The Fox in the Yuewei caotang biji
In the collection it is often mentioned, that foxes are 'a category on their own' and 'a species in-between the species'. According to Rania Huntington, Ji Yun has given one of the best known definitions of foxes: “Humans and beasts are different species, but foxes are between humans and beasts. The dead and the living walk different roads, but foxes are between the dead and the living. Transcendents and monsters travel different paths, but foxes are between transcendents and monsters. Therefore one could say to meet a fox is strange; one could also say it is ordinary.”[3] Thus, foxes are a particular species that is neither strange nor familiar to humans.
In the YWCT, they can reach a higher life form not only by sexual vampirism, but also by a virtuous lifestyle and classical education. Frequently, they are pictured as refined and educated, as well as morally superior to humans. It therefore is not seen as unusual that an official asks a fox for a political advice and receives a clever answer. On the other hand, foxes are also weak of character and it is mentioned that they are prone to quarrel with each other over insignificant matters.
Male and female creatures are presented differently. The 63 vixens are generally depicted better tempered and in more than half of the stories they are helpful towards humans; whereas the 134 foxes are less helpful. Nearly 80 per cent of the narratives about vixens have a sexual connotation and are thus in accordance with traditional wishful thinking. Nevertheless, the topic of seduction itself is secondary in the collection, as an actual affair often does not take place, and if it does, intimacies are not described.
The YWCT also shows foxes as being physically weak and they sometimes ask humans for help; for example, if a fellow fox or ghost bothers them, or if they are hunted by a dog. Moreover, a Daoist, monk, or magician can ritually drive them out. An illustration is the entry about a man, whose daughter is molested by a fox. To expel the creature, the man kidnaps one of its cubs and asks the fox to promise to leave his daughter alone as otherwise he would not leave its cub free. The fox agrees, but breaks his promise, and eventually, the man has him poisoned. Later, the outraged fellow foxes take him to task, but when he explains the circumstances, they accept his action. Not only could the man kill the creature without difficulty, but the conspecific agreed with the human moral and accepted the murder. Another illustration is that of a scholar, who buys a vixen as a concubine. The vixen starts an affair with his servant and his cook. When the scholar finally catches her in the act, he strangles her on the spot. Subsequently, the vixen’s father asks the scholar why he had killed his daughter instead of the men she had an affair with? The scholar answers that by the assassination of a vixen, contrary to the murder of a human, he would not get into trouble. Obviously, human law is more impressive than the possible revenge of a supernatural fox.
It is said, that humans are the source for the appearance of foxes, by wishful thinking, provoking behaviour, such as insulting them without a reason, or by hunting them. However, foxes like to meddle with human affairs by punishing and publicly exposing especially immoral individuals. On the other hand, they also like to be of help to humans in varying emergency situations. In over 40 per cent of the accounts, the behaviour of foxes is described as good or even better than that of humans. In half of the entries, their conduct is not evaluated from a moral point-of-view.
Persons of the elite figure in nearly half of these narratives and most of them are scholars.[4] Scholars, biographical characters, and women encounter the majority of good-natured foxes, even though the latter do also meet more ill natured creatures, as is the case with monks and Daoists. Although 15 Daoists appear in the stories, only two are the protagonists. Like monks and magicians, they are frequently asked to expel an annoying fox. The first overview does not show a significant difference concerning the moral conduct of the fox in relation to the different social strata. However, there are typical behaviour pattern towards certain humans.
The majority of narratives mention typical characteristics of foxes, like refined behaviour, helpfulness, and respect towards certain persons, but also punishment or revenge. Whereas the fox likes to annoy humans, it happens much less that he respects a human. Interestingly, officials are not held in high regard and it is hardly related that they meet a cultured or educated creature. Though they frequently receive help, they are also annoyed. Often foxes and officials have a respectful interaction with each other from which the human gains profit. There is no reason that a fox takes severe revenge and only once it is mentioned that an official becomes ill by a vixen:
Formerly, the Compiler (bianxiu 編修) Li Yishan [Li Yi 李翊, b. 1741]. from Yunnan had his poem replied to by a vixen during a planchette (fuji 扶乩). Afterwards, the vixen, together with her older and younger sister, moved into his belly and from there they constantly talked to him. Li Yishan asked a Daoist master (zhenren 真人) for a traditional exorcism, but the vixens would not be dislodged and until his death he suffered from epilepsy. At the time when I [Ji Yun] was in the Hanlin Academy, I have seen this myself (RS III.67).
