Chapter 29 Section 3 Historical Figures and Immortal Legends

There are so many fairy tales that it is difficult to count them. Generally speaking, they have an impact on the elegant, poetic realm, rich imagination, national cohesion, human touch, and moral sense in traditional Chinese culture. Qu Yuan, Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, etc. Works are proof.Due to space limitations, I can only introduce the relationship between a few historical figures and fairy tales, and get a glimpse of some characteristics of early fairy legends. King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty was 50 years old when he succeeded to the throne, and died after 55 years in office. He was an ancient longevity emperor.Perhaps because of his longevity, King Mu of Zhou traveled all over the world and met the Queen Mother of the West in Ditai;

Yanshi is a skilled craftsman, and the people he made are just like real people, who can sing and dance. He was praised by King Mu, so he took him back to the palace.When King Mu went west, some people offered him a one-foot-long jade knife, which cut jade like mud; someone offered a luminous cup; it is also said that, in the third month of continuous rain, King Mu played the flute to stop the rain... In short, this is not the case. The King Mu in history was an emperor whose adventures were constantly legendary.His greatest adventure was the meeting with the Queen Mother of the West.He respected the Queen Mother of the West, holding Baigui and Xuanbi in his hands, and presented three hundred pieces of colorful ribbons.The Queen Mother of the West hosted a banquet in hospitality, and the two sides sang songs to answer each other.After King Mu left, he went to Yan (Yan Yan) mountain, engraved the event of this meeting there with an inscription, and renamed it "The Mountain of Queen Mother of the West". (See "Mu Tianzi Biography", "Ten Continents", "Supplements", etc.) On this basis, later generations further immortalized Mu Tianzi, saying that he and the Queen Mother of the West ate a kind of black dates, which only lasted for a hundred years. The fruit is ripe once and is two feet long.It is also said that after he and the Queen Mother of the West sang happily, they ascended the clouds and left, or that the Queen Mother of the West went to the palace of King Mu and ascended the clouds together.In the meantime, it is already a mixture of mythology and Taoist immortals in later generations.

A good doctor in the Spring and Autumn Period, born in Zheng County, Bohai County. His surname was Qin and his name was Yue. "Bian Que" was his name when he practiced medicine in Zhao State.Because of his superb medical skills, he is famous all over the world.There are many legends about him practicing medicine and bringing him back to life. For example, once, he passed through Guo [Guo State], a small country that happened to hold a funeral for the prince.Bian Que inquired about the prince's condition from a concubine who was fond of alchemy. After hearing about it, he concluded that it was due to the decline of yang and the excess of yin, and the reverse of qi. He died and could be saved.Fortunately, less than half a day after the death of the prince, the lower legs were still warm. Bian Que used acupuncture and decoction to restore the prince's body soon, and he has become more famous since then.He can also observe the lesions in a patient's body. For example, Marquis Huan of Qi State didn't feel any discomfort on the surface, but Bian Que insisted that he was sick, but he didn't believe it. People went to ask him why he ran away. He said that Huanhou's disease had penetrated into the bone marrow and could not be cured.Sure enough, Marquis Huan soon fell ill and died soon after.At this time, Bian Que had fled Qi.

Where did Bian Que learn to observe the lesions inside the human body?It is said that it was taught by Changsang Jun.As early as when Bian Que was young, he used to be the shopkeeper in a guest house. Among the guests was a man named Chang Sang Jun, who had a different bearing from ordinary people, and Bian Que received him cautiously.Mr. Changsang also saw at a glance that Bian Que was an extraordinary person.Each notices the other.One day, Lord Changsang asked Bian Que to talk, and said to him: "I have a forbidden prescription. Now that I am old, I want to pass it on to you, but I hope you will not reveal it." Bian Que promised to keep the secret.After Mr. Changsang handed over the secret recipe and the forbidden book, he disappeared instantly.

