南柯太守传

《南柯太守传》，有时又被称为《南柯传》或《南柯记》，出自《太平广记》卷四百七十五《昆虫三》，为唐代李公佐所著。

内容大要

东平人淳于棼，平日嗜酒任侠，不守细行，以巨产招养门客，亦曾因武艺补淮南节度使副将，后来却因酒坏事，丢了官职。

贞元七年九月某日，淳于棼大醉得病，由两位朋友扶回家休息。淳于棼才刚睡下，便在恍惚之中突然被两位使者接往家中槐树里的“大槐安国”，在国中重遇旧时门客周弁、田子华。又槐安国国君嫁女金枝公主，淳于棼在槐安国享尽荣华。后淳于棼治理南柯大郡有功，深受百姓爱戴，朝中广结人缘。

淳于棼在槐安国二十年，与公主生有五男两女：男皆受父亲庇荫在朝任官，女也许聘王公宗室。淳于棼荣耀显赫，一时极盛。然而他国来侵南柯郡，淳于棼大败，得王赦免。随后好友与公主数月中相继染疾去世，淳于棼心痛，称病辞官，回到京城。因家中豪门显贵出入频繁，遭国王猜疑；时又遭流言中伤，于是国王再遣使者送他出槐安国，回到现世。

现世，淳于棼从睡梦中醒来，两位朋友还没走，杯中酒还未喝完。三人相偕查看槐树，得梦中所见槐安国原是蚁国，南柯郡、公主的坟墓等在蚁国二十年所历皆一一呈现。三人大惊，将蚁穴掩埋如旧。不料一夜风雨，群蚁消失。之后，周弁罹患暴疾逝世，田子华寝疾于床。淳于棼遂觉悟人生短暂，皈依道教，戒酒弃色，三年后于自家逝世。

成语“南柯一梦”即是源自此小说，与元曲《黄粱梦》类似。“黄粱一梦”语意如同“南柯一梦”。

改编

明朝剧作家汤显祖把此故事改编为剧本《南柯记》，为玉茗堂四梦之一。

"The Governor of Nanke" (simplified Chinese: 南柯太守传; traditional Chinese: 南柯太守傳; pinyin: Nánkē Tàishǒu Zhuàn, otherwise translated as "The Governor of the Southern Tributary State", "Governor of the Southern Branch Commandery" and variants) is a Tang dynasty Chinese chuanqi (a form of short story) by Li Gongzuo, set in the year 794. It is the basis for the similar Japanese tale "The Dream of Akinosuke".

Summary

Chunyu Fen (淳于棼) is a previously successful and rich officer in the Huainan army who has offended his general and been dismissed. Disgruntled, he drank himself to sleep under a huge ash tree and was carried back to his house by two friends. While he is resting in a half-asleep state, a pair of messengers enter with an invitation from the king of "Hui An".

Chunyu goes with the messengers in their carriage, which heads towards the ash tree and into the hollow under it. The scenery in the hollow, while consisting of mountains and rivers, looks different from the world above. After about ten miles, they enter a large city though a grand gate over which is written "The Great Kingdom of Ashendon". Chunyu sees an old drinking friend of his at the side of the road, amongst other officers.

Chunyu is informed by the prime minister that the king has invited him here with the hope of him marrying one of his daughters, creating an alliance. When brought before the king, he is told that this is at his father's wish. Chunyu is bemused by this, but since his father was a missing frontier general, it is possible. At a feast that evening, Chunyu is entertained by nymphs and fairies, and meets his groomsmen and Tian Zihua, another old friend who tells him yet another friend, Zhou, is also in the city. Forthwith, he is married to the king's second daughter, a girl of about fifteen.

Chunyu and his wife come to love each other greatly, and his power grows. One day, Chunyu asks the king how his father could have made the request to the king for him to be married, as Chunyu's father has been missing for nearly twenty years. The king replies that he is in frequent contact with Chunyu's father who is still alive, and serving at the northern frontier. The king instructs Chunyu to write to his father, but not to go to see him. A reply is soon received, telling Chunyu of his father's regret that they can't meet then, but that they will meet in three years' time.

At his wife's request, Chunyu takes an official post at Nanke (a prosperous and fertile southern tributary state) where he serves as governor, with Tian Zihua as finance minister and Zhou as chief councillor. After a farewell feast and a several-day-long journey, they arrive at Nanke. Chunyu is a wise governor and the state flourishes. He has five sons, who all take official posts, and two daughters who are married into the royal family.

One day, the neighboring kingdom of "Sandalvine" invades, and Chunyu is commanded to raise an army and fight them, which he does, putting Zhou in charge of 30,000 men. However, Zhou proves a poor commander, and the battle is a rout. Zhou flees back to Nanke under cover of darkness, where Chunyu arrests him, but the king pardons both men for the defeat. The next month Zhou dies from a boil on his neck and Chunyu's wife dies shortly after that. Chunyu's request to travel back to the capital with the hearse is granted, and he is greeted there by the mourning king and queen. After his return Chunyu behaves oddly and gathers so many followers that the king begins to suspect him. Meanwhile, the king is informed of a mysterious portent that the kingdom will be destroyed by an event caused by a foreigner close to the royal family. Accordingly, the king forces Chunyu to retire.