陆判

Zhu Erdan, courtesy name Xiaoming, was a man of bold and generous spirit豪放 háo fàngOpen-hearted, magnanimous, unconstrained by convention. A prized quality in classical Chinese culture, associated with heroes and wine-drinkers.. Yet he was naturally dull钝 dùnSlow-witted, obtuse. Despite his reading, Zhu could never master the literary arts — a common theme in Pu Songling, contrasting inner virtue with intellectual limitation. — though he studied, his reputation was for mediocrity rather than mastery. Still, his open-hearted nature and disregard for trifles made him beloved.

One day, his literary society gathered for drinks. Someone teased him: "You're known for your boldness — could you go at midnight to the Hall of Ten Kings and fetch the Judge from the left corridor? We'd pool our money for a feast作筵 zuò yánTo host a banquet. "醵" means pooling money for a treat — the group dares Zhu with a feast as the prize, testing his legendary boldness.." Zhu rose at once and walked out without a word.

Before long, a voice called from outside the door: "I've brought the Judge!" The men rose and saw Zhu carrying a Judge's statue判官 pàn guānAn underworld magistrate responsible for judging the dead — the netherworld equivalent of a court judge. The statues in the Hall of Ten Kings were clay effigies; Zhu had actually carried one back, terrifying his friends. on his back. He set it in a seat of honor, raised his cup, and poured three libations. The others, frightened, urged him to carry it back.

The next evening, Zhu was drinking alone when someone parted the curtain掀帘 xiān liánLifting aside the door curtain. In traditional houses, bamboo or cloth curtains divided inner from outer rooms. "Parting the curtain and entering" suggests familiarity — the Judge treats Zhu's home as his own. and walked in — it was the Judge. Zhu cried with delight: "The Judge has come — splendid!" He poured wine and offered it. The Judge did not refuse; they drank cup after cup.

Zhu asked: "What is your name?" The Judge said: "My surname is Lu. I have no given name." Zhu said: "Every man has a name — how can you have none?" The Judge replied: "In the courts of the dead阴曹 yīn cáoThe underworld administration. "曹" is a general term for government offices; "阴曹" refers to the bureaucratic apparatus of the netherworld., we do not go by personal names." Zhu then called him Lu Pan. From that night on, the Judge came whenever Zhu drank.

One night, Zhu fell asleep drunk while the Judge sat drinking alone by lamplight. Suddenly he saw Zhu's entrails肠胃 cháng wèiThe intestines and stomach — here symbolizing Zhu's innate talent. In Chinese thought, the organs govern mental acuity; exposed entrails suggest the raw material of intelligence, waiting to be rearranged. exposed. The Judge reached in with his hand, rearranged them, and tucked them back. Zhu woke with a faint pain in his belly. From that day on, his literary thoughts flowed far more freely.

One day, Zhu said to the Judge: "My literary mind has improved, but my face remains undistinguished. Could you change it for me?" The Judge laughed and said: "Certainly. I shall give you a new heart." Zhu said: "A new heart?" The Judge said: "The heart is the seat of wisdom智府 zhì fǔThe mansion of intelligence. In Chinese thought (cf. Mencius: "The office of the heart is to think"), the heart is the organ of thought, not the brain. The Judge's "heart" encompasses both the physical organ and the source of talent.. Your heart is closed, so your thoughts cannot flow. I shall replace it with a keen one."

That night, Zhu felt someone reach into his chest, draw out his heart, and place another in its stead. A faint pain, then it passed. Looking at the table, he saw his own heart lying there, dark with dried blood血殷 xuè yānBlood turned dark crimson, nearly black. "殷" (yān) denotes the deep red of congealed blood — a visceral image of what has been taken away.. He knew then that the Judge had truly exchanged his dull heart for a clever one.

From that day, his literary powers surged — he could memorize a text at a single reading. In the annual examination, he topped all the scholars诸生 zhū shēngThe collective term for licensed scholars (shengyuan). In Ming-Qing times, those who passed the qualifying exam were called "scholars" — Zhu's sudden genius baffled them all.. Everyone marveled. Zhu knew it was the Judge's doing, but dared not tell a soul.

Zhu's wife was plain of face寝 qǐnUgly, ill-favored. In classical Chinese, "寝" is a euphemism for unattractiveness. Despite his new brilliance, Zhu's wife's appearance continued to vex him., and this was a constant source of regret. One evening the Judge came, and Zhu confessed his feelings. The Judge said: "Easily done. I happen to have a beautiful woman's head — I can make the exchange for you."

At midnight, the Judge arrived with a head wrapped in silk. He told Zhu to take a knife and sever the head割之 gē zhīTo cut off the head — along the line of the neck. Pu Songling narrates this horrifying procedure with chilling detachment, heightening the tale's absurdity and horror. at the neckline, then fitted the beautiful head in its place. He pressed and adjusted it carefully, binding it with cloth. At dawn, Zhu's wife woke with a faint pain in her neck. She reached for a mirror and shrieked in terror. The body was hers; the face was not.

Zhu entered, and his wife wept and told him everything. Zhu said: "Lu Pan exchanged your head for you — do not be afraid." She examined herself: the new face was exquisitely beautiful端好 duān hǎoGraceful and lovely, finely formed. The new head's beauty stands in stark contrast to her former plainness., far surpassing her old appearance. She was delighted. From then on, the tale was told as a wonder throughout the county.

Literary Merit

"Lu Pan" is one of Pu Songling's most audacious works of fantasy. Heart transplant, head swap — procedures that modern medicine can barely achieve — are here treated as trivial favors from a ghostly friend. The tale's absurdity derives precisely from this casual treatment: the Judge visits like an ordinary drinking companion; the head swap is as easy as changing clothes.

Yet the deeper significance goes far beyond shock value. The heart exchange redistributes innate talent — Pu Songling, who failed the examinations his entire life, may have fantasized: what if someone could replace my dull heart with a brilliant one? The head swap raises the core question of identity: is the wife with a new head still the same person? Pu offers no answer, leaving the reader to ponder.

Comparative Study

Like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, "Lu Pan" explores the relationship between body modification and identity. But the orientations are diametrically opposed: Frankenstein's creature is an act of creation gone wrong, filled with horror and tragedy; Lu Pan's surgery is a successful gift, filled with kindness and wonder. This difference reflects contrasting cultural attitudes toward the supernatural — the West fears uncontrolled technology, while the East venerates extraordinary friendship.