20 You may wonder in which dynasty these words were written? And where exactly was it? It took place during the reign of Emperor Renzong（仁宗） of the Great Song（大宋） Dynasty, in the village of Changle（長樂） outside the eastern gate of Pingjiang（平江） Prefecture in Jiangnan（江南）. This village was only three li away from the city. In it lived an old man named Qiu Xian（秋先）, originally a farmer by birth, who owned several mu of farmland and a small thatched house. His wife, Lady Shui（水）, had already passed away, and he had no children. Since childhood, Qiu Xian had been passionately fond of planting flowers and fruit trees; he abandoned his farming work entirely and devoted himself to this pursuit. If by chance he found a rare flower seed, it would bring him more joy than finding a treasure. Even if he had to go out for some urgent matter, along the way whenever he saw a tree in bloom at someone's house, no matter whether they welcomed him or not, he would smile and politely ask to enter just to admire it. If the flowers were not particularly beautiful, or if they were already in full bloom at home, he would quickly turn away. But if it was a rare and famous flower that he did not have at home — or even if he had one but it had already bloomed — then he would forget all about his original errand, lingering with deep affection until evening without thinking of returning. Everyone called him a flower-obsessed fool. If he happened to see a seller with a fine plant, no matter whether he had money or not at the moment, he would insist on buying it. If he had no money, he would take off his clothes and pawn them to get some. Some flower sellers knew of his peculiar habit and deliberately set high prices, but he had no choice but to buy them at the inflated cost. There were also some down-and-out people who knew of his love for flowers. They would search around, pluck nice-looking flowers, and fake roots with dirt to deceive him — yet he had no choice but to purchase them as well. How strange a thing! When he planted them later, they would still manage to survive. Over time, through years of accumulation, it eventually became a large garden. The garden was surrounded by bamboo fences, with climbing roses, tea-mei（荼縻）, fragrant jasmine（木香）, hawthorn（刺梅）, hibiscus（木槿）, kerria japonica（棣棠）, ten-color brocade（十樣錦）, beauty knotweed（美人蓼）, rhododendron（山躑躅）, high ginger（高良姜）, white swallowtail（白蛺蝶）, night money flower（夜落金錢）, and entwined branch peonies（纏枝牡丹）— too many to list. When they bloomed, the garden was as colorful and splendid as a brocade screen. A few steps beyond the fence were planted with famous flowers and rare plants. Before one flower had faded, another would already be in bloom. Facing the sun stood two wooden gates with thatched roofs. Inside the gate was a path lined with bamboo, and on both sides were screens of cypress trees for protection. Beyond the cypress screen lay a three-room thatched hall. Though covered with thatch, the house was tall and airy, spacious and well-lit through its bright windows. Inside the hall hung an unsigned small painting, and there stood a simple white wooden couch. All tables and stools were spotlessly clean. The floor was swept so thoroughly that not a speck of dust or dirt remained. Behind the hall were several small study rooms, with his bedroom among them. The garden contained every kind of flower imaginable and was extremely lush and flourishing. Truly, the flowers never withered in any season; spring seemed to last all year round.


25 Putting aside these descriptions for now, let us return to Qiu Xian. Every morning he would rise early, sweep away the fallen leaves beneath the flowers, draw water and carefully irrigate them; in the evening, he would do so again. If a single flower was about to bloom, he could not contain his joy. Sometimes he would warm a bit of wine, or brew a small pot of tea. Bowing deeply to the flowers, he first poured out an offering and said "Long live the flower!" three times before sitting beneath them, sipping slowly and chewing delicately. When drunk with wine and in high spirits, he would sing or howl as inspiration struck. When tired from his exertions, he would use a stone as a pillow and lie down beside the roots of the flowers. From the time the flower first began to bloom until it fully opened, he never left for even a moment. If he saw the sun's heat becoming intense, he would dip a palm brush into water and sprinkle it on them to cool them down. On moonlit nights, he often stayed awake all night long. If a sudden storm with fierce winds and heavy rain came, he would immediately put on his hat and rain cape, then walk through the flower beds to inspect them. If any branches bent or leaned, he would prop them up with bamboo sticks. Even at night, he would get up several times to inspect the flowers. When a flower began to wither, he would sigh for days and often weep bitterly. He also could not bear to see the fallen flowers. With a palm brush, he would gently sweep them up and place them in a tray, admiring and cherishing them until they dried out. On the day he placed them into a clean jar, he would pour tea or wine over them as an offering, his expression sorrowful and reluctant to part with them. Then, holding the jar himself, he would bury it deep beneath a long embankment, calling this act "flower burial." If any petals were beaten by the rain and stained with mud, he would wash them repeatedly in clean water before sending them into the lake; this was called "flower bathing."

