002, the raccoon cat prince, blends truth and illusion.
Ishino's expression was somewhat peculiar: "As far as I know, it is not a sacred place of the spirit. It seems he was involved in a pyramid scheme, likely deceived by a friend he met by chance."
Currently, the local area has rebuilt the stone raccoon statues, yet most visitors, if they have not heard the legend beforehand, may not pay attention to these stone raccoon statues while walking through this ancient street that has existed for a thousand years. However, Cheng Tianle noticed them. He found these somewhat silly-looking statues quite amusing and had already seen several along the way
Ishino pointed a finger at the surrounding world: "The scenery has existed for a thousand years, with ancient alleys, small bridges, and flowing water. Is it not worth a visit? I brought you here to help you learn to appreciate the subtle wonders of everything around you, including these stone statues along the way... I heard that your senior brother Bai is also cultivating near this Shantang Street recently"
The first legend is related to King Helu of Wu and Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The famous scenic spot, Tiger Hill in Suzhou, is the burial site of King Helu. It is said that Helu's tomb lies beneath the Sword Pool, accompanied by over three thousand treasured swords, including the Fish Intestine Sword. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang visited this place, he saw a white tiger perched on the hill. He swung his sword to strike it, but the white tiger transformed into a beam of sword light and vanished. Thus, Tiger Hill got its name
Ishino: "Of course it's a dead person! Even if no internal or external injuries can be found, the person is still dead... Why are you bringing this up? Didn't you just ask who might accidentally obtain a verdict? Do you understand now?"
Speaking of the raccoon cat, there is a classic traditional opera titled "The Raccoon Cat Exchanges the Crown Prince." The story takes place during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, where Concubine Liu and the eunuch Guo Huai conspire for favor, using a skinned raccoon cat to replace the son born to Concubine Li. This child is saved by the eunuch Chen Lin and later adopted and raised by the Eighth Prince Zhao Defang. As Emperor Zhenzong has no sons, he establishes Zhao Defang's son as the heir to the throne, seemingly guided by fate. The chosen heir turns out to be his own biological son, who, upon ascending the throne, becomes Emperor Renzong of Song
Hearing his father's response, Liu Yancheng further questioned in confusion: "Are you saying that such people lack a complete soul?"
There is a third explanation regarding the origin of the stone raccoon statue on Shantang Street
Liu Yancheng said with great interest: "Let us go and see who it is, and what kind of demonic cultivation method they have obtained?"
Currently, there are a total of seven stone raccoon statues in the area of Shantang Street, all of which have been restored in the past two years based on historical legends. They are the Meiren Raccoon at Shantang Bridge, the Tonggui Raccoon at Tonggui Bridge, the Wenxing Raccoon at Xingqiao, the Colorfulclouds Raccoon at Colorfulclouds Bridge, the Baigong Raccoon at Pujii Bridge, the Haiyong Raccoon at Wangshan Bridge, and the Fen Shui Raccoon at Xishan Miao Bridge. Of course, the names of these raccoons are not uniformly agreed upon in popular folklore; regarding their origins, the legends are even more mysterious.
Shiyeno took the opportunity to explain the concept of the soul to his son. After listening for a while, Liu Yancheng interjected, "What if the soul and spirit are separated?"
Ishino shook his head and said: "Such a person appears to resemble what people often refer to as having an incomplete soul, but that is not the case. He is not naturally dull-witted; his intelligence is completely normal. Nor is he simply oblivious to the world; he just chooses not to think deeply. If any family had such a child, the parents would surely feel frustrated yet helpless."
... ...
Liu Yan scratched the back of his head: "Senior Brother Bai Shaoliu? Why has he come here to cultivate, and in which spiritual treasure land is he?"
During the mid-Ming Dynasty, in the Chenghua and Hongzhi eras, similar events occurred within the imperial court. At that time, the royal offspring were dwindling; the emperor not only had few sons but also found it difficult to raise them. Consequently, the court favored the breeding of raccoon dogs, hoping for auspicious signs, which also led to imitation among the common people. In the Suzhou area, this custom already existed, and some even carved raccoon dog statues from bluestone on Shantang Street, praying for prosperous trade.
