Wang Taichang was a native of Zhejiang. When he was young, he was napping at home when the sky suddenly darkened, a great thunder roared, and a bolt of lightning split the air. Amidst the sound of thunder, a creature darted into the room, as large as a civet cat, and crouched beneath him, unwilling to leave. Soon after, the sky cleared, and the creature vanished on its own. Concentrating, Wang Taichang saw it resembled a fox, certainly not a house cat.

A sudden fear seized Wang Taichang; he cried out from the next room, shouting loudly. His elder brother heard the commotion and came to investigate, asking the reason. He smiled and said, "Younger brother, do not be alarmed. This is a fox spirit, only here to escape the heavenly tribulation of thunder. It is an auspicious sign; you are destined for high office in the future."

Later, Wang Taichang indeed passed the imperial examinations and was appointed as a Censor. The entire family enjoyed honor and prestige.

Wang Taichang had a son named Yuanfeng, whose temperament was dull-witted. At sixteen, he still could not distinguish between male and female, and because of this, he remained unmarried, without any attention from suitable women.

One day, a woman visited, followed by a young girl who smiled sweetly, incomparably beautiful. When asked who she was, the woman replied, "My surname is Yu, and this is my daughter, named Xiaocui. She is just sixteen and unmarried. If you do not mind, I wish to sell her to a wealthy household as a concubine."

Wang Taichang was troubled by his son’s marriage prospects and was overjoyed to hear this. He asked, "Madam, what is your price?"

The woman smiled, "I only seek warm meals and security in clothing and food; I dare not name a price. My Lord may decide as he sees fit; whether you give more or less is all the same to me."

Before Wang Taichang could speak, his wife interjected, "How about five hundred taels?"

The woman laughed, "Too much, far too much! I would be ashamed to accept it." Delighted, she took the silver and instructed her daughter to pay respects to her new masters, saying, "These are your in-laws; serve them well. I have many household matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave now. I will return in a few days to check on you."

Wang Taichang ordered his servants to prepare a carriage and escort the woman home. The woman declined, "My humble home is not far from here; there is no need for such trouble." And with that, she departed.

After her mother left, Xiaocui showed no sadness. She took out her needle and thread from her vanity case and began managing the household chores. The Madam grew very fond of her diligence. After several days, the woman did not reappear. She asked Xiaocui about her former residence and where she lived, but Xiaocui just smiled and claimed she did not know.

The husband and wife soon held their wedding ceremony. Relatives and neighbors who heard of the match gossiped, looking down on Xiaocui for her poverty and secretly laughing. However, upon meeting her, they were stunned by her bright eyes and pearly teeth; they were amazed by her heavenly beauty and all idle talk ceased.

Xiaocui was clever, adept at reading faces and observing moods, and was deeply loved by her in-laws. Her only concern was that her son was too simple-minded, and she worried Xiaocui might come to despise him. Fortunately, Xiaocui was virtuous, and she and Yuanfeng got along harmoniously, without any conflict.

Xiaocui loved to play. She often made cloth balls and enjoyed a good game of cuju (ancient Chinese football). Every time she kicked, she insisted on wearing small leather boots, channeling all her strength into her toes, sending the ball flying dozens of paces. Whenever this happened, Yuanfeng acted as the reluctant laborer, running back and forth to retrieve the ball, often returning exhausted, his body drenched in sweat.

One day, Wang Taichang was passing through the courtyard just as Xiaocui was playing ball. Suddenly, a ball flew toward him and struck him squarely on the cheek, causing sharp pain. Wang Taichang was furious. Seeing his anger, Xiaocui hastily fled. Yuanfeng, oblivious to the fear, continued to kick the ball back and forth, never tiring of the game.

Wang Taichang’s anger and resentment were hard to quell. Seeing his son muddle along with no prospects, he felt profound disappointment. Grabbing a stone, he hurled it with great force, striking Yuanfeng in a vital spot. Struck and frightened, Yuanfeng burst into loud sobs, tears streaming down his face.

Wang Taichang sighed secretly and, upon returning home, mentioned the incident to his wife. The Madam, upon hearing it, also felt vexed: Xiaocui’s excessive love of play was hardly the mark of a proper lady, and if his son was influenced by her, how could he ever amount to anything? Deeply fearful that she would lead Yuanfeng astray, she immediately went to Xiaocui’s quarters and berated her with a mixture of coaxing and scolding.