There is no explanation given for the behaviour of the vixens, but they are rather seen as the reason for the official’s illness. The entry is the only description of a physical illness of a human without a prior love affair. Generally, scholars are respected and encounter cultivated and educated foxes, but they are also frequently offended and thus admonished. An example is the entry about a man who moves into a house and is having troubles with a fox during the first night. When the scholar complains that after all, he is paying rent and cannot tolerate that a fox takes possession of the house, he is rigidly corrected: "If you had lived here first and I had moved in later, than I would be the one who is at fault! I lived in this house for fifty to sixty years, which is known by everyone. You can rent a house anywhere, why did you have to come here and live with me? You are arrogant and offensive towards me. How could I tolerate this?" (RS IV.52b). The scholar was persuaded and moved out the next day.
Whereas the wealthy protagonists have unfortunate encounters half of the time they meet a fox, the biographical individuals do mainly meet cultivated and respectful creatures. Nevertheless, when Ji Yun's great-grandmother celebrates her 80th birthday, one of her servants steals some wine, which a fox secretly drinks up. Thereafter, the servant starts a quarrel with the drunken fox, who becomes so agitated, that he defiantly returns the wine by vomiting it over the man.
It is not once mentioned, that the fox respects a person of the middle class, a wealthy protagonist, one with no data given, or a poor man. Instead, protagonists of low background are often materially and personally supported by a fox. Since monks and Daoists are consulted for driving bothersome foxes out, it is not surprising that they have frequently encounters with malignant creatures that annoy or punish them. The magical skills of Daoists are slightly less powerful than that of the fox and it can happen, that a creature can argumentatively convince a Daoist to acknowledge its right and retreat. Likewise, monks are not very successful at driving foxes away.
The fox bothers female protagonists if they are dishonest fortune-tellers or prostitutes, and honours or supports moral and filial ones. In one example, the notable prefect Dong Siren 董思任 hears that a scholar lives with a fox, which is frequently irritating him. Mr. Dong quickly hurries along, thinking he can be of help. Nevertheless, too his utter discontent the unruly fox tells him that he cannot respect him either; firstly, because as an official, Dong Siren only thinks about his reputation and secondly since the sole reason why Mr. Dong does not take bribes is because he is afraid of disclosure. Moreover, the fox advises Mr. Dong to quit his office, as otherwise he can see problems ahead. Bad tempered, the official returns home. The only person of the household, who is respected by the fox, is a filial maid. To solve the problem, the family lets her stay in the room of the creature after which they can live in peace.[5] The main topic here is the annoyance and exposure of the scholarly landlord and the official. Dong Siren is a relative of Ji Yun’s friend Dong Yuandu 董元度 (b. 1709) and quoted in the collection making a joke about his official position.[6] Therefore, the story can be seen as a criticism of typical characteristics of officials or Ji Yun mocking Dong Siren.
The moral side of these stories is more explicit in the description of a closer contact of fox and human, such as relationships, cohabitation and friendships.
Relationship of Humans and Foxes
In over 100 narratives relationships of individuals and creatures are portrayed, of which love affairs are most common, followed by stories about cohabitation, and finally friendship. Additionally, some entries tell of men who wish for a liaison without the affair to coming about. There is no account of a friendship between a vixen and a human and only twice is it told that they live together with humans and show themselves.