This mysterious Lord Changsang may have been a hermit, alchemist and immortal family at that time.Because Bian Que had taken Changsangjun's medicine, after 30 days, not only could he see the internal organs of people, but his eyesight could penetrate walls.He became the legendary fairy doctor who took the fairy medicine. Bian Que was stabbed to death by his colleagues out of jealousy.After his death, people remembered his contribution in medicine and regarded him as one of the kings of medicine.In the first year of Song Renzong Jingyou, Bian Que was named "Lingyinghou" and a temple was built.According to folklore, there are several acres of land in front of the Yaowang Temple, and the sick can be cured by digging the soil.People respond to their requests, and they respond to their needs.

Zhang Liang is a well-known official of the founding emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty who conquered the world. He later abandoned his official position and lived in seclusion.His achievements are related to Huangshi. "Historical Records: The Family of Liuhou" said that when Zhang Liang was young, he failed in his attempt to assassinate Qin Shihuang, so he changed his name and surname and fled to Xiapi.One day, on the bridge, I met an old man wearing coarse cloth and short clothes. He deliberately dropped a shoe under the bridge and asked Zhang Liang to pick it up for him.Zhang Liang really wanted to beat him up, because he saw that the other party was very old, so he could only endure it.When the shoes were picked up, the old man asked to put them on, so Zhang Liang had to kneel on the ground to help him put them on.The old man thought that Zhang Liang could be taught, and asked Zhang to meet on the bridge five days later.Zhang Liang went as scheduled, but the old man had arrived first, so he reprimanded Zhang Liang.Five days later, Zhang Liang left as soon as the cock crowed, but the old man still arrived first.The third time, Zhang Liang went there in the middle of the night. Soon, the old man also arrived. He was very happy, took out a book compiled from bamboo slips from his bosom and handed it in, and said to him: "Read this book carefully, and you can become the emperor's son in the future." Teacher, ten years later Zexing, come to Jibei to see me in thirteen years. The Yellowstone at the foot of Gucheng Mountain is me.” The old man who called himself Yellowstone disappeared mysteriously.The military book he left behind is called "Taigong Art of War", and Zhang Liang assisted Liu Bang to win the world by it.

The above legends recorded by Sima Qian are not necessarily historical facts, but folk rumors. Later generations added branches and leaves on this basis, further evolved, and attached a personified stone to a real person in history. "Tongjian of Immortals of Past Dynasties" says that Huang Shigong, formerly Huang Chuping, was a native of the Jin Dynasty in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and later became a fairy.Some also say that he is the same person as the famous fairy Chisongzi.Such as: Jin, Huang (Huang) Chuping, from Lanxi.The shepherd met a Taoist priest, and he was about to go to the stone chamber in Jinhua Mountain. After more than 40 years of searching for it, he met a Taoist priest one day, and led him to the mountain to meet him.Where is the sheep?Chu Ping said: "It's in the east of the mountain." At the beginning, I looked at it, but I saw Baishi.When Chu Ping scolded him, all stones became sheep.From the beginning, the grains were cut off, and if you take pines, cypresses, and poria cocos, you will also get immortals.After returning to his hometown, his family died, so he went back.Chuping was nicknamed Chisongzi. ("Xianshi" Volume 22)

There was no Taoism in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, so where did the Taoists come from? It can be seen that it was compiled by later generations for the needs of preaching.The red pine nuts evolved from Huangshi Gong, also known as "Chisong Huang Daxian", were worshiped by the southeast coast and spread to Southeast Asia.Hong Kong and Macau especially believe in Huang Daxian, and the incense is extremely prosperous. Since Zhang Liang was exiled from Huang Shigong, he was naturally contaminated with immortality.In addition, he was often ill after entering the customs, so he said to Liu Bang: "Today, the emperor who takes the three-inch tongue as the teacher, seals ten thousand households, and ranks as a lord. This is the best of the commoner, and Yu Liang is enough. I am willing to abandon human affairs and want to learn from Chisong. Ziyouer." It is said that 13 years after he obtained the art of war, Zhang Liang followed Liu Bang on the way to Jibei, and when he saw a yellow stone, he brought it back to enshrine, and when he died, he was buried with it and shared with his family.