謝遷之變，宦第皆為賊窟。王學使七襄之宅，盜聚尤眾。城破兵入，掃蕩群丑，尸填墀，血至充門而流。公入城，扛尸滌血而居。往往白晝見鬼；夜則床下磷飛，牆角鬼哭。一日，王生皞迪寄宿公家，聞床底小聲連呼：「皞迪！皞迪！」已而聲漸大，曰：「我死得苦！」因哭，滿庭皆哭。公聞，仗劍而入，大言曰：「汝不識我王學院耶？」但聞百聲嗤嗤，笑之以鼻。公於是設水陸道場，命釋道懺度之。夜拋鬼飯，則見燐火熒熒，隨地皆出。先是閽人王姓者，疾篤，昏不知人者數日矣。日夕，忽欠伸若醒。婦以食進。王曰：「適主人不知何事，施飯於庭，我亦隨眾啗噉。食已方歸，故不飢耳。」由此鬼怪遂絕。豈鈸鐃鐘鼓，燄口瑜伽，果有益耶？
謝遷作亂的時候，官宦人家的宅院都成了賊窩。王學使七襄的宅院裡，聚集的賊人尤其多。城被攻破，官兵進城，掃蕩了這群賊人，屍體堆滿庭院，鮮血積到門口，向外流去。王公進城後，讓人搬走屍體，洗淨血跡，便住了進去。宅裡常常在大白天就能看見鬼；到了夜裡，床下有磷火飛動，牆角有鬼哭泣。一天，書生王皞迪在王公家借宿，聽見床底下有個細小的聲音接連呼喊：「皞迪！皞迪！」隨後聲音漸漸大起來，說：「我死得好苦！」說著就哭了起來，滿院的鬼也都跟著哭。王公聽見，提著劍走進來，大聲說：「你們不認識我王學院嗎？」只聽見許多聲音嗤嗤地笑，都從鼻子裡發出冷笑來嘲弄他。王公於是設下水陸道場，請和尚、道士做懺悔超度的法事。夜裡向地上撒放給鬼吃的飯食，只見磷火閃閃，各處地面都有磷火冒出來。在這以前，有個姓王的看門人病得很重，已經昏迷了好幾天，認不得人。那天傍晚，他忽然打著哈欠，伸了伸懶腰，像是醒了過來。妻子給他端來飯食。他說：「剛才主人不知為了什麼，在院裡施捨飯食，我也跟著大家吃了。吃完才回來，所以不餓。」從此，宅裡的鬼怪就再也沒有出現。難道鈸、鐃、鍾、鼓，以及施放焰口的瑜伽法事，果真有用嗎？
谢迁之变，宦第皆为贼窟。王学使七襄之宅，盗聚尤众。城破兵入，扫荡群丑，尸填墀，血至充门而流。公入城，扛尸涤血而居。往往白昼见鬼；夜则床下磷飞，墙角鬼哭。一日，王生皞迪寄宿公家，闻床底小声连呼：「皞迪！皞迪！」已而声渐大，曰：「我死得苦！」因哭，满庭皆哭。公闻，仗剑而入，大言曰：「汝不识我王学院耶？」但闻百声嗤嗤，笑之以鼻。公于是设水陆道场，命释道忏度之。夜抛鬼饭，则见燐火荧荧，随地皆出。先是阍人王姓者，疾笃，昏不知人者数日矣。日夕，忽欠伸若醒。妇以食进。王曰：「适主人不知何事，施饭于庭，我亦随众啗噉。食已方归，故不饥耳。」由此鬼怪遂绝。岂钹铙钟鼓，燄口瑜伽，果有益耶？
谢迁作乱的时候，官宦人家的宅院都成了贼窝。王学使七襄的宅院里，聚集的贼人尤其多。城被攻破，官兵进城，扫荡了这群贼人，尸体堆满庭院，鲜血积到门口，向外流去。王公进城后，让人搬走尸体，洗净血迹，便住了进去。宅里常常在大白天就能看见鬼；到了夜里，床下有磷火飞动，墙角有鬼哭泣。一天，书生王皞迪在王公家借宿，听见床底下有个细小的声音接连呼喊：“皞迪！皞迪！”随后声音渐渐大起来，说：“我死得好苦！”说着就哭了起来，满院的鬼也都跟着哭。王公听见，提着剑走进来，大声说：“你们不认识我王学院吗？”只听见许多声音嗤嗤地笑，都从鼻子里发出冷笑来嘲弄他。王公于是设下水陆道场，请和尚、道士做忏悔超度的法事。夜里向地上撒放给鬼吃的饭食，只见磷火闪闪，各处地面都有磷火冒出来。在这以前，有个姓王的看门人病得很重，已经昏迷了好几天，认不得人。那天傍晚，他忽然打着哈欠，伸了伸懒腰，像是醒了过来。妻子给他端来饭食。他说：“刚才主人不知为了什么，在院里施舍饭食，我也跟着大家吃了。吃完才回来，所以不饿。”从此，宅里的鬼怪就再也没有出现。难道钹、铙、钟、鼓，以及施放焰口的瑜伽法事，果真有用吗？
After Xie Qian’s rising, the mansions of officials all became bandits’ dens, and the house of Wang Qixiang, the education commissioner, held more of them than any. When the city fell and the troops came in, they swept out the whole vile crew; corpses filled the steps, and the blood rose to the gateway and ran out through it. Lord Wang entered the city, had the bodies carried off and the blood scrubbed away, and settled in. Ghosts were often seen there in broad daylight; at night ghost fires flitted under the beds and ghosts wept in the corners of the walls. One day a scholar named