26 What he hated most on a daily basis was seeing people pluck flowers or break off branches. He had his own views on this, saying: "All flowers bloom only once a year; in the four seasons, they occupy just one season. Even within that single season, their blooming lasts for merely several days." "After enduring the cold neglect of three seasons, they manage to earn these few days of beauty and splendor. "Watching them dance with the wind, smiling toward people, they are like a person at the height of happiness who is suddenly crushed. It is very difficult to achieve these few days of glory, yet it takes only a moment for them to be broken and ruined." "If flowers could speak, would they not lament and sigh!" Moreover, within these few days, the flowers first remain in bud, then gradually wither and fall. The time when they are fully blooming is even shorter. In addition, there are bees to pollinate them, birds pecking at them, insects boring into them; they suffer from the scorching sun and strong winds, become obscured by mist and battered by rain. They rely entirely on people to protect and cherish them. Yet some people instead pluck and break the flowers at will — how could they bear such cruelty in their hearts! Let us now speak of how these flowers grow: from a bud, roots take hold; from the roots, the trunk forms. The stronger parts become trunks and the weaker ones branches. Each trunk and branch has taken countless years to develop. When it finally comes time for them to bloom, they offer their beauty for people's enjoyment. If a flower is not particularly beautiful, some insist on plucking and breaking it! Once a flower is separated from its branch, it can never return to the branch. Once a branch is removed from the trunk, it cannot reattach itself. This is like death for a human — irreversible and without resurrection. If flowers could speak, would they not weep in sorrow! He also thought about those who pluck flowers: they merely choose the most elegant stems and love the lush branches, inserting them into vases or placing them on tables. Sometimes these are used to accompany guests for a moment of wine-drinking pleasure; other times, they serve as decorations for concubines' daily grooming. Yet they never consider that guests could enjoy flowers beneath their natural beauty while drinking, nor that women in the inner chambers could achieve elegance through human artistry instead. Each branch plucked from their hands means one less flower in the world; if a trunk is cut down this year, it will be missing next year. How much better would it be to preserve their lives so that they may bloom and be enjoyed endlessly from year to year! There are also buds yet to open that vanish with the flowers. These buds wither and die on their branches — how different is this from a child dying young? There are also those who do not truly love or appreciate the flowers, but pluck them on a whim. After breaking off branches, they sort through the good and bad ones, offering them to anyone who asks, giving them away without hesitation. Some even discard the flowers carelessly along the roadside, showing no regard or pity at all. This is like a person dying unjustly and wrongfully, with nowhere to appeal their grievance. "If flowers could speak, would they not feel deep pain and resentment!"

27 Because of these thoughts, he had resolved in his lifetime never to pluck a single branch or harm even one bud. Even if there was a flower in someone else's garden that he loved dearly, he would only watch and admire it all day. Even if the owner of those flowers insisted on giving him one branch or blossom as a gift, he would repeatedly refuse, calling himself guilty for even considering such an act. If he saw someone else about to pluck a flower, unless he was not present, he would speak repeatedly and earnestly to dissuade them. If people did not heed his words, he was willing to bow low and even kneel before them, pleading on behalf of the flowers for their lives. Though people often called him a "flower fool," many felt pity for his sincere heart and stopped plucking the flowers. In such cases, he would bow deeply in gratitude to thank them. If there were young servants who wanted to pluck flowers to sell for money, he would give them the money instead and forbid them from harming a single blossom. If, when he was away, someone plucked or damaged the flowers and he returned to find them injured, he would feel deeply sorrowful. He would then take clay to mend the damage, calling this act "flower healing." Because of this, in his own garden he never allowed people to enter and play freely. If relatives or neighbors occasionally wished to visit, and it was difficult for him to refuse, he would first explain this matter clearly before allowing them in. He also feared that impure air might harm the flowers, so he only allowed people to admire from a distance and forbade anyone from getting too close. If someone who did not understand the situation carelessly plucked a single flower or bud, the old man would turn red in the face and neck, and become very angry. The next time, he would scold or even beat them, and would not allow them to enter again for viewing. Later on, when people learned of his temper, they dared not pluck even a single leaf.

28 Generally speaking, dense forests and tall trees are the nests of birds; where there are flowers and fruits, flocks of hundreds or even thousands gather. If they merely ate the fruit, it would still be a small matter; but what annoyed him most was that birds always picked out and pecked at the flower buds. Only Qiu Xian would place rice and grains in empty areas to feed them, while also making prayers and blessings for the birds. These birds, it seemed, had a sense of awareness. Every day after they were well-fed, they would fly and dance lightly among the flowers, singing sweetly like young children, yet not harming even one flower or eating a single fruit. Therefore, his orchard produced the most fruits, which were also large and sweet in flavor. Each harvest season, he would first make an offering to the flower spirits before daring to taste them. He then sent samples of the new fruits to nearby neighbors for tasting, and only sold what was left over; this brought him a considerable profit each year. Because he had found such joy in the flowers, from his youth to old age, for more than fifty years, this old man never showed any sign of weariness. His bones and muscles even felt stronger with each passing year. Wearing plain clothes and eating simple meals, he lived a life of leisurely contentment. Whenever he had extra income, he used it to help the poor in his village. From then on, every villager held him in deep respect and affectionately called him Master Qiu. He referred to himself as Guanyuansou(灌園叟), the Old Gardener.

31 The story now splits into two threads. Let us now return to the city, where there was a man named Zhang Wei(張委). Originally from an official's family, he was a cunning and deceitful person, cruel and mean-spirited. Relying on his power and influence, he specialized in bullying neighbors, frightening villagers, and harming good-hearted people. Anyone who crossed him would immediately face trouble; he would not stop until the person was ruined, their family broken and property lost. He employed a group of servants as fierce as wolves and tigers, and had several wayward young men who assisted in his wickedness. Day and night they worked together, causing trouble and disasters everywhere; countless people suffered under their hands. Unluckily for him, he encountered a man even more ruthless than himself, who easily captured him and beat him to near death. When he took the matter to court, that other man manipulated things behind the scenes, and Zhang ended up losing the case instead. Feeling ashamed, he put on a false front and took four or five servants along with that group of ruffians to his country estate for a while, hoping to ease his frustration. This estate was located in the village of Changle, not far from Master Qiu's home. One day, after a half-drunk breakfast, he strolled idly through the village and found himself at Master Qiu's gate. He saw fresh and charming flower branches on the fence, with lush trees surrounding it in shade. He remarked, "This place is quite elegant — whose home could this be?" His servant replied, "This belongs to Qiu Gong(秋公), the flower grower. He's well known as a 'flower fool.'" Zhang Wei said, "I've often heard that there is an old man named Qiu near the village who grows particularly beautiful flowers." So it turns out he lives right here. "Why don't we go in and take a look?" The servant replied, "This old man is somewhat eccentric; he doesn't allow people to enter." Zhang Wei said, "Others may refuse, but would I be the same?" "Quickly, knock on the door!"

