Meng Jun
During the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Meng who was young and failed to pass the entrance exams many times.
At that Time, Meng was suffering from malaria, and it was getting worse every day. He said to the elder Yin, “I am poor and unlucky, and my illness is incurable. I am afraid that I will dirty your luxurious house, and I am willing to obey my fate and leave your house.” Without saying a word, Yin gave him three hundred pieces of money. After Meng left Yin’s house, he did not know where he should go. There was a fortune-teller on the west side of the street who told people’s fortunes early in the morning and closed the door and lowered the curtain when he finished. Meng went to see him and told the fortune-teller about his difficult experience and his plight of dying of illness, and gave him all he had – three hundred wens as money for his fortune.
The fortune-teller stayed with him and immediately read his fortune, and when he finished, he was astonished and said, “In ten days, you will have an important position here and your monthly salary will be seventy thousand yuan, why do you still say you are poor?” The fortune-teller stayed with him and treated him with hospitality. However, on the ninth day, there was still no news. Meng went back to the house of Yin’s elders, who despised him even more and did not receive him, so he stayed in the stable at night. When morning came, a general of the forbidden army, appointed by The Emperor, went to the territory of the thieves as an observer. This man, who was a friend of Yin’s relatives, personally came to knock on Yin’s door and said to Yin, “I am not good at writing and I need to write a thank-you form to the emperor and a letter to pacify the enemy at the border. Plus there are many things that need to be handled, do you have a scribe that you are familiar with, please recommend one for me?” Yin pondered for a while, but didn’t think of anyone he could recommend.
A short while later, he suddenly remembered that Meng Jun had taken the examination many times and could take up this task. So he introduced Meng Jun to him, and he ordered Meng to draft a form, and Meng’s wording was astute. Meng was then hired to serve in the army and presented to the emperor. A few days later Meng was given an official position with a monthly salary of exactly seventy thousand wennies.
It was on the tenth day after the fortune telling that the turnaround of Meng’s fortune began.
(from “Yat-Shi”)
Xue Yong
Xue Yong, a retainer, had the desire to become a prime minister. At that time, there was a man named Zhang Shan who was good at reading fortunes.
One day, Cui Zuo, a minister of the Ministry of War, and Jiang Gongfu, a former scholar, were guests at Xue Yong’s place. Xue Yong asked Zhang Shanren, “Are there any prime ministers sitting on these people?” In his heart, he thought that if there was, it should be himself. Zhang replied, “Yes.” Xue Yong asked, “Who is it?” The reply was, “There are two.” Xue Yong thought that one of them was himself. He asked again, “Which two?” The answer said, “Cui Jiang will be the prime minister, and at the same time.” Xue Yong was surprised and angry, silent and very unhappy. Then Cui Zuo asked, “Why at the same time?” It means that Jiang Gongfu does not have an official position now, and I am already a proper minister, so I should not be the chancellor at the same time. Zhang said, “It was destined to be so, and it was the Langzhong after Jiang Gongfu.”
Later, Jiang Gongfu became a Gongcao of Jingzhao and was also a bachelor of Hanlin. At that time, people said that Yao Ling, the general of Jing Yang, wanted to enter the city to catch Zhu Ming, who had been the commander in Jing Yang and had won the hearts of the army. Jiang Gongfu wrote a letter asking the emperor to send someone to investigate. Ten days after the petition, Tang Dezong went to Fengtian and regretted not taking Jiang Gongfu’s advice. So he ordered Jiang Gongfu to be promoted to the post of Minister of State, i.e. Prime Minister.
Cui Zuo was promoted to the post of prime minister from the post of governor six months later, which was indeed the same period and after Jiang Gongfu.
Xue Yong never became prime minister afterwards.
From this incident, we can see that official luck is not determined by the generation before or after, but by the will of God.
(from “Jiaxianlu”)
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