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It was in the eleventh year of Yung-p`ing.1 The inhabitants of the Huan marquisate 2 in Lü-chiang3 were then in possession of a lake. There were two small boys in Huan, named Ch`ên Chüo and Ch`ên T`ing, both over ten years old, who together went angling on the banks of the lake. Ch`ên T`ing was the first to go. Ch`ên Chüo arrived later, and asked his comrade whether he had caught anything. Upon Ch`ên T`ing replying in the affirmative, he went home to fetch his rod and fishing-line. 4 At a distance of 40 steps from Ch`ên T`ing he beheld a wine amphora of a bright yellow colour that had fallen into the water near the edge of the lake. Ch`ên Chüo mistook it for copper. He waded through the water to get hold of it, but it was so slippery and heavy, that he was unable to lift it.---T'ing seeing this from afar shouted, "What have you got?" Chüo rejoined, "It is copper, but I cannot lift it."---T`ing came to his assistance and entered the water, but before he had seized the amphora it quite suddenly was transformed into a covenant vessel, sank into the deep through the movement, and again became invisible. But T`ing and Chüo who kept their eyes on it perceived something of bright yellow colour like so many coins, hundreds and thousands of pieces. They pushed and raised it, and with their hands full they went home and told their families.
The father of Ch`ên Chüo was a retired official of the State whose style was Chün Hsien. He inquired, full of amazement, where he had found this, and Chüo gave a description. "It is gold", quoth Chün Hsien and forthwith, along with Chüo, he hastened to the place of discovery, where there was still much left in the water. He himself entered the water and seized it. When the neighbours of Chüo and T`ing had heard the news, there was a general rush, and they together obtained upwards of ten pounds. Chün Hsien personally acquainted a minister who advised the prefect, and the prefect sent his officers to receive the gold and instructed his private official Ch`êng Kung to take it over and present it to the throne, stating how he had got the gold. An imperial edict was issued to the effect that, if it was, as stated in the memorial, all was right, but if it was not, then capital punishment would be meted out. With this edict Ch`êng Kung returned to the prefect, who with his subordinates took cognisance of it. They had the impression that the emperor doubted the veracity and believed that something had been concealed and that the report had been unduly embellished. For this reason the prefect sent in a new report, stating that the gold had been discovered exactly as reported previously. Therewith the matter closed.
In the 12th year, Chün Hsien and his associates addressed the emperor stating how they had found the gold in the water of the lake, that the chief of the circuit had presented it to the throne, and that as yet no compensation had been received. In the imperial rescript to the authorities of Lü-chiang it seemed as if His Majesty was not willing to grant Chün Hsien and his associates the price of the gold, for the prefect had reported that the gold found by Chün Hsien and others came from a public lake, and not from the private waters of these persons. Consequently no compensation was given. In the 12th year, however, an edict appeared commanding the payment of the value of the gold to Chün Hsien and the others according to the actual market price of gold. 5
The auspicious portents of the Han were manifold. The discovery of gold being very strange, it was put on record. The precious things, gold and jewels are divine, therefore their appearance is something extraordinary. 6 Something of a golden colour first appeared in the shape of a wine amphora and afterwards became a covenant vessel and, being moved, sank into the deep. Was not this a miracle? 7
When the Hsia dynasty was flourishing distant countries made pictures of their produce, and the nine tribes offered gold as tribute. Yü regarded it as propitious and cast it into tripods. The Nine Tripods of the Chou8 were the gold of these distant countries. No matter whether it was brought by people as tribute or whether it issued spontaneously from the water, it was the same after all and in both cases the upshot of conspicuous virtue and an omen for a sage emperor.
A golden and pearless age is accompanied with gold and gems. In the time of Wên Ti there appeared a gem flail. Gold and gems are the choicest omens. Illegal HTML character: decimal 156