Among the 33 stories about love attachment between vixens and men, nine times it is mentioned that the human becomes ill from a love-affair, and only three times that he dies as a consequence. Just as often, there is no health risk mentioned and more often the relationship with a vixen is advantageous for her partner.[7] The affair can be temporary, or the vixen can live as a wife, concubine, or lover with the family of a man. In general, the protagonist knows from the beginning, that his mistress is not human and consciously starts a liaison with a vixen. Some narratives figure a fox and of these, six involve a boy as a protagonist, mainly from the lower strata. Even this kind of relationship is not always described as unsound, but rather perceived as an annoyance or even as irrelevant. Sexual relations with a fox can even be favourable to female characters. An example of a successful love affair is given by the official and fellow Siku quanshu employee, Shen Chu 沈初 (1735–1799). Prior to his contribution, it is related how an imperial son-in-law had once shot a fox in Mongolia that wore red Chinese style women's shoes.
When the shaozai 少宰 [Vice Minister of Personnel] Li Jingtang [Li Ji 李集, 1716−1794] was young, he had a love affair with a vixen. His father became suspicious and thought it might be the neighbour’s daughter. Therefore, he scattered ashes on the path between the two houses. Later, he could see the spoor of a wild animal in the courtyard leading to the entry to the library. Only there would the track change into that of a graceful footprint.
The fox, which was shot by the imperial son-in-law, did not look unusual [apart from wearing shoes], but Jintang had an affair with a vixen. When she left him a few years later, he asked her: "When will we meet again?" She replied: "When you are an official of the third rank, I will come to congratulate you."
Many people knew of this conversation and later it happened exactly like this (RS II.40).
Since it is not mentioned that Li Jingtang's father is worried about his son having an affair with a vixen and since the name of the official is mentioned, it can be assumed that it was rather in vogue for the elite to ‘have had a love affair with a vixen’.
In most instances scholars and persons of unspecified social background, as well as half of all women have a love relationship with foxes. Whereas officials do not suffer bad experiences, half of the scholars become ill or even die. Not only can the illness appear after only one night spent together, but it can also occur that a vixen so much disesteems her scholarly lover, that she lets him clean for her family. Persons of the upper class have favourable experiences, if they integrate a vixen as a concubine into their family and more likely suffer bad incidents if they do not. The same is the case with individuals of the middle class. Men of the lower strata do not have health problems due to an affair with a vixen. Instead it is illustrated how the creature is of help, even when she is mistreated by her ungrateful human lover. The protagonists with unspecified social background fall ill frequently, but mostly the illness does not seem to be threatening. One example is that of a vixen who leaves her partner after he has become too weak and she cannot profit from their relationship any longer. The man is scandalised to be deserted because of his reduced yang-energy, but fails to make her stay. Another vixen has two lovers so as to avoid this problem and lets the men regenerate during their period of rest. The most unusual accounts happen to these persons, as is the case about a man, who frequently visits vixens cavorting on his roof. They constantly throw him from the roof, but his wounds notwithstanding, he is so obsessed, that he quickly climbs up again. A reason for the occurrence is not given and his family tries in vain to have the creatures expelled by a Daoist.
Three times female protagonists are taken ill because of a love affair with a fox, of which one dies subsequently. These characters are all from humble backgrounds, with the exception of one woman. In this story, a fox takes revenge on a rich man, because he had an affair with his vixen, by having a relationship with the man's wife. Anyhow, the fox can be successfully driven out by a Daoist, who argues with him that the period of time for an adequate revenge has been exceeded already. An example of an obsessed female is the following entry:
Spirits can change their shape and thus the clever foxes can come and go through small cracks. However, they can only change their own physique. Song Mengquan [Song Bi 宋弼, 1703–1768] said that there used to be a handmaid in his household, who was obsessed by a fox. He would visit her at night and undress her until she was naked. The fox came in through the window grill and would disappear again underneath the corridor. The fox and the handmaid behaved very obscenely. Once the woman's husband emerged with a knife and tried to catch the fox, but the door to the room was locked and he could not open it. The next time, he waited near the open door, but the fox came in through the window, and the door closed by itself. Thereafter, the man schemed to hide and shoot the fox through the window, but he could not find his gun in time […]. (LY V.41)
The focus of this story is on the magical nature of the creature, their power to transform objects and themselves. The fate of the obsessed woman is of no relevance. It is frequently told that a vixen avoids a relationship with a man, because his character is not good enough or such a relationship would even endanger her moral self-cultivation. On the other hand, vixens like to annoy men, preferably students, because of their sexual wishful thinking. An exception is the following entry, in which a scholar disgustedly rejects the approach of a vixen. During a rainy night, he sits on his own in his garden pavilion, when a young woman enters and confesses her love for him. The man at once realises that something is not right, since her clothes are not wet from the rain. When he mentions this to her, she admits to being a vixen. She tells him that she has come to commit herself to their predestined relationship. When the scholar asks her in detail about this, the vixen becomes increasingly embarrassed:
[...] Nervously, she did not know what to answer and stammers, until she says: "For years you did not sit here, but today of all days you are here. I have seen innumerable men I did not like; only when I see you I am delighted. Therefore, it surely is a predestined relationship. Please do not turn me away." The scholar answers: "If this were the case, I should also think you charming. When I sat here and you came in, however, my heart was completely untouched. Thus, it cannot be true, please do not stay." The vixen still hesitated, when a voice from outside the window could be heard calling: "Girl, you do not understand. Why do you have to choose such a blockhead!" Thereupon, the woman waggled her sleeves, put out the candle, and disappeared.
