An anecdote about pomegranates
- Rachelle
- Sep 15
- 1 min read
都堂左揆閤前有榴，每著實，檜嘿數焉。忽亡其二，不之問。一日，將排馬，忽顧謂左右取斧伐樹。有親吏在旁，倉卒對曰：“實甚佳，去之可惜。”檜反顧曰：“汝盜吾榴。”吏叩頭服。
There was a pomegranate plant in front of the building of the Vice Director of the Left in the Executive Office. Every time it bore [a new] fruit, [Qin] Hui [1091-1155] added it to the count in his mind. Unexpectedly, two fruits went missing, [but he] did not ask about it. One day, [he] was about to line up [the Office’s] horses and suddenly asked his attendants to get an axe to fell the tree. A trusted officer by his side said in haste, “It has excellent fruits. It would be a pity to dispose of it.” [Qin] Hui turned around and said: “It was you who stole my pomegranates.” The officer kowtowed in submission.
* From Yue Ke 岳珂 (1183-1243), Ting shi 桯史 (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1981), 3.28.
Album leaf by Wu Bing 吳炳 (fl. 12th century)
Image credit: National Palace Museum, Taipei
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