平妖傳

In bustling Song‑era Kaifeng, a prosperous yet childless merchant named Hu grapples with the anxiety of leaving no heir. Surrounded by opulent warehouses of silk, jewelry, and antiques, he and his devoted mother‑in‑law turn to the city’s famed shrine, praying fervently to the North‑Pole Saint for a blessing. Their nightly offerings become a ritual of hope, each incense stick a quiet plea for a future son or daughter.

One evening a strange visitor arrives, bearing a tiny, exquisitely painted portrait of a beautiful woman. Intrigued, Hu follows the stranger’s cryptic instructions—lighting incense, striking a lute, and invoking the unseen. The painted maiden steps forth from the scroll, sharing tea with Hu before vanishing back into the artwork. The encounter proves more than a fleeting marvel; shortly afterward, Hu’s wife conceives, and their long‑awaited child, a bright girl named Yong’er, is born. The tale weaves together devotion, mysticism, and the fragile line between worldly wealth and supernatural wonder.