Some people say that this happened to Tang Wenzheng [Tang Bin 汤斌, 1627−1687] when he was young, but how could it be possible that foxes and demons would dare to approach the honourable Mr. Tang? Nevertheless, should this really have happened, wrong connections have certainly been made. (HX II.36)
Apart from Ji Yun's ironical final comment, it also is clear how easy it is for a human to recognise a vixen, question a predestined relationship, and to reject an unwanted affair.
The stories show that the human's character, emotional condition, and manners are crucial for the influence a fox can have over him. Thus, a man searching for a supernatural mistress is likely to suffer from illness, since the fact that he is actively looking is already understood as a sign of his unbalanced character. Aside from officials and men from a humble background, illness and death can happen to all protagonists. Scholars are divided into truthful and moral characters, who either avoid a relationship with a vixen, or have good experiences. Whereas weak personalities, are prone to become ill.
Cohabitation and Friendship
Living together with a fox is most of the time favourable for a human. The protagonists are mainly scholars and officials, and the latter in half of the stories are annoyed by their fox lodgers. A good example is the beginning of the following story: "All of a sudden, the Censor Ye Lüting 叶旅亭had foxes doing strange things in his house. During broad daylight, they talked to him and tried to push him to leave his home. The foxes were bothersome loud, dishes were flying around, and they danced everywhere, whereas chairs and beds seem to move of their own will" (LY: 20). Foxes also like to irritate humans by morally instructing them unasked. A frequent concern of them is to be honoured and treated accordingly. If the human obeys this, the cohabitation is generally peaceful and the household fox protects or helps humans, as is the case at the beginning of the following story:
The Imperial Mentor Rui Tieya [Rui Yongjian 芮永肩, 1736–1788] lived in a house in which foxes resided in the upper level. The doors there were mostly locked. At night, the foxes came down to the kitchen, to prepare food and have a feast with their guests in the study. The household members thought this ordinary and they were not surprised. Each time there was danger of thieves, the foxes railed against them and if a fire was about to break out, they would protect the family instead of the landlord. Thus, they led a peaceful existence.
Later, the house was sold to the scholar Li Lianyi [Li Zhongjian 李中简, 1721−1795 ]. Lianyi did not believe in the supernatural and went to the upper level himself to examine it. He saw three pillars and it was so clean, that not one single dust particle could be seen. On the floor, in the middle of the room, lay a wooden board about as big as a straw mat and on it were arranged a few pallets. Nothing more could be seen. Mr. Li had the house reconstructed and the upper level demolished, so that the foxes could not reside there any more. At first, nothing unexpected happened, but once the house was ready and he moved in, all of a sudden flames came out from all four directions. Not one roof beam of the house was left, whereas at the neighbour's houses not even a straw from the roof was burned. Everyone thought that this was the action of the foxes.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Liu Qingyuan [Liu Yueyun 劉躍雲, 1736−1808] said: 'The house was supposed to burn down on this day. Otherwise, how could the foxes dare to light a fire?'