32 At that time, peonies were in full bloom in the garden. Qiu Gong had just finished watering them and was now holding a cup of wine with two small dishes of fruit, enjoying a solitary drink beneath the flowers for his own pleasure. He had not yet taken three cups of wine when he heard the knocking at the door. Putting down his cup, he went out to open it and saw five or six men standing there, reeking of alcohol. Qiu Gong guessed they must have come to see the flowers, so he blocked their way at the door and asked, "Gentlemen, what business brings you here?" Zhang Wei said, "Don't you recognize me, old man?" "I am Zhang Yannei(張衙內), a well-known person in the city. That Zhangjiazhuang (張家莊) estate over there is my home." I heard your garden has many beautiful flowers and have come especially to visit." Qiu Gong replied, "Your Honor, an old man like me hasn't planted any particularly fine flowers — just peaches and apricots, which have already withered. There are no other kinds of blossoms here now." Zhang Wei opened his eyes wide and said, "This old man is truly despicable!" "Why should looking at some flowers be such a big deal that you refuse me outright?" "Did the flowers eat you?" Qiu Gong said, "I am not lying to you — it is truly the case that there are no flowers." Zhang Wei would not listen and instead reached forward with both hands. With a sudden push to the chest, Qiu Gong lost his balance, stumbled unsteadily, and crashed over halfway. The crowd surged in together. Seeing the threatening situation, Qiu Gong had no choice but to let him in. He closed the wattle gate behind them and followed inside, fetching wine and fruit from beneath the flowers and standing by. The crowd saw that there were many kinds of flowers and grasses on all sides, but peonies were the most abundant. These were not ordinary peonies like Yulouchun (玉樓春), but five famous and rare varieties. Which five? Huang Louzi(黃樓子), Lv Hudiye(綠蝴蝶), Xigua Rang(西瓜穰), Wuqing Ni(舞青猊), and Dahong Shitou(大紅獅頭).

39 Those flowers(peonies) were planted directly opposite the thatched hall. Around them, lake stones formed a barrier, and wooden frames stood on all sides with cloth canopies overhead to block out the sunlight. The plants were about a zhang tall, and even the shortest ones stood six or seven chi. The flowers themselves were as large as red plates, their five colors brilliant and dazzling to the eye. Everyone praised in unison: "What beautiful flowers!" Zhang Wei stepped onto the lake stones to sniff their fragrance. Qiu Xian found this behavior particularly strange and said, "Your Honor, please stand a little farther away to look—don't go up there!" Zhang Wei was already annoyed that he had been kept out, and now hearing these words, he shouted, "You old man who lives near my estate—don't you know the name of Zhang Yannei?" "You have such fine flowers and yet deliberately said there were none." "If I don't take it into account, that's generous of me. But if you keep talking nonsense, how can sniffing the flowers damage them?" "You may say what you like—I'm going to smell them anyway." With that, he plucked each flower one by one and brought his nose close to sniff. Qiu Lao, standing nearby, was furious but dared not speak out. He still thought they would just take a brief look and leave. Little did he know that this rascal deliberately boasted, saying, "With such beautiful flowers, how could we possibly let them pass by in vain?" "Let us bring wine to enjoy and admire these flowers." He ordered his attendants to go quickly and fetch it. Qiu Gong, seeing that wine was about to be brought for a drinking session, became even more annoyed and stepped forward to say, "The space here is narrow like a snail's shell; there isn't anywhere to sit." "Your Honor, if you just want to look at the flowers, please take your wine and drink it back at your own estate." Zhang Wei pointed at the ground and said, "This ground is perfectly fine to sit on." Qiu Gong replied, "The earth here is muddy. How could Your Honor possibly sit on it?" Zhang Wei said, "That's no problem; we'll just use some felt or mats to cover and cushion the ground." In no time, wine and delicacies were brought. Mats were spread out on the ground, and everyone sat in a circle, playing drinking games, shouting loudly, and reveling with great satisfaction. Only Qiu Gong kept his mouth tightly shut and sat on the side. Zhang Wei, seeing the flourishing trees and flowers, conceived a wicked idea to seize them. Squinting with drunken eyes, he said to Qiu Gong, "You may be a foolish old man who can't do anything else, but you know how to grow flowers—how admirable! Here's a toast for you." Qiu Gong, too angry to respond politely, said in an indignant tone, "An old man like me was born with no taste for wine and dares not obey your command!" Zhang Wei then asked, "Would you sell this garden?" Qiu Gong noticed the tone of his words was suspicious and felt greatly surprised. He replied, "This garden is as precious to me as my life—how could I possibly sell it?" Zhang Wei said, "What nonsense about your 'life'!" "Just sell it to me." "If you don't have anywhere else to go, I'll even take you in as part of the deal. You won't need to do anything else—just grow some flowers and trees for me. Isn't that a good arrangement?" The crowd all said, "You lucky fellow! It's rare for Yannei to show you such kindness—don't you dare delay in thanking him!" Qiu Gong saw that the pressure was mounting and became so angry his limbs went numb. He no longer paid any attention to them. Zhang Wei said, "This old man is despicable!" "Whether you agree or not, why won't you answer me?" Qiu Gong said, "I already told you I will not sell it—why keep asking?" Zhang Wei retorted, "Nonsense!" "If you say one more time that you won't sell it, I'll write a report and send it to the county magistrate." Qiu Gong could not bear the injustice and wanted to argue back, but then thought again—this man was powerful and also drunk. How could he stoop to his level? He decided it was better to pacify him for now and replied with gritted teeth, "If Your Honor insists on buying it, you must give me a day's time. This is not something that can be rushed." The crowd said, "That makes sense." "Then we'll settle it tomorrow." By then, they were all thoroughly drunk. They rose together, and the attendants gathered up the drinking utensils and left first. Qiu Gong was afraid of damaging the flowers and had taken precautions to protect them in advance. Zhang Wei really did step forward, intending to climb onto the lake stones and pluck some flowers. Qiu Xian grabbed him by the arm and said, "Your Honor, these flowers may seem insignificant, but it takes countless hours of effort over an entire year to produce just a few blossoms." It would be very regrettable if they were damaged. Besides, even if you pluck them, they will wither in just two or three days—why go to such trouble and commit this sin!" Zhang Wei shouted, "Nonsense!" "What crime is there in this?" "If you sell it tomorrow, it will become my family's property. I can pluck all of them then—it has nothing to do with you!" He pushed Qiu Xian away with his hand. Qiu Gong grabbed hold and refused to let go, saying, "Even if you kill me, old man, I will never allow you to pluck these flowers." The crowd said, "This old man is really despicable!" "What's the big deal about Your Honor picking a flower or two? Why make such a fuss and put on so many airs?" "Do you think we're afraid of you not plucking them?" With that, they all rushed forward and began plucking the flowers indiscriminately. The old man was so furious he cried out in anguish, abandoning Zhang Wei and desperately trying to stop them. He struggled on one side but could not reach the other; within moments, many flowers had been plucked. Qiu Lao was heartbroken and furious, cursing, "You rascals! You come uninvited and bully me—what good is my life to you!" He rushed toward Zhang Wei's side and collided into him full force. The impact was so strong, and since Zhang Wei had already drunk too much wine and could not keep his balance, he tumbled over with a loud crash. Everyone cried out, "No good! Yannei has been injured!" They all dropped the flowers and rushed over to beat Qiu Gong. Among them, an older and more experienced man saw that Qiu Gong was already old and feared something might happen if they attacked him. He persuaded the others to stop and helped Zhang Wei up. Because of this fall, Zhang Wei was even more furious. He rushed forward and beat the flowers until not a single petal remained, scattering them all over the ground. Still unsatisfied, he trampled through the flowerbeds again. What a pity for such beautiful flowers!

