Maps
1.1 Zichuan County and its vicinity, Shandong Province, Qing dynasty 18
1.2 Pujiazhuang and its vicinity, Zichuan County 20
Figures
1.1 The Zichuan countryside just outside of Pujiazhuang 16
1.2 A fragment from Pu Songling’s copies of Six Dynasties prose, CL Ryōsai 2804 29
1.3 Pu Songling’s notes on his mother’s illness, in a manuscript of Six Dynasties prose, CL Ryōsai 2801 31
1.4 Pu Songling’s copy of his own poems, dated by year, CL Ryōsai 0301 34
1.5 Entry for “Songling” in Pu Songling’s genealogy of the Pu lineage, CL Ryōsai 2601 38
1.6 Framed envelope and letter from Pu Yingchun to Hirai Masao 52
2.1 Pu Songling’s gravesite among the Pu lineage graves 57
2.2 Colophon at the end of a forged manuscript of a popular song, CL Ryōsai 0522-20 62
2.3 Illustrated folio from a manuscript on catching locusts, attributed to Pu Songling, CL Ryōsai 2408 63
2.4 Excerpt from an encyclopedia for daily use, and a dubious couplet attributed to Pu Songling, CL Ryōsai 0522-15 64
2.5 A slip of paper with a scribe’s count of characters and pages copied, CL Ryōsai 1133 69
2.6 A set of four manuscripts copied by Wang Fengzhi for Hirai Masao, CL Ryōsai 1132 72
2.7 Title page, 1785 Yuwentang reprint of Wang Jinfan’s 1767 edition of Liaozhai zhiyi, CL Ryōsai 1153 74
2.8 Fragmented folios and binding holes in a manuscript of Pu Songling’s Riyong suzi, CL Ryōsai 2507 76
2.9 Poems lined with marks of emphasis in a notebook, CL Ryōsai 0104 77
2.10 Hand-copied text next to a printed folio of a model essay on the Four Books, CL Ryōsai 7007-11 79
2.11 Red bookmarks in a manuscript of Pu Songling’s poems, CL Ryōsai 0303 81
2.12 Epithets attributed to Pu Songling in a notebook, CL Ryōsai 0109 83
2.13 The ballad Xuejiu chao in a manuscript from the home of Pu Yingyi, CL Ryōsai 0611 86
2.14 Manuscript of Liaozhai xiansheng xici (the play Naoguan), with red stamps, CL Ryōsai 0709 88
2.15 Yaohui tu, with punctuation and the names of medicines marked in red, CL Ryōsai 0745 90
2.16 A list of medicinal ingredients preceding the play Yaoxing bangzi qiang, CL Ryōsai 0748 91
2.17 The drum ballad Hentian ci follows a section of regulated verse in a notebook, CL Ryōsai 0104 93
3.1 Original covers of two notebooks with the names of their compilers, CL Ryōsai 0104 and 0108 98
3.2 A memorial on famine, followed by a prayer for rain, in a notebook, CL Ryōsai 0109 99
3.3 The name of a local poet appears below a poem, CL Ryōsai 0507 101
3.4 A classical essay followed by commentary, CL Ryōsai 0507 106
3.5 Riddles and other games with words, CL Ryōsai 0507 110
3.6 Riddles followed by the drum ballad Wentian gu’er ci, CL Ryōsai 0507 114
3.7 Two texts on the God of Poverty, CL Ryōsai 0507 122
3.8 A song sequence on the months of the year, CL Ryōsai 0507 130
4.1 Opening scene of the ballad Hansen qu, CL Ryōsai 0720 141
4.2 The first chapter of Hansen qu, signed by the copyist Pu Guozheng, CL Ryōsai 0720 144
4.3 Corrections in a manuscript of the ballad Cibei qu, CL Ryōsai 0715 146
4.4 Title page with Wang Fengzhi’s seals in his manuscript of Hansen qu, CL Ryōsai 0719 148
4.5 Fragmented folios from a manuscript of the play Rang du zhou, CL Ryōsai 0727 149
4.6 Repetition marks and circular stamps in a manuscript of the ballad Penglai yan, CL Ryōsai 0215-2 150
4.7 The copyist’s note at the end of a manuscript of the ballad Cibei qu, CL Ryōsai 0715 151
4.8 A section marked “not for singing” in Cibei qu, CL Ryōsai 0715 152
4.9 Cited passage from the play Qiangtou ji with nonstandard characters, CL Ryōsai 0712 158
4.10 Cited passage from the ballad Jun yecha, in a manuscript copied by Pu Tinghuai, CL Ryōsai 0505 162
5.1 The classical tale “Zhang Hongjian” in a manuscript of selections from Liaozhai zhiyi, CL Ryōsai 1131 175
5.2 Cited passage from the prologue to the ballad Fugui shenxian, CL Ryōsai 0732 181
6.1 Beginning folios of a book of verses on filial piety (Quanxiao lu) printed in Zichuan, CL Ryōsai 7005 202
6.2 Cover of Zhuangnong zazi imprint, CL Ryōsai 7015 204
6.3 Beginning lines of Zhuangnong zazi imprint, CL Ryōsai 7015 204
6.4 “Small” imprint of Riyong suzi, with printed and handwritten pronunciation guides, CL Ryōsai 2503 206
6.5 “Large” imprint of Riyong suzi, CL Ryōsai 2504 207
6.6 Hand-drawn cover made after an imprint of Riyong suzi, CL Ryōsai 2502 209
6.7 Original cover of a manuscript from the Hesheng tobacco shop of Zichuan, CL Ryōsai 2506 211
6.8 Pronunciation guides next to lines copied from Zhuangnong zazi, CL Ryōsai 2506 213
6.9 Signature with seal, and beginning of the chapter on “The body” in an early Riyong suzi manuscript, CL Ryōsai 2508 214
6.10 The author’s preface in “small” imprint of Riyong suzi, CL Ryōsai 2503 217
6.11 Cited line on “the boar” in “large” imprint of Riyong suzi, CL Ryōsai 2504 223
6.12 Lines from the first chapter on “The body,” Riyong suzi, with glosses in the top margins, CL Ryōsai 2508 226
6.13 Lines from the chapters “Birds and fowls” and “Scaly creatures,” CL Ryōsai 2508 237