原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
崔珏接駕
The Magistrate Receives the Emperor
太宗行到那邊，只見他跪拜路旁，口稱：「陛下，赦臣失誤遠迎之罪。」太宗問曰：「你是何人？因甚事前來接拜？」那人道：「微臣半月前在森羅殿上，見涇河鬼龍告陛下許救反誅之故，第一殿秦廣大王即差鬼使催請陛下，要三曹對案。臣已知之，故來此間候接。不期今日來遲，望乞恕罪，恕罪。」太宗道：「你姓甚名誰？是何官職？」那人道：「微臣存日，在陽曹侍先君駕前，為茲州令，後拜禮部侍郎，姓崔名珏。今在陰司，得受酆都掌案判官。」太宗大喜，即近前，御手忙攙道：「先生遠勞。朕駕前魏徵有書一封，正寄與先生，卻好相遇。」判官謝恩，問書在何處。太宗即向袖中取出遞與。崔珏拜接了，拆封而看。其書曰：太宗行到那边，只见他跪拜路旁，口称：「陛下，赦臣失误远迎之罪。」太宗问曰：「你是何人？因甚事前来接拜？」那人道：「微臣半月前在森罗殿上，见泾河鬼龙告陛下许救反诛之故，第一殿秦广大王即差鬼使催请陛下，要三曹对案。臣已知之，故来此间候接。不期今日来迟，望乞恕罪，恕罪。」太宗道：「你姓甚名谁？是何官职？」那人道：「微臣存日，在阳曹侍先君驾前，为兹州令，后拜礼部侍郎，姓崔名珏。今在阴司，得受酆都掌案判官。」太宗大喜，即近前，御手忙搀道：「先生远劳。朕驾前魏征有书一封，正寄与先生，却好相遇。」判官谢恩，问书在何处。太宗即向袖中取出递与。崔珏拜接了，拆封而看。其书曰：
逐句解 Line by line
太宗行到那邊，只見他跪拜路旁，口稱：「陛下，赦臣失誤遠迎之罪。」
太宗行到那边，只见他跪拜路旁，口称：「陛下，赦臣失误远迎之罪。」
When Taizong came up to him, he saw the man kneeling in obeisance by the roadside, declaring, 'Your Majesty, pardon your servant's fault in failing to greet you from afar.'
遠迎, to meet a superior at a distance, is a mark of respect; its omission is the 'fault' for which he begs pardon.
太宗問曰：「你是何人？因甚事前來接拜？」
太宗问曰：「你是何人？因甚事前来接拜？」
Taizong asked, 'Who are you? On what business have you come forward to meet and salute me?'
甚 (shén) here '(for) what.' 接拜 to receive and pay homage.
那人道：「微臣半月前在森羅殿上，見涇河鬼龍告陛下許救反誅之故，第一殿秦廣大王即差鬼使催請陛下，要三曹對案。
那人道：「微臣半月前在森罗殿上，见泾河鬼龙告陛下许救反诛之故，第一殿秦广大王即差鬼使催请陛下，要三曹对案。
The man said, 'Half a month ago, in the Hall of Judgment, your servant saw the ghost-dragon of the Jing River accuse Your Majesty of promising rescue and then permitting the beheading; whereupon King Qinguang of the First Court dispatched a demon-runner to summon Your Majesty for the three-tribunal confrontation.'
森羅殿 (sēnluó diàn) the Hall of Judgment in the courts of the dead. 涇河鬼龍 the beheaded Jing-River dragon of ch. 10, whose grievance drives the summons. 三曹對案 the confrontation of the three tribunals (plaintiff, defendant, and judge). 秦廣王, first of the Ten Kings. 差 (chāi) 'to dispatch'; 一 in 第一 read yī as an ordinal.
臣已知之，故來此間候接。不期今日來遲，望乞恕罪，恕罪。」
臣已知之，故来此间候接。不期今日来迟，望乞恕罪，恕罪。」
'Knowing this, your servant came here to await and receive you. I did not expect to be late this day — I beg your pardon, your pardon.'
候接 to wait upon and receive. The doubled 恕罪，恕罪 conveys anxious deference.
太宗道：「你姓甚名誰？是何官職？」
太宗道：「你姓甚名谁？是何官职？」
Taizong said, 'What is your surname and given name? What office do you hold?'
甚 (shén) 'what.'
那人道：「微臣存日，在陽曹侍先君駕前，為茲州令，後拜禮部侍郎，姓崔名珏。
那人道：「微臣存日，在阳曹侍先君驾前，为兹州令，后拜礼部侍郎，姓崔名珏。
The man replied, 'In the days of my life I served in the world above before your late father's carriage, was magistrate of Ci prefecture, and later rose to Vice-Minister of Rites. My surname is Cui, my given name Jue.'
存日 'in one's living days.' 陽曹 the world of the living, opposed to 陰司. 先君, Taizong's late father, Gaozu Li Yuan. 禮部侍郎 Vice-Minister of Rites. 崔珏 (Cuī Jué). 為 here wéi, 'served as.'
今在陰司，得受酆都掌案判官。」
今在阴司，得受酆都掌案判官。」
'Now, in the shades below, I have received the post of Registrar-Magistrate of Fengdu.'
陰司 the netherworld administration. 酆都 (Fēngdū), the infernal capital; 都 here dū. 掌案判官 the magistrate in charge of the case-rolls.
太宗大喜，即近前，御手忙攙道：「先生遠勞。朕駕前魏徵有書一封，正寄與先生，卻好相遇。」
太宗大喜，即近前，御手忙搀道：「先生远劳。朕驾前魏征有书一封，正寄与先生，却好相遇。」
Overjoyed, Taizong stepped near and, his imperial hand hastening to raise the man up, said, 'You have come a long and weary way, sir. My minister Wei Zheng has a letter he would send you — how fortunate that we should meet!'
攙 (chān) to steady or raise someone by the arm — the emperor's gesture of favour toward a kneeling subject. 卻好 'as it happily fell out.' 相 (xiāng) in 相遇, 'meet one another.'
判官謝恩，問書在何處。太宗即向袖中取出遞與。崔珏拜接了，拆封而看。其書曰：
判官谢恩，问书在何处。太宗即向袖中取出递与。崔珏拜接了，拆封而看。其书曰：
The magistrate gave thanks and asked where the letter was. Taizong drew it at once from his sleeve and handed it over. Cui Jue received it with a bow, broke the seal, and read. The letter ran:
拆封 to break the seal. The formula 其書曰 introduces the parallel-prose letter that follows.
總評 Commentary
The meeting turns the tables of rank in a way the tale relishes: an emperor, now merely a summoned soul, is greeted by a former subject who kneels and apologizes for a breach of etiquette, yet who in fact holds Taizong's fate in his ledger. Cui Jue's recital of his own 履歷 — Ci-prefecture magistrate, Vice-Minister of Rites, and now infernal registrar — establishes both his loyalty to the dynasty and his usefulness. The letter Taizong carries from Wei Zheng is the hinge on which the emperor's reprieve will turn.