42 At that moment, Qiu Gong was so enraged he cried out in despair and rolled about on the ground. Neighbors nearby heard the commotion in Qiu Gong's garden and rushed over. Seeing the flower branches scattered all over the ground, with people still committing violence, they were greatly shocked and hurried forward to stop them. After learning the cause, a couple of the neighbors turned out to be Zhang Wei's tenants. They all apologized on behalf of Qiu Gong, humbly and coldly sending them away from the garden gate. Zhang Wei said, "Tell that old thief for me: if he hands over the garden to me properly, I will spare him; but if he dares say a single word of refusal, I'll make sure he suffers dearly." He left in a rage.

43 The neighbors, seeing that Zhang Wei was drunk, thought his words were just drunken talk and did not take them seriously. They turned back, helped Qiu Gong up, and seated him on the stone steps. The old man burst into loud wailing. After a while of comforting and consoling him, the neighbors took their leave, closing the garden gate behind them as they walked away together. Among them, some who had long resented Qiu Gong for his habit of forbidding people from admiring the flowers said, "This old man is indeed very strange. That's why such an incident happened to him; it serves as a warning for next time." Among them, there were also upright people who said, "Don't say such an unjust thing!" As the old saying goes: it takes a whole year to grow flowers, but one only gets ten days of viewing them. Those who admire the flowers merely think they are beautiful and praise them as fine blossoms, but how could they know the hardships of growing them. Just for these few flowers, who knows how much effort and toil were spent before they could grow so luxuriantly—how can one blame him for cherishing them!"

44 Leaving aside the crowd, let us speak of Qiu Gong. Unable to bear parting with these broken flowers, he stepped forward and reached out his hands to pick them up for a look. Seeing how they had been trampled into decay and scattered messily, stained by dirt, he felt deeply sorrowful and wept again, saying, "Flowers! I have cherished them all my life, never once harming a single petal or leaf. Who could have known that today I would suffer such a great misfortune!" While he was weeping, someone behind him suddenly called out, "Master Qiu, why are you crying so bitterly?" Qiu Gong turned around and saw it was a young woman, about sixteen or seventeen years old, graceful and beautiful, simply dressed. He did not recognize her as the daughter of any family, so he wiped his tears and asked, "Young lady, whose daughter are you?" "What business do you have here?" The young woman said, "My family lives nearby. I heard that the peonies in your garden were flourishing and came especially to visit, only to find they have all withered." At the mention of "peonies," Qiu Gong could not help but weep again. The young woman said, "Please tell me what sorrow you have that makes you cry so bitterly?" Qiu Gong recounted the incident of Zhang Wei trampling his flowers. The young woman smiled and said, "So it was for this reason." "Do you want these flowers to bloom again on their branches?" Qiu Gong said, "Young lady, don't joke with me!" "How could fallen flowers return to the branches?" The young woman said, "My ancestors passed down a magical technique that can make fallen flowers return to their branches. It has been tested many times and always works." Qiu Gong, upon hearing this, turned his sorrow into joy and asked, "Young lady, do you truly possess such a magical method?" The young woman replied, "How could it not be true?" Qiu Gong fell to his knees and bowed deeply, saying, "If the young lady would kindly perform this wondrous technique for me, I will have no way to repay you. But whenever any flower blooms, I shall invite you to come and admire it." The young woman said, "Don't bow yet—go get a bowl of water for me." Qiu Gong hurriedly jumped up to fetch the water, his heart filled with wonder: "How could there be such a wondrous method?" "Perhaps she saw me weeping and is just teasing me on purpose?" But then he thought, "This young lady has never met me before—how could she have any reason to mock me?" "It must be true." He hurriedly brought out a bowl of clear water, but when he looked up, the young woman was gone. All he saw were the flowers blooming again on their branches, and not a single petal lay scattered on the ground. At first, each plant had only one color, but now they had changed to red with purple in the center, light tones enhanced by deeper shades—each plant displayed all five colors and appeared even more vibrant than before.

