A Sequel to the Yellow Millet Dream
A Sequel to the Yellow Millet Dream is a short story by Pu Songling, written around 1740 as part of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. It continues the idea of a dream showing how life can be out of reach from real deeds.
The tale centers on Zeng Xiaolian, a scholar at a Buddhist temple who is told by a geomancer that he will spend about twenty years quietly serving as prime minister. He takes the prediction as fact and, while staying at the monks’ quarters during a heavy rain, he boasts about the great cabinet he will lead.
That night he dreams the Emperor calls him to court. In the dream he becomes prime minister and uses his power to reward his friends and punish his enemies. He even forces a village family to sell a girl as a concubine. Officials grow angry at his actions. One scholar, Bao Shangshu, writes to the palace demanding his removal. At first the Emperor is doubtful, but after more complaints Zeng loses his position. His property is taken, even his concubine is taken away, and he flees with his wife.
While fleeing, he is captured by bandits and killed. He goes to Hell and suffers punishment. Then he is reborn as a beggar girl who endures a hard life and is sold as a concubine to the Gu family. Gu’s wife mistreats her, and when bandits kill Gu, Gu’s wife accuses the beggar girl. She is executed.
Zeng wakes up back at the monks’ quarters and realizes the dream was not real. A thoughtful old monk explains what the dream means and urges him to change. Zeng vows to abandon greed and pride and disappears into the mountains.
The story uses the dream of power and fame to warn against materialism and the craving for status. Pu Songling expands on earlier tales by adding more events to show how ambition can ruin a person’s life, and it emphasizes moral growth over chasing glory.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:08 (CET).