I [Ji Yun] think, if demons would accurately obey the laws, why then would heaven have lightening as a death penalty. Laws prohibit to kill humans and those who do not murder are numerous. Nevertheless, there are humans, who are willing to pay with their life for murder. Hence, we cannot know the true reason (LY II.28).
Just like humans, the fox can, on his own responsibility, breach the common law to take revenge. Nevertheless, other than humans, if the concerned persons behave especially morally or virtuously, the fox is usually powerless.
Officials are entertained as well as randomly irritated by foxes when living together. In one entry, an official is morally instructed, when he erringly suspects his handmaid to have stolen something. The woman is afraid and therefore gives a wrong statement. While the man beats her up, the fox interferes and tells him, that his behaviour is intolerable, that his wife has lost the object herself, and where it can be found. It is said that afterwards, the official never again had someone beaten up during his career. The mistreatment of servants is also a topic in another story, where the fox meddles with the landlord who whips his maidservant. The landlord thereafter is under shock for a few days. In both cases, the fox only had to express his sorrow to cause a conversion in the protagonists.
Scholars have balanced experiences when living together with foxes. They are annoyed when they do not show enough respect, as in the report about a man who moves into a house and does not honourably sacrifice to the residing foxes. Thereupon the foxes giggle and whisper so long about the scholar’s concubine, until he finally offers sacrifices to them, and openly agrees to his wrong behaviour. A fox, which is discontent with his human cohabitant can be pacified, but also drive the individual away by arguments. Even though scholar’s manners often give reasons for discontent, they are willing to correct their mistakes and find argumentative solutions with a fox. Nevertheless, the typical character of a fox shows itself when it observes the moral conduct of his human household members, but at the same time accepts bribes from them.
The biographical entries give exemplary illustrations of peaceful cohabitation with foxes by mutual agreement. The creatures respect the family, who in turn do not mind when the former occasionally celebrate or have loud arguments. Persons of the middle class, like the officials, only have one favourable encounter, when a fox stays with an ideal family to protect them. Otherwise, they are responsible for the unpleasant experiences, are twice justifiably annoyed and instructed by their cultivated household fox.
The stories about friendships of foxes and humans do frequently have individuals from the middle class and lower strata as protagonists. It is not told of a friendship between foxes and officials, monks, Daoists, or women. In some stories about friendship, the fox nearly curries favour with men, who are frequently shown as weak in character. Humans often hope for the fulfilment of immoral wishes through the supernatural power of the fox, which in turn disappoints the creature. Here, the bad character of individuals, especially that of the protagonists of the middle class, is the centre of attention. An exception is the story, in which a protagonist of the elite is on friendly terms with a fox, which is maltreated by a Heavenly fox (tianhu 天狐) in his own burrow. Since because of this, his family has to move, he asks his human friend if they can take refuge in his family grave. The man is astonished to hear that foxes behave like this among each other, but his friend replies that after all humans do argue and therefore, why should it be different with foxes. There are several examples of how the fox willingly explains its nature and the supernatural to its human friend. Accordingly, man has the choice to either educate himself by the friendship with a fox, or try to abuse its supernatural abilities for his philistine objectives, which generally turn out to his disadvantage.
The main focus of the stories about foxes is the description of typical human behaviour, often told with didactic purposes. Man, his culture, and values are the focus for the fox, which capriciously, or out of moral reasons, meddles with human concerns.
The protagonists of the elite figure in more than half of the stories. The by far greatest group is that of the scholars, apparently to compensate for social circumstances. This is the case, for example, if scholars hope for the fulfilment of banal mundane wishes, which are unreachable without a professional career as officials. The original and humorous accounts about the assimilation of the fox into human society includes that he has socially related expectations of the protagonist's behaviour. Thus, the fox particularly anticipates officials and scholars to behave respectfully towards him. He is a challenge for these protagonists, with whom he frequently lives together, and likes to annoy or instruct, if they do not fulfil his expectations. Since foxes are shown as very communicative and as generally open to arguments, scholars can often discuss and clarify problems with their household fox. Nevertheless, these protagonists more often become ill through a love affair with a vixen than individuals of other social classes. Therefore, it cannot be said for the YWCT, that female characters are shown as traditionally weak lovers – particularly if the different characteristics of foxes and vixens is taken into account.
