Wei wuzi, a high minister of the state of Jin ordered his son Wei Ke: after he died, let the concubine who had not borne a son marry someone else, instead of burying her alive with him, which was the custom of that time.
When he was in the height of his illness, he ordered his son again to bury her alive with him when he died.
After his father died, Wei Ke let the concubine to marry other people, and explained to others, "When people are seriously ill, they are not clear-minded. I did what my father told me to do when he was still sober."
Once in a battle, and old man made knots with grass on the battlefield to trip down the general of the state of Qin, Du Hui, who was chasing Wei ke. During the night, Wei Ke had a dream, and in his dream an old man said to him, "I am the father of the concubine that you saved by letting her to marry again. I made knots to trip down Du Hui because I wanted to reciprocate1 your kindness of saving my daughter."
晋国大臣魏武子病中吩咐儿子魏颗,自己死后把没有生过儿子的那个宠妾嫁出去,而不要按惯例将她殉葬。
病重时魏武子又命儿子务必要将这个女人同自己一起埋掉。
父亲死后,魏颗就将这个女人嫁了出去,并对人解释说人:“人到病重时,头脑往往不清醒。我执行的是父亲清醒时的指示。”
一次战斗中,一位老人在战场上将地上的草打上结,绊倒了追赶魏颗的秦将杜回。救了魏颗一命。夜里魏颗梦见老人对自己说:“我是你嫁出去的那个女人的父亲,结草绊倒杜回,是为了报答你对我女儿的救民之恩。”
|