王子安，東昌名士，困於場屋。入闈後，期望甚切。近放榜時，痛飲大醉，歸臥內室。忽有人白：「報馬來。」王踉蹌起曰：「賞錢十千！」家人因其醉，誑而安之曰：「但請睡，已賞矣。」王乃眠。俄又有入者曰：「汝中進士矣！」王自言：「尚未赴都，何得及第？」其人曰：「汝忘之耶？三場畢矣。」王大喜，起而呼曰：「賞錢十千！」家人又誑之如前。又移時，一人急入曰「汝殿試翰林，長班在此。」果見二人拜床下，衣冠修潔。王呼賜酒食，家人又紿之，暗笑其醉而已。久之，王自念不可不出耀鄉里。大呼長班，凡數十呼，無應者。家人笑曰：「暫臥候，尋他去。」又久之，長班果復來。王搥床頓足，大罵：「鈍奴焉往！」長班怒曰：「措大無賴！向與爾戲耳，而真罵耶？」王怒，驟起撲之，落其帽。王亦傾跌。妻入，扶之曰：「何醉至此！」王曰：「長班可惡，我故懲之，何醉也？」妻笑曰：「家中止有一媼，晝為汝炊，夜為汝溫足耳。何處長班，伺汝窮骨？」子女皆笑。王醉亦稍解，忽如夢醒，始知前此之妄。然猶記長班帽落；尋至門後，得一纓帽如盞大，共疑之。自笑曰：「昔人為鬼揶揄，吾今為狐奚落矣。」
王子安是東昌有名的讀書人，卻屢次在科舉考試中失意。這次進考場應試後，他對中榜抱著很大的希望。快到放榜的時候，他喝得酩酊大醉，回家躺在內室。忽然有人稟報：「報喜的馬來了。」王子安搖搖晃晃地起來，說：「賞錢一萬！」家人見他醉了，就哄他說：「只管睡吧，已經賞過了。」王子安這才睡下。不久，又有人進來說：「你考中進士了！」王子安自言自語地說：「我還沒到京城去，怎麼就考中了？」那人說：「你忘了嗎？三場考試都考完了。」王子安大喜，起身喊道：「賞錢一萬！」家人又照先前那樣哄他。又過了一會兒，一個人急忙進來說：「你經過殿試，入了翰林，長班已經來了。」果然看見兩個人在床前下拜，衣服帽子都整齊潔淨。王子安叫人給他們酒飯，家人又哄了他，心裡只笑他喝醉了。過了許久，王子安心想，不能不出去向鄉里人炫耀一下。他大聲喊長班，一連喊了幾十聲，也沒有人答應。家人笑著說：「先躺著等一等，我們找他們去。」又過了許久，長班果然回來了。王子安捶著床，跺著腳，大罵：「蠢奴才，到哪裡去了！」長班生氣地說：「你這窮酸，真不講理！剛才不過跟你開個玩笑，你倒真的罵起人來了？」王子安大怒，猛地起身撲過去，打落了他的帽子，自己也摔倒了。妻子進來扶他，說：「怎麼醉成這個樣子！」王子安說：「長班可恨，我特意教訓他，哪裡是喝醉了？」妻子笑著說：「家裡只有我這個老婆子，白天給你做飯，晚上給你暖腳。哪裡來的長班，伺候你這窮骨頭？」兒女們都笑了起來。王子安的酒也稍稍醒了，忽然像從夢中醒來，這才知道先前都是虛妄的事。可他還記得長班的帽子被打落了，找到門後，發現一頂帶纓的帽子，只有酒杯那麼大，大家都覺得奇怪。他自嘲地笑著說：「古人被鬼嘲弄，如今我被狐狸奚落了。」
王子安，东昌名士，困于场屋。入闱后，期望甚切。近放榜时，痛饮大醉，归卧内室。忽有人白：「报马来。」王踉跄起曰：「赏钱十千！」家人因其醉，诳而安之曰：「但请睡，已赏矣。」王乃眠。俄又有入者曰：「汝中进士矣！」王自言：「尚未赴都，何得及第？」其人曰：「汝忘之耶？三场毕矣。」王大喜，起而呼曰：「赏钱十千！」家人又诳之如前。又移时，一人急入曰「汝殿试翰林，长班在此。」果见二人拜床下，衣冠修洁。王呼赐酒食，家人又绐之，暗笑其醉而已。久之，王自念不可不出耀乡里。大呼长班，凡数十呼，无应者。家人笑曰：「暂卧候，寻他去。」又久之，长班果复来。王搥床顿足，大骂：「钝奴焉往！」长班怒曰：「措大无赖！向与尔戏耳，而真骂耶？」王怒，骤起扑之，落其帽。王亦倾跌。妻入，扶之曰：「何醉至此！」王曰：「长班可恶，我故惩之，何醉也？」妻笑曰：「家中止有一媪，昼为汝炊，夜为汝温足耳。何处长班，伺汝穷骨？」子女皆笑。王醉亦稍解，忽如梦醒，始知前此之妄。然犹记长班帽落；寻至门后，得一缨帽如盏大，共疑之。自笑曰：「昔人为鬼揶揄，吾今为狐奚落矣。」
王子安是东昌有名的读书人，却屡次在科举考试中失意。这次进考场应试后，他对中榜抱着很大的希望。快到放榜的时候，他喝得酩酊大醉，回家躺在内室。忽然有人禀报：“报喜的马来了。”王子安摇摇晃晃地起来，说：“赏钱一万！”家人见他醉了，就哄他说：“只管睡吧，已经赏过了。”王子安这才睡下。不久，又有人进来说：“你考中进士了！”王子安自言自语地说：“我还没到京城去，怎么就考中了？”那人说：“你忘了吗？三场考试都考完了。”王子安大喜，起身喊道：“赏钱一万！”家人又照先前那样哄他。又过了一会儿，一个人急忙进来说：“你经过殿试，入了翰林，长班已经来了。”果然看见两个人在床前下拜，衣服帽子都整齐洁净。王子安叫人给他们酒饭，家人又哄了他，心里只笑他喝醉了。过了许久，王子安心想，不能不出去向乡里人炫耀一下。他大声喊长班，一连喊了几十声，也没有人答应。家人笑着说：“先躺着等一等，我们找他们去。”又过了许久，长班果然回来了。王子安捶着床，跺着脚，大骂：“蠢奴才，到哪里去了！”长班生气地说：“你这穷酸，真不讲理！刚才不过跟你开个玩笑，你倒真的骂起人来了？”王子安大怒，猛地起身扑过去，打落了他的帽子，自己也摔倒了。妻子进来扶他，说：“怎么醉成这个样子！”王子安说：“长班可恨，我特意教训他，哪里是喝醉了？”妻子笑着说：“家里只有我这个老婆子，白天给你做饭，晚上给你暖脚。哪里来的长班，伺候你这穷骨头？”儿女们都笑了起来。王子安的酒也稍稍醒了，忽然像从梦中醒来，这才知道先前都是虚妄的事。可他还记得长班的帽子被打落了，找到门后，发现一顶带缨的帽子，只有酒杯那么大，大家都觉得奇怪。他自嘲地笑着说：“古人被鬼嘲弄，如今我被狐狸奚落了。”