The theory of the Seven Foxes proposed by Bai Juyi is rather far-fetched and not well-known among contemporary Suzhou residents. Currently, the most popular legend regarding the origin of the stone fox statue is the second one—Liu Bowen's creation of the Seven Foxes
Such legends are quite absurd, merely serving as conversation topics for the common people of Suzhou during their tea breaks and meals. However, the stories of Liu Bowen erecting the stone statue of the fox and subduing the dragon vein of Zhang Shicheng are widely circulated among the folk in Suzhou. This narrative is also adopted in the tourist attraction descriptions of the current Shantang Street.
This third legend is indeed the most credible and may be the closest to the true origin of the stone raccoon statue on Shantang Street. Regardless, the stone raccoon statue has existed on Shantang Street since ancient times. According to popular oral tradition, Shantang Street, which spans seven li, is sometimes referred to as "Qili Street" or "Shili Street," which has become another homophonic reference to "Shili Street" in "Dream of the Red Chamber"
Ishino replied with a smile: "It cannot be said that I have never seen such a person; in fact, there are many like that in the world. However, it is indeed rare to find someone who can reach the level where the magical formula within this stone statue automatically integrates into their consciousness. Not to mention that it just so happened to occur on this Shantang Street, accidentally opening the portals on these stone statues and obtaining the demon cultivation techniques inside..."
This event indeed occurred in history, but it is unrelated to Bao Zheng. Later, some individuals fabricated and arranged this historical account into the story of the cat replacing the prince.
Liu Yancheng's appearance also became quite strange, his eyes wide open, and he stammered, "Who could deceive Bai Shaoliu? He is the one who can see through the hearts of people in this world!"
In the late Yuan dynasty, Zhang Shicheng, who originated from a background of private salt trading, declared himself emperor in Suzhou, establishing the state of Da Zhou, which was later defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang. Legend has it that after Zhu Yuanzhang defeated Zhang Shicheng, he sent Liu Bowen to inspect Suzhou. Upon arriving in the area around Shantang Street, Liu Bowen discovered that the Shantang River resembled a sleeping dragon, indicating the presence of a dragon vein. He then erected seven stone cat statues along the Shantang River, strategically placed to harness the auspicious energy of the land, with these seven statues forming a chain that secured the dragon vein.
This story was later included in the famous Qing Dynasty novel "The Three Heroes and Five Gallants". However, before the completion of "The Three Heroes and Five Gallants", the tale of the raccoon cat swapping the crown prince was already well-known among the people. This story is not entirely fabricated; historically, Emperor Ren of Song was indeed not born of Empress Liu, but was the son of a palace maid with the surname Li, who was adopted by the then Concubine Liu. Emperor Ren ascended to the throne at a young age, and Concubine Liu acted as regent in the capacity of Empress until the death of Empress Liu, after which Emperor Ren learned who his biological mother was. This story is not entirely fabricated; historically, Emperor Ren of Song was indeed not born of Empress Liu, but was the son of a palace maid with the surname Li, who was adopted by the then Concubine Liu. Emperor Ren ascended to the throne at a young age, and Concubine Liu acted as regent in the capacity of Empress until the death of Empress Liu, after which Emperor Ren learned who his biological mother was
The father and son had not walked far when they came across a stone fox statue by the roadside bridge. Shi Ye sighed, saying: "The techniques contained within these stone statues were left by unknown individuals. After hundreds of years of change, they have nearly taken on a natural divine essence. Moreover, they are the methods of demon cultivators, and their presence in this densely populated area is not a good thing. I originally intended to examine all the stone statues to find their source and then erase all these techniques. However, someone has unexpectedly activated them at this moment and obtained the techniques. Since that is the case, let these techniques remain; may those with fate take them as they will!" I originally intended to examine all the stone statues to find their source and then erase all these techniques. However, someone has unexpectedly activated them at this moment and obtained the techniques. Since that is the case, let these techniques remain; may those with fate take them as they will!
The raccoon cat is a wild lynx, known for its particularly strong survival and reproductive capabilities. In the Suzhou area, local people once revered the raccoon cat as a spiritual creature, and there is a saying, "Touch the lynx's head, and you will have good fortune for the entire year." In folklore, the raccoon cat symbolizes "many offspring and easy nurturing." In the story, Emperor Zhenzong of Song had no sons, and the idea of "exchanging a raccoon cat for a crown prince" is not merely a casual fabrication; it is related to the symbolism of the raccoon cat.
Liu Yancheng: "Alright, I won't go over to take a look... But Dad, what is the purpose of bringing me to this Shantang Street? It can't just be to see these few stone statues, can it?"