In the collection, the interpretation that an individual's obsession resembles a psychosomatic illness is more likely for these narratives than for those about ghost. Therefore, monks and Daoists are more frequently employed as exorcists and take over a communicative and therapeutic function. Especially Daoists do have a mediative position and it can happen, that they do not expel a fox because he is in the right.
Persons of the lower strata are mainly pictured as in the previous chapters. They do have the most humorous encounters with foxes and do more frequently receive help. The latter is also the case with women, especially virtuous widows and abused handmaiden; whereas the fox likes to irritate prostitutes and swindlers, notably lying fortune-tellers.
The didactic as well as traditional account of society is time and again put into question for the benefit of human individuality. It is not the social background of the protagonist, which is crucial for his relationship with a fox. He is superior to the creature, if he schemes for fulfilment of his wishes and superior, if he is emotionally self-contained, self-confident, courageous, or simply aggressive. Every individual can integrate a fox into his family and every day live, which is shown as a beneficial experience. He can also expel the fox by physical violence, shooting, beating to death, or poison. Overall, the fox is not better or more moral than men, but rather a mirror of his character. As becomes clear by the biographical entries, the right conduct is acceptance and a harmonious but distanced relationship with foxes, as is with all supernatural creatures.
NOTES
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[1] See Blauth, 1996. For a description of the originally malevolent fox, see J.J.M. De Groot, 1972, vols. 4 and 5; about the development and meaning of fox stories in Chinese literature, see Kida, 1988; Monschein, 1988; and Huntington, 2003, chapter 'Species History, Genre History', 7–33. Leo Chan mentions, that fox stories might well serve as a hidden criticism of the Manchus, since the term 'hu' for fox is homonymous with 'hu 胡’ for 'Northern barbarians'. Chan, 1998, 54–55. On the other hand, Rania Huntington does not think that this ethnic implication is of relevance for Qing dynasty China. Huntington, 2003, 59, 340. See also Huntington, 2003, 91. The rareness of pure ill-natured foxes in the stories of the Qing is also pointed out by Wolfram Eberhard, 1948, 97–98.
[2] Huntington, 2003, 105–106.
[3] '人物異類，狐則在人物之間. 幽明異路, 狐則在幽明之間. 仙妖殊途, 狐則在仙妖之間. 故謂遇狐為怪可, 為遇狐為常亦可.' Huntington, 2003, 1–2; YWCT, 503.
[4] Wolfram Eberhard estimates that 75 per cent of the protagonists of fox stories are from the upper class. Eberhard, 1948, 96.
[5] This is the only entry in which it is told how a woman and a fox harmoniously cohabit. See also Herrmann, 1983, 8.
[6] As to Dong Siren's remark about his official post, see Interests of the Elite.
[7] In case a love affair with a fox is not mentioned as being unhealthy for a human and a vixen even lives harmoniously with the family of the protagonist, the story is counted as an advantageous relationship. Sometimes a vixen's assimilation to humans is so advanced that she gives birth to a human baby, or does not re-transform into a creature after death. Moreover, a fox of the YWCT can also be lovesick because of a human or infect himself with a sexually transmissible disease and become ill.
Examples
LY I.2 Fox annoys scholar, his family, and the prefect Dong Siren 董思任 (17th c), but respects filial maidservant.
LY I.9 The prefect Ming Sheng 明晨 (b. 1688) asks fox for political advice.
LY I.20 Foxes annoy Ye Yidong 葉一棟 (d. 1750) [pres.] and are driven out by Daoist.
LY II.11 Vixen lives in Ji Rongshu's (1686–1764) father-in-law, Zhang Fen’s 張棻 (d. 1750), house and has magic mirror.
LY II.28a Fox has peaceful and advantageous coexistence with the official Rui Yongjian 芮永肩 (1736–1788).