47 At that moment, Qiu Gong felt both astonished and delighted, saying, "I did not expect this young lady to truly possess such a wondrous technique!" Thinking she was still among the flowers, he set down the bowl of water and came forward to thank her. He searched all around the garden in circles but saw no trace of her, then said, "How could this young lady have left so suddenly?" He thought again, "She must still be at the gate. I should go up and ask her to teach me this method." He hurried straight to the gate, but it was already closed again. When he pulled it open to look, two old men were sitting at the gate—his left and right neighbors. One was named Yu Gong, and the other Dan Lao, who were watching a fisherman drying his nets there. Seeing Qiu Gong come out, they both stood up and bowed their hands, saying, "We heard that Master Zhang Yannei was being unreasonable here, but we had just gone to the fields at the time and did not come to inquire." Qiu Gong said, "Don't even mention it. I was beaten up by those ruffians. Fortunately, a young lady came and used a wondrous method to revive many of the flowers. I hadn't even had time to thank her before she left." "Did you two see which way she went?" The two old men, upon hearing this, were astonished and said, "Flowers are ruined—how could there be a method to save them?" "When did this young woman leave?" Qiu Gong said, "She just left." The two old men said, "We've been sitting here for quite a while and haven't seen anyone moving about—where could there have been any young woman?" Upon hearing this, Qiu Gong suddenly realized and said, "If that's the case, could it be that this young lady was a fairy who descended from heaven?" The two old men asked, "Tell us how she revived the flowers." Qiu Gong recounted what had happened with the young woman. The two old men exclaimed, "Such a wondrous thing!" "Let us go and take a look."

48 Qiu Gong fastened the gate, and together they went to the flowers. After looking at them, they exclaimed in amazement again and again, saying, "This must surely be a fairy." "No ordinary person could possess such magical power!" Qiu Gong immediately lit a censer of fine incense and knelt to thank the heavens. The two old men said, "This is also because you have always cherished flowers with sincerity; that is why it moved a fairy to descend from heaven." "Tomorrow, let's go and show this to those ruffians of Master Zhang Yannei. It will shame them thoroughly." Qiu Gong said, "No, no!" "These people are like vicious dogs. One should avoid them from afar—how could we possibly invite them here?" The two old men said, "What you say is reasonable." At this moment Qiu Gong was extremely happy. He warmed up the bottle of wine from before and invited the two old men to admire the flowers with him, parting only when evening came. The two old men returned and immediately spread the news throughout the village. Everyone wanted to come see it the next day, even fearing that Qiu Gong might refuse them. Unbeknownst to them, Qiu Gong had always been a thoughtful man. After witnessing the fairy's descent, he began to feel an urge for transcendence. He could not sleep that night and sat beneath the flowers in deep contemplation; when his thoughts turned to Zhang Wei's incident, he suddenly realized, "All of this is because my heart has long been narrow-minded, which is why I have suffered such external humiliation." "If the Immortals possess vast and boundless tolerance, embracing all things without exception, how could such a thing ever happen!" The next morning, he opened the garden gate wide and allowed anyone to come in and see. At first, a few people came in to take a peek. Seeing Qiu Gong sitting facing the flowers, they only heard him give instructions: "Please sit and admire them freely, but do not pluck any." The people, having received these words, spread the message among themselves. Men and women from the village all came without exception.

49 Putting this aside for now, let us return to Zhang Wei. The next morning he said to the people around him, "Yesterday I was knocked over by that old thief—how could I possibly just forgive it so easily?" "Now I will go again to claim the garden. If he refuses, I'll bring more people along and smash all the flowers and trees into pieces—only then can I vent my anger." The crowd said, "This garden is right next to Master Zhang's estate. He won't dare refuse us." "But yesterday we shouldn't have destroyed all the flowers. We should leave a few blossoms so that he can see them again in a couple of days." Zhang Wei said, "That's fine. They will bloom again next year anyway." "Let us go quickly—don't let him have time to think of a way to resist." As they all rose and left the estate gate, someone said, "A fairy descended at Master Qiu's garden. The fallen flowers have already returned to their branches and even changed into five colors." Zhang Wei disbelieved, saying, "What good does this old thief have that could move a fairy to descend?" "Besides, it was neither before nor after—just when we destroyed the flowers, a fairy came down at that very moment?" "Could this fairy be one of our own people?" "It must be that he is afraid we will go again, so he made up this story to have people spread it around, making it seem as if he has a fairy protecting him, so we won't dare mess with him." The crowd said, "Master Zhang's words are very reasonable."

50 In no time they arrived at the garden gate, where both doors were wide open and a constant stream of men and women came and went, all speaking about the same thing. The crowd said, "So it is really true!" Zhang Wei said, "Don't mind him. Even if a fairy were sitting here, we will take this garden no matter what." They turned winding paths and arrived at the front of the thatched hall. Upon looking, they indeed found it as described without exaggeration. These flowers were also strange; when people came to look at them, their postures became even more brilliant and radiant, as if smiling at the onlookers. Though Zhang Wei was greatly surprised in his heart, his desire to seize the garden remained unchanged. After looking for a while, he suddenly had an evil thought and said to the crowd, "Let us go." They all left through the garden gate.