Wang Haodi was staying the night in Lord Wang’s house. He heard a small voice under the bed calling again and again, “Haodi! Haodi!” Then the voice grew louder: “I died hard!” It began to weep, and the whole courtyard wept with it. Lord Wang heard, came in with a sword in his hand, and shouted, “Don’t you know who I am? I am Commissioner Wang!” All he heard was a hundred voices sniggering, snorting at him through their noses. So Lord Wang set up a Water and Land Mass and had Buddhist monks and Daoist priests chant rites of penance to deliver them. At night food was thrown out for the ghosts, and ghost fires were seen glimmering, coming up out of the ground everywhere. Some time before this, the gatekeeper, a man surnamed Wang, had fallen gravely ill and had lain senseless for several days. That evening he suddenly yawned and stretched as if waking. His wife brought him food. “Just now the master was giving out food in the courtyard, I don’t know what for,” he said, “and I went along with the crowd and ate. I’ve only just got back from eating, so I’m not hungry.” From then on the ghosts were gone. Can it be that cymbals and bells and drums, and the yoga of the Flaming Mouth, really do some good?
異史氏曰：「邪怪之物，惟德可以已之。當陷城之時，王公勢正烜赫，聞聲者皆股栗；而鬼且揶揄之。想鬼物逆知其不令終耶？普告天下大人先生：出人面猶不可以嚇鬼，願無出鬼面以嚇人也！」
異史氏說：「邪惡怪異的東西，只有德行才能使它們停止作祟。城被攻破的時候，王公的權勢正盛，聽見他名聲的人無不兩腿發抖，鬼卻還在嘲弄他。想來是鬼預先知道他不會有好下場吧？我要告訴天下的達官貴人：擺出人的面孔尚且不能嚇住鬼，但願你們不要擺出鬼的面孔來嚇唬人！」
异史氏曰：「邪怪之物，惟德可以已之。当陷城之时，王公势正烜赫，闻声者皆股栗；而鬼且揶揄之。想鬼物逆知其不令终耶？普告天下大人先生：出人面犹不可以吓鬼，愿无出鬼面以吓人也！」
异史氏说：“邪恶怪异的东西，只有德行才能使它们停止作祟。城被攻破的时候，王公的权势正盛，听见他名声的人无不两腿发抖，鬼却还在嘲弄他。想来是鬼预先知道他不会有好下场吧？我要告诉天下的达官贵人：摆出人的面孔尚且不能吓住鬼，但愿你们不要摆出鬼的面孔来吓唬人！”
The Historian of the Strange says: Evil and uncanny things can be stopped by virtue alone. When the city fell, Lord Wang’s power was at its height, and people trembled at the knees at the very sound of him; yet the ghosts jeered at him. Did the ghosts know beforehand, perhaps, that he would not come to a good end? I say to all the great men and fine gentlemen under heaven: if not even a human face can frighten ghosts, I pray you, do not put on a ghost’s face to frighten people!