Huang Shusheng, a scion of a respected family, possessed considerable talent and loftier ambitions. Outside the village stood a temple where a monk resided, with whom the scholar shared a profound friendship. Not long after, the monk departed on travels, only returning to the temple after more than a decade. Upon seeing the scholar again, the monk sighed, "Young Master, your inherent brilliance is undeniable. I expected you to have long since achieved distinction, yet you remain a commoner. I suppose your fate is meager. Do you happen to possess ten thousand copper coins? I can arrange to bribe the deities of the Underworld on your behalf, securing you some minor official post."

The scholar replied, "I do not." The monk countered, "Can you at least scrape together five thousand copper coins? I shall devise a way to cover the rest. Meet me again in three days." After the monk departed, Shusheng sold off his possessions and barely managed to amass five thousand coins. Three days later, the monk indeed returned, carrying a bundle filled with copper pieces. He declared, "Here are the five thousand coins."

Shusheng owned a well in his courtyard, so deep it was rumored to connect directly to the great rivers and seas. The monk approached the well and instructed Shusheng, "I will now return to the temple to perform the rite. In half an hour, cast all ten thousand copper coins into the well. Wait quietly beside it until a single coin surfaces. The moment you see it, kneel and kowtow in reverence." With that, he turned and left.

Uncertain of the spell the monk intended to cast, Shusheng felt doubtful. He then reasoned, "Ten thousand coins is a substantial sum; it would be a terrible waste to throw them all away." Thus, he took out one thousand coins and tossed them into the shaft, secretly hiding the remainder. Moments later, large bubbles began to surge from the water. With a resounding clang, a single copper piece, massive as a cartwheel and enough to cover the entire surface of the well, rose from the depths. Shusheng was terrified and immediately dropped to his knees, bowing his head. He then threw in the remaining four thousand coins, but they were blocked by the colossal copper disc and could not sink.

As dusk settled, the monk returned, chastising him, "Why did you not cast all the coins down?" Shusheng insisted, "I threw them all in." The monk retorted, "You still lie to me? The emissary from the Underworld informed me they received only one thousand coins. Such a paltry sum will only suffice to purchase the rank of a Gongsheng (Tribute Scholar). Had you offered the full ten thousand, it would have been enough for the Jinshi (Metropolitan Graduate) title. Since you are so miserly, this is the outcome you brought upon yourself. Who else can you blame?"

That year, the scholar indeed passed the examination, securing the supplementary rank of Gongsheng. He continued to take the imperial examinations until old age claimed him, yet he remained only a Gongsheng.