Xiaocui lowered her head and smiled, pressing her hand onto the bed and moving it back and forth. She paid no mind to her mother-in-law's scolding, showing neither fear nor uttering a word. The Madam was helpless and left with a sigh.

After her mother-in-law departed, Xiaocui remained unchanged, her playful nature uncurbed. Sometimes she would groom Yuanfeng, painting his face entirely with rouge; sometimes she would dress him up splendidly, ordering him to play the part of Xiang Yu while she dressed as Consort Yu, wearing garish silks, decorating her hair with chicken feathers, sometimes playing the pipa, sometimes dancing to music—she was proficient in all manner of antics. Other times, she would command Yuanfeng to pose as a desert merchant, dressed in bizarre costumes that made people laugh. Such things happened frequently.

The Madam repeatedly tried to persuade her to change, but to no avail. In a fit of temper, she seized a wooden stick and severely beat Yuanfeng. Seeing her husband punished, Xiaocui finally became frightened. She knelt and begged for mercy, pleading for forgiveness. The Madam’s anger subsided slightly, and she walked away with a sweep of her sleeve.

Xiaocui took Yuanfeng into the room with a smile, dusted the dirt from his clothes, wiped away his tears, offered him sweet dates and snacks, and comforted him in every way. Yuanfeng’s mind was naturally immature; his joys and sorrows passed quickly, coming and going with ease. With Xiaocui’s gentle words and affection, his anger turned to happiness, and he stopped crying to smile.

Censor Wang of the county town lived in the same lane as Wang Taichang, separated by about ten households. The two had never been on good terms. It was the year of the triennial examinations, when the court assessed officials for promotion. Wang Taichang had an excellent record and was most likely to be promoted to Provincial Governor of Henan. Wang the Censor felt resentful and secretly plotted malicious schemes aimed at injuring Wang Taichang’s reputation.

When Wang Taichang heard of this, he became anxious and worried, unable to eat or sleep peacefully. As the saying goes, an unexpected arrow is hard to guard against, and a petty person is difficult to deal with; he could not help but be vigilant. Xiaocui, seeing her father-in-law distressed, felt unbearable pity and decided to employ a small ruse to alleviate his worries.

One early morning, Xiaocui somehow procured a set of official robes and dressed herself as the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Court. She dyed strands of her hair, fashioned a false beard, and through careful application of cosmetics, her appearance was completely transformed. She now looked exactly like a stout scholar, a powerful, bearded man.

Once disguised, she ordered her personal maid to dress as an official runner to follow close behind. The three rode out on horseback, making a grand show through the busy streets, loudly proclaiming, "We seek Master Wang!"

Onlookers pointed and said, "Master Wang? Do you mean Censor Wang? His residence is just nearby." They pointed out the way. Xiaocui offered no comment, proceeding slowly on horseback. Before long, they arrived at the residence of Wang the Censor. Servants rushed out to greet them. Xiaocui’s expression darkened, and she angrily declared, "Who seeks Censor Wang? I am here to visit His Excellency, Censor Wang Taichang!" With that, she turned her sleeve and departed.

Returning to their own gate, the gatekeepers, seeing the imposing official air of the trio, mistook them for genuine dignitaries and frantically reported the visitor to their master. Wang Taichang, hearing that the Grand Secretary was calling, rushed out to greet him. Upon meeting, he realized it was merely Xiaocui playing a prank. His face clouded with displeasure, and he grumbled, "That little girl is being willful and reckless, giving others leverage. Trouble is not far off."

Xiaocui ignored his complaints and smiled silently.

At that time, the actual Grand Secretary held immense power, seemingly able to cover the sky with one hand. Xiaocui's imitation of the official was so vivid it was almost indistinguishable from the real person. Wang the Censor, unaware of the truth, saw that Wang Taichang was befriending the Grand Secretary and that his backing was substantial, filling him with apprehension. Day and night, he lingered outside their gate, trying to glean information.

At dawn the next day, Wang the Censor approached Wang Taichang directly and asked, "Was the esteemed guest at your residence yesterday the Grand Secretary himself?" Wang Taichang mumbled evasively. The more vague he was, the more terrified Wang the Censor became. From that moment, he curbed his nefarious plans, deliberately sought to establish a cordial relationship with Taichang, and temporarily ceased his machinations.