51 The crowd asked, "Master Zhang, why didn't you demand the garden from him?" Zhang Wei said, "I have a good plan in mind. I don't need to tell him about it—the garden will belong to me tomorrow." The crowd asked, "What brilliant strategy does Master Zhang have?" Zhang Wei said, "Nowadays, Wang Ze(王則) of Bei Zhou(貝州) is rebelling and specializes in sorcery." The Office of Military Secrets has issued official documents, strictly prohibiting all forms of heretical practices nationwide and ordering the capture of sorcerers. Our prefecture is offering a reward of three thousand guan in money, seeking people to report such cases. Tomorrow I will use the reason that fallen flowers have returned to their branches, and instruct Zhang Ba(張霸) to go to the prefecture and report him for using sorcery to deceive people. This old man will not be able to endure the torture and naturally confess, then be imprisoned. The garden will certainly be sold by the government. At that time, who would dare to buy it? It will inevitably be given to me. "There is also the reward of three thousand guan." The crowd said, "Master Zhang has a great plan!" "Time is precious. Let's go and make the preparations right away." At once they went into the city and wrote a report to denounce him. The next morning, he instructed Zhang Ba to go to Pingjiang Fu and make the report. Zhang Ba was the most capable person under Zhang Wei's command, familiar with official procedures, which is why he was chosen for this task. The chief magistrate was just investigating sorcerers. Upon hearing of this matter, he learned that both men and women from the entire village had witnessed it, so he could not help but believe. He immediately dispatched an official with a group of officers to take Zhang Ba as their guide to go and capture him. Zhang Wei had everything arranged in advance, letting Zhang Ba and the official go ahead first while he himself and his followers came later.

52 The official went straight to Master Qiu's garden, where the old man still thought they were just flower-viewers and did not take it seriously. At a shout from the crowd, people rushed forward and bound him with ropes. Master Qiu was greatly startled and asked, "What crime has an old man like me committed?" I beg you kind sirs to explain clearly." The crowd shouted in unison, calling him a sorcerer and rebel, leaving no room for explanation. They pushed him out of the gate. Neighbors who saw this were all greatly shocked and rushed forward to inquire. The official said, "Do you still need to ask?" "The crime he has committed is no small matter. I fear even people from the whole village may be involved." Those ignorant villagers were frightened by these grand words. Afraid in their hearts, they all hurriedly dispersed, fearing that they might be implicated. Only Yu Gong(虞公) and Shan Lao(單老), along with a few others who had been close to Master Qiu in the past, followed from afar to watch.

53 Meanwhile, after Master Qiu had been taken away, Zhang Wei immediately came with his followers to lock the garden gate. Fearing that someone might still be inside, he checked thoroughly once more before locking it and then hurried ahead toward the prefecture. The official had already taken Master Qiu into custody, and he was kneeling on the moon platform. He saw another person also kneeling nearby but did not recognize who it was. The jailers, having received money from Zhang Wei, had already prepared all kinds of torture instruments in readiness. The chief magistrate shouted, "What sorcerer are you from where? How dare you use your sorcery to deceive the people in this area?" How many accomplices do you have?" Confess truthfully!" Qiu, upon hearing this, was like someone in darkness suddenly hearing a firecracker—completely unsure of where it had come from. He respectfully replied, "My family has lived in Changle Village for generations; I am not some sorcerer from elsewhere and do not know any kind of sorcery." The chief magistrate said, "The other day you used sorcery to make fallen flowers return to their branches. How dare you deny it now!" Master Qiu, upon hearing the mention of flowers, realized it was due to Zhang Wei. He then recounted in detail how Zhang Wei had wanted to seize his garden by destroying the flowers and fabricated the story about a fairy descending. Unbeknownst to him, the chief magistrate was a man of stubborn and biased nature. He would not believe it at all but instead laughed and said, "Even those who slightly admire immortals and cultivate their whole lives cannot meet a fairy; how could a flower fairy possibly come just because you cried?" "If she had really come, surely she would have left some name for people to know. Why then did she leave without a word?" "Such words will deceive whom!" "There is no need to argue further. You must certainly be a sorcerer." "Quick, put the torture on him!"

54 The jailers all shouted in response and rushed up like wolves and tigers, grabbing Master Qiu by the arms and legs. Just as they were about to apply the torture, unexpectedly the chief magistrate suddenly felt a dizzy spell and nearly fell from his seat. He felt a chill in his head and eyes and could barely sit still. He ordered Master Qiu to be shackled and sent to prison for confinement, with the trial to continue the next day. The jailers led him out, and Master Qiu wept all the way. Seeing Zhang Wei, he said, "Master Zhang, I have no grudge with you from yesterday or any hatred from past days—why do you use such a cruel hand to harm my life!" Zhang Wei did not respond and, together with Zhang Ba and that group of ruffians, turned around and left. Yu Gong and Shan Lao met Master Qiu and learned the details of what had happened, then said, "How could there be such an injustice!" "Don't worry. Tomorrow I will go with the whole village and submit a joint petition to guarantee your innocence. You will be fine." Master Qiu wept, saying, "I only hope it turns out this way." A jailer shouted, "This condemned prisoner still lingers here!" "Just stop crying already!" Master Qiu entered the prison with tears in his eyes. Neighbors brought some wine and food to send him off at the gate. None of the jailers gave it to him; instead, they took everything for themselves and enjoyed it.

