Censored by Confucius: Ghost Stories by Yuan Mei: Ghost Stories by Yuan Mei (New Studies in Asian Culture)

'The one hundred-some stories depict the important role ghosts played in the lives of the Chinese, as well as revealing a great deal about sex, revenge, transvestism, corruption, and other topics banned by Mei's puritanical mid-Qing society'. -- Reference & Research Book News. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of Stories by Theme 12 Illustrations 20 Preface 22 Introduction 24 Deputy Prefect Li 40 Scholar Cai 44 Revenge of the Skull 45 General Zhao Spears the Cheeky Monster 46 The Magistrate of Pingyang 48 Tricking the Thunder God 50 Ghosts Are Afraid of Those Unafraid of Death 52 Scholar Qiu 53 Ghosts Have Only Three Tricks 55 Master Chen Qingke Blows the Ghost Away 57 The Tall Ghost Is Captured 59 The Lady Ghost of the Western Garden 61 A Sentry Is Struck by Lightning 63 In Which Hunters Expurgate the Fox Fairies 65 The Goats Who Fulfilled Their Fate 68 Capturing a Ghost 70 Mr. Xu 72 The Hairy People of Qin 74 The Human Ape 75 The Human Prawn 76 The Duck's Lover 77 The Spirit of the Turtle Stone 78 Ghosts Who Play with Firecrackers May Burn Themselves 83 Kaxiong 85 Freak Wind 88 The Old Woman Who Was Transformed into a Wolf 90 A Loyal Dog Makes Use of Another Dog's Body 91 Leng Qiujiang 93 The Nailed-up Specter Makes Good Her Escape 95 The Messenger of Death Who Loved His Wine 97 A Fox Fairy Plays Guanyin for Three Years 100 Butterfingered Scholar Wu 103 The Patriarch of Fox Fairies 106 Swindled by the Earth God's Wife 109 The Good Little Ghost 111 The Ghosts Who Pretended They Could Speak Mandarin 113 The City God Gets Drunk 115 Two Great Ways to Deal with Ghosts 118 The Immortal Prostitute 119 Zhang Youhua 122 A Ghost Borrows an Official Title for a Daughter's Marriage 124 The Bear 126 Two Corpses Make Love in the Wilderness 127 King Buffalo Head 129 The Muddleheaded Ghost 131 The Ghost That Stood in Awe of the Powerful 132 The Lovesick Ghost 133 Thunder Strikes the Earth God 135 Zhang Guangxiong 137 The Blue-Capped Demon 141 Cousin Raccoon 144 An Imprisoned Ghost 145 A Fox Fairy and a Ghost Invade the Stomach 148 The Immortal Fox Fairy Hangs Itself 151 Ghosts Hate Poverty 152 Xiao Fu 153 A Jeweled Pagoda Formed by Ghosts 155 The Land Without Doors 157 Scholar Song 159 Scholar Zhuang 162 Little Mischief 165 Commander Wang 167 The Sea Monster of Jiangxi 170 The Sparrows Repay a Debt of Kindness 171 Quan Gu 173 A Ghost Is Chased Off by a Ghost 176 The Folding Immortal 178 Demons Are Terrified of Rationalism 181 Spiritual Man Luo Catches the Wrong Demon 183 The Thunder God Strikes Wang San 185 Memories of Suiyuan 188 The Cool Old Man 192 A Tiger Steals the God of Literature's Head 195 Revenge on the Warrior of the Flowers 198 The Wooden Guardsmen 200 A Woman Transforms into a Man 201 The Prince of Guazhou 202 Yang Er 204 Helping a Ghost Get Revenge 206 A Donkey Helps Solve a Strange Case 210 Scholar Zhang 213 The Reincarnation of Cai Jing 215 Hanging onto the Ears of a Tiger 217 Animals and Humans Are Equally Unpredictable 219 A Ghost Buys Herself a Son 221 Poor Ghosts Haunt, Rich Ghosts Don't Bother 225 Revenge of the Wronged Wife 226 A Ghost Makes an Offering of Dumplings 227 You Don't Have to Be Virtuous to Become a God 230 In Which the Ghost Sues Her Loved One 233 Elder Brother Ding 239 Miss Wang Er 241 Double Blossom Temple 243 The Female Impersonator 246 Tools of the Sex Trade 249 Stealing Ginseng 252 Stealing a Painting 254 Stealing a Pair of Boots 255 Stealing