According to the general rule of the evolution of the stories of the Eight Immortals, the corresponding stories usually appeared when the Nei Dan Dao collected the Eight Immortals, and the stereotype of the image of the Eight Immortals was also connected with certain stories. However, so far, we have not seen any related stories in the literature of the Song and Jin dynasties. It was not until the Yuan and Ming dynasties that the story of Cao Guoyu, created by the Inner Tao, surfaced on the surface of history.
The first recorded story of Cao Guoyu of the Inner Dan Dao appeared in Miao Shanshi's "Pure Yang Emperor's Divine Harmonization and Miaotong Ji" in the Yuan Dynasty. Miao Shan Shi in the "pure Yang emperor Shenhua Miao Tong Ji" in the preface, pointed out that: "servants do not speculate on the well view of the pipe, in the collection of the scriptures, the Tang and Song histories, offering to collect the actual traces, cut off the flashy, performance of one hundred and twenty into one hundred and twenty, analyzed into one hundred and twenty." According to this can be seen, which "degree Cao Guoyu 10th" when appeared in the Song Dynasty. The story roughly cloud:
Cao Guoyu this biography, Prime Minister Cao Bin's son, the brother of Empress Cao. The beauty of the blue hair, beautiful and agile, nature and peace of mind, natural talent and pure goodness, do not like the rich and powerful, cool adoration of emptiness. At the age of twelve or thirteen, the three religions and scriptures, at a glance proficient. Since childhood, in and out of the forbidden, on the consort and all love and respect. On every language with, but said quiet and natural, no governance. On the very happy, tasted tin clothes yellow robe red stripes, but bowed to thank only. One day after the resignation and, on the question: "Why go?" Said: "Taoist people's faith in the ten directions, with the heart of the four seas."
Superior and blocked several times, give saddle horse people from, are not. On the give a gold medal, engraved cloud: "State uncle everywhere, such as I personally line." So three or five days suddenly do not know where to go, but hold a strainer to spend the day. Suddenly to the Yellow River ferry, the boatman asked for money, said: "I do not have money." The boatman scolded him and drove him off the boat. He then took out a gold medal from his coat and asked the boatman to pay for the ferry. People in the boat saw the words, all hail, the boatman was afraid. There is a basket of wisps of Taoist sitting in the boat, shouting: "You have become a monk, how to rely on the power to scare and bully people?"
Cao bowed and bowed and said: "I dare to rely on the power?" "Can you abandon in the water?" Cao with the voice of the gold medal thrown to the deep current, all the people are shocked to worship. The Taoist called Cao to the shore, "Come with me." Cao promise, so with the Taoist on the shore, walking a few miles, in a large tree under the rest. The Taoist asked Cao, "Have you ever known Dongbin? Cao said: "I'm just a disciple, how do I know the immortal?" The Taoist sighed and said, "I am also. Special to degree you." Cao bowed again, and then went with him, and taught him the wonderful secrets of the Dao, and cultivated the immortal fruit. There is also a collection of immortal writings that have been passed down to the world.
Expanded:
Cao Guoyu is one of the Eight Immortals in Chinese folklore. He appeared the latest, having been adopted as a disciple of Lu Dongbin by the Nei Dan Dao in the Song Dynasty, but stories about him appeared in records as late as the Yuan and Ming dynasties. About Cao Guoyu, Ye Ci's, Pu Jiangqing, Zhao Jingshen, Zhou Xiaowei, Bai Huawen, Li Dingxia and others have successively sketched out, Ban Youshu in examining the origin of Huangmei Opera's "Tale of Selling Flowers," made a compendium of the story of Cao Guoyu's public case with a unique perspective, which is rumored to have been included in the Eight Immortals on Stalagmite Mountain during the Gathering of Immortals in the Northern Song Dynasty, at Tieqiao Li's invitation.
The reading of the book: Qing Gong Meng Ren volume, pointed out that "Cao Guoyu, the prime minister Binzi empress brother, encountered the pure Yang and Taoism.
"New record": cited "Xuzhou Prefecture," "Song Cao Guoyu, Shao Sheng four years (1097) Cicada metamorphosis in the county southeast of the fifty miles of the Yuxu Guan, renamed Teng Yun Temple."
"Jishu huizhen": cited "Jiangnan Tongzhi Xuzhou" "immortal interpretation" article also recorded this content.
Shantang Ruikao: Volume 18, "Misty Pig Mountain" is more specific: "Misty Pig Mountain, below the southeast of Xiaoxian County in Xuzhou, there are misty pig springs, hence the name. Cao Guoyu of the Song Dynasty hid this mountain, because of the cicada bone here."
"Shantang Ruikao": Volume 150, however, puts forward another claim to immortality: "Dongbin degree Zhang Guolao degree He Xiangu, Guolao and degree Cao Guoyu."
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