55 At night, they put him on a prison cot, where he lay like a living corpse, unable to move his hands or feet even slightly. In his heart he felt great sorrow and thought, "I wonder which immortal from the heavens saved these flowers, yet this man has used that to falsely accuse me. O Immortal! If you pity me, Master Qiu Xian, then come and save my life. I am willing to abandon my family and become a Daoist." While he was still thinking this, the fairy from the previous day slowly appeared before him. Master Qiu hurriedly called out, "Great Immortal, please rescue your disciple Qiu Xian!" The fairy smiled and said, "Do you wish to be freed from suffering?" She stepped forward, raised her hand, pointed a finger, and the shackles fell off one after another. Qiu Xian got up on his hands and knees, bowed forward, and said, "May I ask the great immortal's surname?" The fairy said, "I am the Flower Mistress under the seat of Queen Mother Yao(瑤). I took pity on your sincere love for flowers and thus made all the fallen blossoms return to their branches; I did not expect this would instead provide grounds for a villainmsngs slander." "Nevertheless, this disaster was also destined in your life. You will escape it tomorrow." Zhang Wei destroyed flowers and harmed others; the flower deity has reported this to Heaven, and his life span has already been taken. Those who assisted in evil will all suffer great calamity. "You should cultivate your mind diligently. After several years, I shall take you under my guidance." Qiu Xian bowed again and asked, "May I ask, great immortal, what is the way of cultivation?" The fairy said, "There are many paths to cultivate immortality, but one must first recognize their original source. "You originally earned merit by cherishing flowers; now you should also achieve the Dao through flowers." "Just consume all kinds of flower essences, and your body will naturally become light enough to fly." She then taught him the method for consuming them. Qiu Xian rose, bowed deeply in thanks, and suddenly the fairy was gone. Looking up, he saw her on the wall of the prison, waving with her hand and saying, "You come up too, follow me out!" Qiu Xian then climbed forward for a long time, but could only reach halfway up the wall and found it very tiring. As he gradually reached the top, suddenly from below came the sound of a gong being struck, followed by shouts: "The sorcerer has escaped! Catch him quickly!" Master Qiu was startled and frightened, his hands went limp and legs weak. He fell backward down the wall and suddenly awoke with a start—only to find himself still lying on the prison cot. He recalled the words from his dream, which were clear and vivid; he was convinced that nothing bad would happen, and thus felt a little more at ease in his heart.

57 Meanwhile, Zhang Wei, seeing that the chief magistrate had already accepted Master Qiu as a sorcerer, was overjoyed and said, "This old man is so strange and eccentric. Tonight let him enjoy one night on his prison cot while we take pleasure in his garden." The crowd all said, "Yesterday it was still that old man's property and we didn't get to enjoy it fully; today it belongs to our master. We must now appreciate it尽情ly." Zhang Wei said, "You speak wisely!" They then all left the city together and ordered their family members to prepare wine and delicacies, proceeding directly to Master Qiu's garden. They opened the gate and went in. The neighbors, upon seeing it was Zhang Wei, felt inwardly resentful but were also afraid; who would dare to speak out?

58 Meanwhile, Zhang Wei and the group of young men arrived at the front of the thatched hall. They saw not a single peony blossom left on the branches; it was exactly as it had been the previous day when they had beaten them down, with petals scattered haphazardly across the ground. Everyone present expressed their surprise. Zhang Wei said, "It seems that this old thief indeed has sorcery. Otherwise, how could it have changed again so suddenly within half a day?" "Could it also be done by immortals?" One of the young men said, "He must have known that we wanted to admire the flowers and deliberately used this trick to scare us." Zhang Wei replied, "Even if he uses such tricks, we will still enjoy the fallen flowers." At once they laid out mats as before, sat on the ground, and drank heartily. They even gave two bottles of wine to Zhang Ba, telling him to go off to one side and drink by himself. As they drank on into the night until the moon had moved westward, all of them were half-intoxicated when suddenly a strong wind arose. What a fierce wind it was!

61 That gust of wind blew all the flowers on the ground upward, and in a blink they transformed into young women about one chi tall. The crowd was greatly startled and cried out together, "How strange!" Before their words had finished, those young women swayed in the wind and suddenly grew tall. One by one, they were beautiful in appearance, dressed in gorgeous clothes, standing together in a large group. The crowd, seeing them so charming and graceful, all stared at them in astonishment. Among them, a woman dressed in red spoke up and said, "My sisters and I have lived here for more than thirty years, deeply cherished and protected by Master Qiu. We never expected to suddenly encounter a ruffian like you, whose vulgar presence has polluted the air and whose cruel hands have trampled upon us. Moreover, you falsely accused Master Qiu in an attempt to seize this place for yourself." Now that our enemy is right before us, why don't my sisters and I unite our strength to attack him!" "To repay the kindness of a true friend above, and to wash away the shame of being trampled below—would that not be fitting?" The young ladies all said in unison, "Your words are wise, dear sister! We must act quickly and not let them escape!" No sooner had they finished speaking than all of them raised their sleeves and rushed forward. Those sleeves seemed to be several chi long, fluttering wildly like the wind, with a chill that pierced one's bones. The crowd cried out in terror, "There are ghosts!" and dropped their belongings, running wildly outward without regard for one another. Some were tripped by stones, others had their faces scratched by branches; some fell down only to get up again and fall once more. They ran in chaos for a long while before finally stopping. When they checked the number of people, all were accounted for except Zhang Wei and Zhang Ba. The two had disappeared. By then the wind had died down and dusk had fallen. This group of young men returned home one by one, as if they had narrowly escaped death, fleeing in headlong panic like rats.