a Wall 257 Daylight Ghosts 259 About the Translators 260 Ghost Stories by Yuan Mei (cont.) A Fox Fairy Plays Guanyin For Three Years -- Butterfingered Scholar Wu -- The Patriarch Of Fox Fairies -- Swindled By The Earth God's Wife -- The Good Little Ghost -- The Ghosts Who Pretended They Could Speak Mandarin -- The City God Gets Drunk -- Two Great Ways To Deal With Ghosts -- The Immortal Prostitute -- Zhang Youhua -- A Ghost Borrows An Official Title For A Daughter's Marriage -- The Bear -- Two Corpses Make Love In The Wilderness -- King Buffalo Head -- The Muddleheaded Ghost -- The Ghost That Stood In Awe Of The Powerful -- The Lovesick Ghost -- Thunder Strikes The Earth God -- Zhang Guangxiong -- The Blue-capped Demon -- Cousin Raccoon -- An Imprisoned Ghost -- A Fox Fairy And A Ghost Invade The Stomach -- The Immortal Fox Fairy Hangs Itself -- Ghosts Hate Poverty -- Xiao Fu -- A Jeweled Pagoda Formed By Ghosts -- The Land Without Doors -- Scholar Song -- Scholar Zhuang -- Little Mischief Deputy Prefect Li -- Scholar Cai -- Revenge Of The Skull -- General Zhao Spears The Cheeky Monster -- The Magistrate Of Pingyang -- Tricking The Thunder God -- Ghosts Are Afraid Of Those Unafraid Of Death -- Scholar Qiu -- Ghosts Have Only Three Tricks -- Master Chen Qingke Blows The Ghost Away -- The Tall Ghost Is Captured -- The Lady Ghost Of The Western Garden -- A Sentry Is Struck By Lightning -- In Which Hunters Expurgate The Fox Fairies -- The Goats Who Fulfilled Their Fate -- Capturing A Ghost -- Mr. Xu -- The Hairy People Of Qin -- The Human Ape -- The Human Prawn -- The Duck's Lover -- The Spirit Of The Turtle Stone -- Ghosts Who Play With Firecrackers May Burn Themselves -- Kaxiong -- Freak Wind -- The Old Woman Who Was Transformed Into A Wolf -- A Loyal Dog Makes Use Of Another Dog's Body -- Leng Qiujiang -- The Nailed-up Specter Makes Good Her Escape -- The Messenger Of Death Who Loved His Wine (cont.) Commander Wang -- The Sea Monster Of Jiangxi -- The Sparrows Repay A Debt Of Kindness -- Quan Gu -- A Ghost Is Chased Off By A Ghost -- The Folding Immortal -- Demons Are Terrified Of Rationalism -- Spiritual Man Luo Catches The Wrong Demon -- The Thunder God Strikes Wang San -- Memories Of Suiyuan -- The Cool Old Man -- A Tiger Steals The God Of Literature's Head -- Revenge On The Warrior Of The Flowers -- The Wooden Guardsmen -- A Woman Transforms Into A Man -- The Prince Of Guazhou -- Yang Er -- Helping A Ghost Get Revenge -- A Donkey Helps Solve A Strange Case -- Scholar Zhang -- The Reincarnation Of Cai Jing -- Hanging Onto The Ears Of A Tiger -- Animals And Humans Are Equallly Unpredictable -- A Ghost Buys Herself A Son -- Poor Ghosts Haunt, Rich Ghosts Don't Bother -- Revenge Of The Wronged Wife -- A Ghost Makes An Offering Of Dumplings -- You Don't Have To Be Virtuous To Become A God (cont.) In Which The Ghost Sues Her Loved One -- Elder Brother Ding -- Miss Wang Er -- Double Blossom Temple -- The Female Impersonator -- Tools Of The Sex Trade -- Stealing Ginseng -- Stealing A Painting -- Stealing A Pair Of Boots -- Stealing A Wall -- Daylight Ghosts. Edited And Translated With An Introduction By Kam Louie And Louise Edwards. East Gate Book--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References. The 18th-century Chinese poet, Yuan Mei, also wrote some short fiction - "Censored by Confucius" - which is reproduced here. The stories offer insights into the Mei's views on crime, sex, the status of women, homosexuality, miscarriage of justice, ghosts, revenge and conservative morality.