Listening to mirrors was a type of prognostication, as mirrors were regarded as magical objects. On the night before Spring Festival, Chinese would pray to their ancestors, asking a question which they later hoped to be answered. Then they would light a stove, and fill a pot with water. A spoon would be dropped into the boiling water, then they would go in the direction indicated by the spoon. They would go the nearest door, carrying a mirror, and secretly listen to people passing outside. The first sentence overheard would be the answer to their question.
镜听
益都郑氏兄弟，皆文学士。大郑早知名，父母尝过爱之，又因子并及其妇；二郑落拓，不甚为父母所欢，遂恶次妇，至不齿礼。冷暖相形，颇存芥蒂。次妇每谓二郑：“等男子耳，何遂不能为妻子争气？”遂摈弗与同宿。于是二郑感愤，勤心锐思，亦遂知名。父母稍稍优顾之，然终杀于兄。Yì dū zhèng shì xiōngdì, jiē wénxué shì. Dà zhèng zǎo zhīmíng, fùmǔ chángguò ài zhī, yòu yīnzǐ bìng jí qí fù; èr zhèng luòtà, bù shèn wèi fùmǔ suǒ huan, suì è cì fù, zhì bùchǐ lǐ. Lěngnuǎn xiāngxíng, pō cún jièdì. Cì fù měi wèi èr zhèng:“Děng nánzǐ ěr, hé suì bùnéng wéi qīzi zhēngqì?” Suì bìn fú yǔ tóngsù. Yúshì èr zhèng gǎn fèn, qín xīn ruì sī, yì suì zhīmíng. Fùmǔ shāoshāo yōu gù zhī, rán zhōng shā yú xiōng.
In Yidu County, Shandong Province, the Zheng family had two sons, both were scholars. The elder son achieved fame at an early age so his parents favoured him and his wife. The second son was disappointed as his parents were not fond of him. They were also mean to the second son's wife and weren't in the least bit polite to her. As the parents were warm to one son and cold to the other, a distance grew between the sons. The younger son's wife said to him, "You are both the same type of man, why is it that I am the wife with no respect (face)?" Thereupon, she refused to sleep with her husband. Consequently, the second son was motivated to be hardworking, he changed his ways and became studious and diligent, and finally he also achieved fame. His parents showed a little bit more regard towards him, but he was still not treated as well as the elder son. (杀 in this case does not mean kill, it means 不如)
次妇望夫甚切，是岁大比，窃于除夜以镜听卜。有二人初起，相推为戏，云：“汝也凉凉去！”妇归，凶吉不可解，亦置之。闱后，兄弟皆归。时暑气犹盛，两妇在厨下炊饭饷耕，其热正苦。忽有报骑登门，报大郑捷，母入厨唤大妇曰：“大男中式矣！汝可凉凉去。”次妇忿恻，泣且炊。俄又有报二郑捷者，次妇力掷饼杖而起，曰：“侬也凉凉去！”此时中情所激，不觉出之于口；既而思之，始知镜听之验也。
Cì fù wàng fu shén qiè, shì suì dà bǐ, qiè yú chúyè yǐ jìng tīng bo. Yǒu èr rén chū qǐ, xiāng tuī wèi xì, yún:“Rǔ yě liáng liáng qù!” Fù guī, xiōng jí bùkějiě, yì zhì zhī. Wéi hòu, xiōngdì jiē guī. Shí shǔqì yóu shèng, liǎng fù zài chú xià chuī fàn xiǎng gēng, qí rè zhèng kǔ. Hū yǒu bào qí dēngmén, bào dà zhèng jié, mǔ rù chú huàn dà fù yuē:“Dà nán zhōngshì yǐ! Rǔ kě liáng liáng qù.” Cì fù fèn cè, qì qiě chuī. É yòu yǒu bào èr zhèng jié zhě, cì fù lì zhì bǐng zhàng ér qǐ, yuē:“Nóng yě liáng liáng qù!” Cǐ shí zhōng qíng suǒ jī, bù jué chū zhī yú kǒu; jì'ér sī zhī, shǐ zhī jìng tīng Zhī yàn yě.
The second son's wife was extremely eager to see her husband be successful. As there would be Imperial Exams (大比) held that year, on the eve of Spring Festival she secretly listened a mirror to help divine the outcome. The wife had only just gone outside when she heard two people playing a game of pushing one another, when one said, "You should go and cool down!" The wife went home, but she could not tell if the sentence was favourable or not, and so shelved the matter. After the exams, the brothers both returned. At that time, the summer heat was still particularly strong, and both wives were in the kitchen preparing a meal for the workers. The heat was almost unbearable. Suddenly a messenger arrived at the gate, informing the family that the elder son had passed the exam. The mother entered the kitchen and said to the elder son's wife, "my eldest passed the exam, you can go and cool down." The second son's wife was angry and sad, she cried but kept on cooking. Suddenly, another messenger arrived announcing the second son had also been successful. The second wife threw down her rolling pin and said, "I (侬) am going to go and cool down too!" At that moment, she was overwhelmed with emotions, and did not notice what she had said. But later when she was thinking, she realised this was the outcome shown by the mirror.
异史氏曰：“贫穷则父母不子，有以也哉！庭帏之中，固非愤激之地；然二郑妇激发男儿，亦与怨望无赖者殊不同科。投杖而起，真千古之快事也！”
Yì shǐ shì yuē:“Pínqióng zé fùmǔ bù zi, yǒu yǐ yězāi! Tíng wéi zhī zhōng, gù fēi fènjī zhī dì; rán èr zhèng fù jīfā nán'ér, yì yǔ yuànwàng wúlài zhě shū bùtóng kē. Tóu zhàng ér qǐ, zhēn qiāngǔ Zhī kuài shì yě!”
The author (who refers to himself as 'the historian of the odd', or 'the other historian') adds, "if you are poor, then your parents will not regard you as their son; this really does happen! In the story, the rousing part was the second son's wife inspiring her husband, which is not the same as when normal people argue. When she threw down the rolling pin, that really is happiness!"
Wasn't this story a rather odd choice for an Emperor? It lacks grandiose and some of the language it uses is practically vernacular, but Qianlong had a purpose. During the reign of his father, a new wave of taxes came into being that hit the scholarly elite. The scholars were appalled at the idea they would have to pay taxes like the common farmers and merchants, as they saw themselves as completely above the common masses. In anger, scholars and their disciples boycotted the imperial examinations.
Without applicants to take the exams, the Qing bureaucracy would begin to crumble. While Qianlong was still a prince, he had many contacts in scholarly circles. He would tell them this story as a way to encourage them to sit the exam. Even though the story's main event is the second son passing the examination, it is told from the view of the wife. It depicted how passing the exam affected not only the candidate, but all the people around him. In this case, it gave the wife great happiness and respect.