62 After the family members caught their breath, they called for a few strong farmhands, lit torches, and went back to search. They arrived at the garden and heard a groaning sound beneath the large plum tree. When they raised their torches to look, it turned out that Zhang Ba had been tripped by a plum root and had fallen, breaking his head and unable to get up. The farmhands first helped two of them carry Zhang Ba back home. The crowd walked around the area once, but found everything quiet and still—utterly silent with not a sound from any living thing. Under the peony trellis, the flowers were as lush and abundant as before, without a single petal fallen. Inside the thatched hall, cups and plates lay in disarray, with leftover food spilling over. Everyone present could not help but stick out their tongues in amazement at the marvel. While they gathered up the scattered items, they also carefully inspected everything again. The garden was not very large; after going around it three or five times, there was still no trace of them. Could they have been blown away by the strong wind? Or were they devoured by female ghosts? No one could tell where they had hidden. After waiting for a while with no success, there was nothing to be done but return home for the night and make plans again later.

63 Just as they were about to leave, they saw another group of people outside the gate carrying lanterns and entering. They were no one else but Yu Gong and Lao Shan, who had heard about the incident of people encountering ghosts. They also learned that Zhang Wei was missing and someone was searching for him in the garden. Not knowing whether it was true or false, they gathered together with neighbors from three to four households and came into the garden to take a look. After questioning the farmhands and learning the details, they realized that this matter was indeed true. The two old men were greatly surprised and astonished, and ordered the farmhands not to go back yet: "Elders, let us all search once more together." The crowd carefully searched the garden again. When they finally gave up and left, sighing in frustration, they all exited together through the garden gate. The two old men asked, "Will you not come again tonight?" The elders replied, "We have to lock the garden gate for the night. No one can guard it, and we are also your neighbors." At this point, the farmhands were like snakes without a head—disorganized and lacking their former momentum. They replied, "As you wish, as you wish."

64 Before the two groups of people had dispersed, a farmhand suddenly called out from the corner of the eastern wall: "I found Master!" The crowd rushed forward in a frenzy. The farmhand pointed and said, "Hanging from that locust tree branch—isn't that Master's soft-winged silk scarf?" Everyone said, "If the scarf is here, then he must be nearby." As they followed along the wall searching, no more than a few steps later, someone cried out in despair: "Oh, woe is me!" It turned out that at the corner of the east wall, there was a dung pit. Inside it lay one person with both feet pointing upward and not slanting to either side—exactly upside down inside the pit. The farmhand recognized his shoes, socks, and clothes—it was indeed Zhang Wei. Unable to bear the stench any longer, they had no choice but to go forward and pull him out. Yu Gong and Lao Shan silently recited prayers and returned home with their neighbors. The farmhands carried Zhang Wei to the lake's edge and washed him clean. Someone had already gone ahead to inform the estate. The entire family, young and old, wept bitterly as they prepared a coffin and clothes for burial; there was no need to describe it further. That night, Zhang Ba died at the fifth watch from his severe head injury. This was a just retribution for their evil deeds.

66 The next day, the chief magistrate recovered from his illness and ascended to the hall. Just as he was about to proceed with the interrogation of Master Qiu's case, a court official reported: "The plaintiff Zhang Ba and his family head Zhang Wei both died last night." He then recounted in detail what had happened. The chief magistrate was greatly shocked and could not believe such an extraordinary event had occurred. In a short while, more than a hundred local elders and villagers appeared together, submitting a joint petition detailing the previous events: they claimed that Master Qiu had always cherished flowers and done good deeds, and was certainly no sorcerer; it was Zhang Wei who had plotted to frame him. They explained in detail both the conspiracy and the supernatural retribution that followed. Because of his own illness the previous day, the chief magistrate had also suspected injustice was done. At this point he felt a sudden clarity in his mind and was even relieved that no torture had been used. He immediately summoned Master Qiu from prison, released him at once, and issued an official notice with the seal of authority to be posted on his garden gate, forbidding common people from damaging his flowers and trees. The crowd bowed deeply in gratitude before leaving the magistrate's office.

67 Master Qiu thanked his neighbors and returned home together with them. Yu Gong and Lao Shan opened the garden gate and entered with Master Qiu. Master Qiu saw that the peonies were as lush as before, which filled him with deep emotion and sorrow. The crowd prepared wine to comfort Master Qiu and ease his distress. Master Qiu then joined the people in feasting for several days with banquets and drinking sessions. Let us set aside these idle words.

68 From then on, Master Qiu gradually became accustomed to eating the blossoms of various flowers every day. He eventually gave up all cooked food and used the proceeds from selling fruits entirely for charity. Within a few years, his white hair turned black again, and his complexion became as youthful as that of a child. One day it was the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month; the bright sun shone in the sky, and not a cloud marred the clear expanse. Master Qiu was sitting cross-legged in his room when suddenly a gentle auspicious wind brushed past, colorful clouds gathered like steam rising, and music from the heavens echoed clearly. A strange fragrance filled his nose; green cranes and white egrets circled and danced, gradually approaching the courtyard. In the clouds stood the Flower-Goddess, with colorful banners and jeweled canopies on either side. Several female immortals played musical instruments beside her. At the sight of them, Master Qiu immediately fell to his knees and prostrated himself in reverence. The Flower-Goddess said, "Qiu Xian, your virtue and deeds are complete. I have already reported to the Supreme Deity above. An imperial decree has been issued appointing you as the Guardian of Flowers, in charge of all blossoms on earth. You shall ascend with your entire household." "Those who cherish and protect flowers will be blessed; those who trample or destroy them shall suffer misfortune." After Master Qiu bowed deeply to the heavens in gratitude, he followed the immortals and instantly, together with his flowers and trees, rose slowly into the air, heading southward. Yu Gong, Lao Shan, and all those neighbors who had witnessed it bowed together in reverence. They also saw Master Qiu looking back at them from the clouds for a long while before he finally vanished. From then on, this place was renamed Shengxian Li (升仙里 Immortal Ascension Village), and also called Xihua Cun (惜花村 Flower-Loving Village).


【Source： 中國哲學書電子化計劃《醒世恆言》】