LY II.28b Fox has troublesome cohabitation with disrespectful Li Zhongjian 李中简 (1721–1795), after which a fire destroys the house.
LY III.6 Fox has peaceful coexistence with Ji Rongshu 紀容舒 (1686–1764) and family.
LY III.7 Cultivated foxes live peacefully with Qian Chenqun 錢陳群 (1686–1774) and his guest Ji Yun.
LY IV.29 Fox avoids vulgar scholar and respects Dong Yuandu 董元度 (b. 1709).
LY V.16 Vixen lives as invisible concubine of Zhang Yanxu 張延緒.
LY V.41 Fox has love-affair with Song Bi’s 宋弼 (1703–1768) married maidservant and cannot be driven out.
LY VI.39 Xu Kaihou 徐開厚 (1745 jinshi) discovers a fox diligently reciting in the Hanlin Academy.
RS I.14 Fox annoys and admonishes Ji Rongya’s 紀容雅 (1698–1758) stingy and dishonest employee.
RS I.48 Ghost of fox complains about being shot without any reason by Zhang Fen’s 張棻 servant.
RS II.5 Fox only shares accommodation with true scholars, like Tian Zhongyi 田中義.
RS II.37 Vixen admiring flowers at Zhang Fen’s 張棻 (d. 1750) home, who excuses bad behaviour of servant.
RS II.40 Li Ji 李集 (1716–1794) has love-affair with vixen as a young man.
RS III.8 Ghost of vixen 鬼狐 asks Zhao Dajing 趙大鯨 (1681–1749) to move out.
RS III.12 Heavenly fox 天狐 wants to help the scholar Liu Guoshi 劉果實 (b. 1659), but is dismissed.
RS III.42 Vixen has love-affair with cousin of Wu Zhishen 吳至慎 (18th c.).
RS III.49 Fox annoys the secretary Zhang Liu 張鏐 (1706–1782) at home, who moves out.
RS III.67a Chatting vixen in the stomach of Li Yi 李翊 (1757 jinshi) are causing epilepsy.
RS IV.52a Fox is respectfully appeased by Ji Yun's family tutor Liu Pu 劉璞 (18th c.).
RS IV.59 Fox surprises by giving rain hat 雨纓帽 to Qiu Yuexiu’s 裘曰修 (1712–1773) guest.
槐西雜志 (HX)
HX I.21 Fox keeps a respectful distance to Shen Xu 申詡 (1713 juren).
HX II.36 Vixen tries to seduce Tang Bin 湯斌 (1627–1687), who resolutely rejects her.
HX II.68 Fox asks his friend Sayin 萨音 (fl. 1770) for help against annoying conspecific 天狐.
姑妄聽之 (GW)
GW I.2 Foxes play theatre for Gong Jisheng 龔集生 and his friends.
GW I.25 Fox pleased about the scholar Chen Zhaolun 陳兆崙 (1701–1771) moving in.
GW I.52 Fox drinks up liquor Ji Yun's grandmother's servant had stolen.
GW II.13 Fox respectfully converses with Wei Xiangshu 魏象樞 (1617–1687) and cleans up his lodging.
GW II.48 Fox honours virtuous widow and Li Ruolong 李若龍 (1735 juren) dedicates a poem to her.
GW III.9 Fox and humans have peaceful coexistence through good deed of Wang Hongsheng 王洪生.
GW III.13 Zhang Yanxu’s 張延緒 maidservant starts love-affair with young fox, older fox gives Mr. Zhang good advice on the matter.
GW IV.19 Fox helps maidservant of Liu Nishan 劉擬山, who is wrongly accused of theft.
GW IV.32 Vixen warns and avoids Hao Ai 郝瑷 (1759 juren).
灤陽續錄 (LX)
LX II.23 Fox honours Chu Yunxin 褚筠心 and admonishes vixen not to seduce him.
LX III.13 Vixen serves Dong Tianshi 董天士 (16th c.) and leaves him of own accord.
LX III.15 Fox warns hunting servant of Ji Yun, who thereupon pays more attention.
LX V.21 Vixen admire Zhang Fen’s 張棻 (d. 1750) flowers.
