揚州督同將軍梁公，解組鄉居，日攜棋酒，游林丘間。會九日登高與客弈，忽有一人來，逡巡局側，耽玩不去。視之，目面寒儉，懸鶉結焉，然意態溫雅，有文士風。公禮之，乃坐。亦殊撝謙。分指棋謂曰：「先生當必善此，何不與客對壘？」其人遜謝移時，始即局。局終而負，神情懊熱，若不自己。又著又負，益憤慚。酌之以酒，亦不飲，惟曳客弈。自晨至于日昃，不遑溲溺。方以一子爭路，兩互喋聒，忽書生離席悚立，神色慘阻。少間，屈膝向公座，敗顙乞救，公駭疑，起扶之曰：「戲耳，何至是？」書生曰：「乞囑付圉人，勿縛小生頸。」公又異之，問：「圉人誰？」曰：「馬成。」
扬州督同将军梁公，解组乡居，日携棋酒，游林丘间。会九日登高与客弈，忽有一人来，逡巡局侧，耽玩不去。视之，目面寒俭，悬鹑结焉，然意态温雅，有文士风。公礼之，乃坐。亦殊㧑谦。分指棋谓曰：「先生当必善此，何不与客对垒？」其人逊谢移时，始即局。局终而负，神情懊热，若不自己。又着又负，益愤惭。酌之以酒，亦不饮，惟曳客弈。自晨至于日昃，不遑溲溺。方以一子争路，两互喋聒，忽书生离席悚立，神色惨阻。少间，屈膝向公座，败颡乞救，公骇疑，起扶之曰：「戏耳，何至是？」书生曰：「乞嘱付圉人，勿缚小生颈。」公又异之，问：「圉人谁？」曰：「马成。」
General Liang, deputy commander at Yangzhou, gave up his post and lived at home in the country. Every day he took his go board and his wine and wandered among the woods and hills. On the Double Ninth he climbed to a high place and sat down to play go with a guest. Suddenly a man came up and hovered by the board, so absorbed in the game that he would not leave. Liang looked at him: his face was pinched and poor, his clothes hung in knotted rags, yet his manner was gentle and refined, with the air of a scholar. Liang treated him with courtesy, and he sat down, very modest in his ways. Liang pointed to the board and said, “You, sir, must surely be good at this. Why not take on my guest?” The man declined for some while before he took his place. When the game ended he had lost. He flushed with vexation, as if he could not master himself. He played again and lost again, and grew angrier and more ashamed. Liang poured him wine, but he would not drink; he only kept pulling the guest back to play. From morning until the sun was slanting west he could not spare the time even to relieve himself. They were fighting over the path of a single stone, both squabbling at once, when the scholar suddenly left his seat and stood up in terror, his face stricken and ashen. A moment later he went down on his knees toward Liang’s seat and knocked his head on the ground till his forehead was broken, begging to be saved. Liang, startled and puzzled, rose and helped him up. “It is only a game,” he said. “Why come to this?” “I beg you,” said the scholar, “tell your groom not to bind my neck.” Liang thought this stranger still. “Who is the groom?” he asked. “Ma Cheng.”