here are only approximate.

【original】 The ancestor of my sister-in-law, Song Gong, was born in Yilin.One day, when I was lying ill, I saw an official holding a ultimatum, leading a white horse, saying: "Please go to the test."Official statement: Wen Zong has not yet come, how can he get the test suddenly?The official said nothing, but urged it.Gongli quickly rides on the horse to go.The road is very unfamiliar.To a city, such as the king's capital.Time-shifted into the mansion, the palace is magnificent.There are more than ten officials sitting on it, but none of them know who they are, but Guan Zhuangmiao can know him.There are several tables and two stools under the eaves. First, there is a scholar sitting at the end, and the toilet is shoulder-to-shoulder.There are notes on each of the tables.The Russian inscription paper flew down.Looking at it, the horoscope goes: one person and two people, with intention or unintention.The second official document was completed and presented to the palace.There is a saying in the official document: If you do good with your heart, you will not be rewarded even if you are good; if you do evil without intention, you will not be punished even if you are evil.The gods praised it endlessly.Zhao Gongshang, the edict said: "Henan lacks a city god, and the king is worthy of his position."Gongfang Wu, paused his head and wept, saying: How dare you say too much because you are humiliated by your favorite life?But my mother is seventy years old, and there is no one to take care of her, so please live her whole life, but listen to her appointment.The person who lasted the emperor's portrait was Mingji's mother's longevity.There is a long-bearded official, who flipped through the book, and said: "There are nine years in the sun."While hesitating together, Emperor Guan said: "You might as well let Zhang Sheng take the seal script for nine years, and you can alternate it."It is said that the public: you should go to the post immediately; now, to promote the heart of benevolence and filial piety, give nine years of leave, and then call back when the time comes.He also encouraged scholars to count their words.The two public officials went down together.The scholars shook hands and sent them to the countryside, saying to themselves Zhang in Changshan.When I bid farewell with a poem, I forget the words. In it, there is a sentence that there are flowers and wine, spring is always there, and the night is self-evident without candles and lights.After the public rode, he left without leaving, and when he arrived, he was like a dream.It has been three days since he died.The mother heard the groaning in the coffin, helped her out, and was able to speak for half a day.Ask about Changshan, and if there is Zhang Sheng, he will die every day.Nine years later, Muguo died.After the burial was over, the house was washed and washed.His father-in-law lived in the west gate of the city, and suddenly he saw the public engraved with red scarves and ben, and there were a lot of horses and horses. They went up to his hall and worshiped.They were all surprised and suspicious, not knowing that it was a god.In Benxun Township, it is dead.There is a public self-reported biography, but it is a pity that there will be no survival after the chaos.