Chapter 1

Author's Self-Inscription → From Zichuan came Pu Songling, courtesy name Liuxian and pseudonym Liuquan. In the Xinmao year he was a tribute student. He was renowned at the time for his essays and moral integrity. At the age of twenty, he took the preliminary examination and was favored by Mr. Shi Yushan, gaining a great literary reputation. Then he resolutely gave it up and devoted all his efforts to classical prose, expressing grief and indignation, and establishing a style of his own. By nature simple and honest, he valued friendships and esteemed honor and righteousness. He formed a poetry society with fellow townsmen Li Ximei, Zhang Liyou, and other famous scholars, and they sharpened each other in literary elegance and moral principles. Mr. Wang Yuyang of Xincheng had always marveled at his talent, saying that he was beyond the reach of ordinary people. His family possessed a rich collection of writings, and the book Liaozhai Zhiyi in particular was especially popular.