Wang Zi’an, a scholar of some name in Dongchang, kept failing in the examination halls. After sitting the provincial examination he had very high hopes. When the list of passes was about to be posted, he drank himself blind drunk and went home to lie down in his bedroom. Suddenly someone announced, “The heralds have come with the news!” Wang staggered up. “Give them ten thousand cash!” he said. Seeing he was drunk, his household humoured him with a lie: “Just go to sleep. They’ve been paid.” So Wang slept. In a moment someone else came in and said, “You have passed as a jinshi!” Wang said to himself, “I haven’t even gone to the capital yet. How can I have passed?” “Have you forgotten?” said the man. “All three sessions are over.” Wang was overjoyed. He got up and shouted, “Give them ten thousand cash!” Again the household lied to him as before. After a while a man hurried in. “At the palace examination you were made a member of the Hanlin Academy. Your footmen are here.” And sure enough Wang saw two men bowing at the foot of his bed, neatly dressed and capped. He called for wine and food to be given them. Again the household fooled him, laughing to themselves at how drunk he was. After a long while Wang thought he really must go out and show himself off to the neighbours. He shouted for his footmen, dozens of times, but no one answered. “Lie down and wait a bit,” said the household, laughing. “We’ll go and find them.” After another long while the footmen did come back. Wang pounded the bed and stamped his feet. “Where did you go, you dolts?” he roared. The footman was angry. “You shabby, worthless scholar! We were only playing with you, and you curse us in earnest?” Wang flew into a rage, leapt up and lunged at him, and knocked off his hat. Wang fell over too. His wife came in and helped him up. “How did you get so drunk?” she said. “The footman was insolent,” said Wang, “so I was teaching him a lesson. What’s drunk about that?” His wife laughed. “There is only one old woman in this house, to cook for you by day and warm your feet at night. Where would footmen come from, to wait on your beggarly bones?” The children all laughed. Wang was sobering up a little; suddenly it was as if he had woken from a dream, and he knew at last that it had all been delusion. Still, he remembered knocking off the footman’s hat. They searched behind the door and found a tasselled official’s hat no bigger than a wine cup. Everyone was puzzled. Wang laughed at himself. “Men of old were mocked by ghosts. Now I’ve been made a fool of by a fox.”