The Lieyi zhuan 列異傳 (Accounts of Strange Things) is a Chinese text written by either Cao Pi 曹丕 or Zhang Hua 張華 or the both of them.
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The Lieyi zhuan includes stories of a wide range of topics all of which tell of strange things and objects, miraculous animals and plants, as well as ghosts and demons and the return of the souls of dead persons. It includes tales of magic and immortality, diviniation and supernatural skills.
It is not clear who the author of the book was and how large it was. The Book of Sui (Sui shu 隋書) mentions a Lieyi zhuan in 3 juǎn 卷 and ascribes it to Emperor Wen 文帝 (Cao Pi). The Old Book of Tang (Jiu Tang shu 舊唐書) also mentions the book, and in 3 juǎn, but to a different author, namely Zhang Hua. Thirdly, there is the New Book of Tang (Xin Tang shu 新唐書), which also ascribes the book to Zhang Hua, but says its only 1 juan large.[1]
Probably the book is by the two men, because some of the passages describe events during Cao Pi's lifetime, and some passages describe events after Cao Pi's death. It could be that it was begun by Cao Pi, and finished by Zhang Hua.[1]
Fragments in Records of the Three Kingdoms[]
Book of Wei 13 - Biography of Hua Xin[]
- 《列異傳》曰：歆為諸生時，嘗宿人門外。主人婦夜產。有頃，兩吏詣門，便辟易却，相謂曰：「公在此。」躊躇良乆，一吏曰：「籍當定，柰何得住？」乃前向歆拜，相將入。出並行，共語曰：「當與幾歲？」一人曰：「當三歲。」天明，歆去。後欲驗其事，至三歲，故往問兒消息，果已死。歆乃自知當為公。
Book of Wei 14 - Biography of Jiang Ji[]
- 《列異傳》曰：濟為領軍，其婦夢見亡兒涕泣曰：「死生異路，我生時為卿相子孫，今在地下為泰山五伯，憔悴困辱，不可復言。今太廟西謳士孫阿，今見召為泰山令，願母為白侯，屬阿令轉我得樂處。」言訖，母忽然驚寤，明日以白濟。濟曰：「夢為爾耳，不足恠也。」明日暮，復夢曰：「我來迎新君，止在廟下。未發之頃，暫得來歸。新君明日日中當發，臨發多事，不復得歸，永辭於此。侯氣彊，難感悟，故自訴於母，願重啟侯，何惜不一試驗之？」遂道阿之形狀，言甚備悉。天明，母重啟侯：「雖云夢不足恠，此何太適？適亦何惜不一驗之？」濟乃遣人詣太廟下，推問孫阿，果得之，形狀證驗悉如兒言。濟涕泣曰：「幾負吾兒！」於是乃見孫阿，具語其事。阿不懼當死，而喜得為泰山令，惟恐濟言不信也。曰：「若如節下言，阿之願也。不知賢子欲得何職？」濟曰：「隨地下樂者與之。」阿曰：「輒當奉教。」乃厚賞之，言訖遣還。濟欲速知其驗，從領軍門至廟下，十步安一人，以傳消息。辰時傳阿心痛，巳時傳阿劇，日中傳阿亡。濟泣曰：「雖哀吾兒之不幸，自喜亡者有知。」後月餘，兒復來語母曰：「已得轉為錄事矣。」
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References[]
Sources[]
- Chen Shou 陳壽 (233–297). Sanguo zhi 三國志 “Records of the Three Kingdoms”, with official commentary compiled by Pei Songzhi 裴松之 (372-451).
- de Crespigny, Rafe. The Records of the Three Kingdoms: a study in the historiography of San-kuo chih. Canberra: The Australian National University, 1970.