When it comes to wwwhetushucom.com, the tone shifts, and the topic is diverted: "The concept of the three souls and seven spirits is actually a figurative expression, an allusion rather than a literal reference. The 'Yunji Seven Signs' mentions the three souls as follows: the first is called '胎光' (胎光), the second '爽灵' (爽灵), and the third '幽精' (幽精). The seven spirits are described as '尸狗' (corpse dog), '伏矢' (hidden arrow), '雀阴' (sparrow's shadow), '吞贼' (thief devourer), '非毒' (non-poison), '除秽' (purifier), and '臭肺' (stinking lung). In fact, these are all euphemisms, and it does not imply that a person has three souls and seven spirits.
I think he is merely borrowing the land for cultivation, observing the appearances of sentient beings. As for Bai Shaoliu's verification, even I cannot see it very clearly... He has his own practice, and you have yours. Let us go, continue shopping. Observing the myriad of people and phenomena, and gaining insights from them, is your own harvest
It is said that the White Tiger is the manifestation of the sword energy beneath Tiger Hill. In later years, when Bai Juyi excavated the Shantang River, he carved seven stone raccoon statues to suppress this murderous sword intent, placing them at various feng shui points along Shantang Street. At that time, these seven stone raccoons were named Jinlu Raccoon, Tongxing Raccoon, Wenxing Raccoon, Bantang Raccoon, Baigong Raccoon, Bianshan Raccoon, and Haiyong Raccoon. This is the earliest legend regarding the stone raccoon statues of Shantang Street.
At this point, his smile suddenly turned serious as he looked up towards the direction of Tiger Hill in astonishment, saying: "Someone has activated the earth energy pivot on the statue, and that magical incantation has entered into his soul! Such a thing has actually happened, right here and now!"
Ishino sighed deeply and could only smile wryly, saying: "Isn't this exactly the kind of person you mentioned? I can't believe such a person actually showed up on Shantang Street, carelessly touching and moving the statues here, inadvertently stumbling upon that demonic cultivation technique. He probably doesn't even realize what has happened! The incantations on these statues follow a specific order and must be activated sequentially. Whether this person is lucky or unlucky, he just happened to trigger the statue with the first layer of the incantation."
Liu Yancheng asked again: "What if it is a case of soul scattering?"
Ishino's response was not profound, and with a smile, he said: "That is a person in a vegetative state, not a confused person"
On the contrary, the statements made by medical practitioners are more pertinent. The essence, qi, spirit, soul, and po correspond to the five organs, each having its own dominion. The liver belongs to wood and governs the soul, while the lungs belong to metal and govern the po. Wood is associated with the east, represented by the number 3, and metal is associated with the west, represented by the number 7, and that is all there is to it. To put it another way, the soul governs clarity of mind, while the po governs the circulation of qi and blood. The harmonious union of the soul and po results in a state where the body and mind are unobstructed
The incantations within the stone statues follow a specific order. One must first activate the initial portal to obtain the first layer of incantation before sequentially unlocking the other statues. The stone raccoon statue that holds the first layer of incantation is located far west of Tiger Hill, at the Xishan Temple Bridge, outside the scenic area of Shantang Street. There are usually hardly any tourists there, so how could Le Tian have gone there?
Liu Yancheng turned around to look into the distance, his face filled with shock as he exclaimed, "Who is that?"
The one who touched the Earth Spirit Pivot, opened the strange portal, and inexplicably obtained the demon cultivation method from the stone raccoon statue, is none other than Cheng Tianle
This story first appeared in the Yuan dynasty's miscellaneous dramas and became widely circulated by the Ming dynasty. "The Cat and the Prince" has become a classic play well-known to the public, and through the refinement of literati, it has also become part of the "Cases of Judge Bao." According to popular legend, Judge Bao was sent to Chen Prefecture to provide disaster relief and distribute grain, where he encountered the exiled Concubine Li who came to report a grievance. Upon investigation, the long-hidden truth of the past was revealed.
Ishino shook his head and said: "There is no need for that; the opportunities of others have nothing to do with you. If you are interested in the methods of demon cultivation and wish to study them, your father can naturally tell you more profound and complete knowledge. Asking that person is of no use; he will not understand what is going on. Moreover, the methods of demon cultivation are not the path of ordinary people. Even if you obtain the inheritance of the techniques, it would merely be like having a dream. Everyone in this world has their own strange thoughts and dreams; why would you go disturb others?"
Liu Yancheng: "I understand, that kind of person is indeed quite rare. Dad, have you ever met one?"