| | 是應: |
儒者論太平瑞應，皆言氣物卓異，朱草、醴泉、翔鳳、甘露、景星、嘉禾、萐脯、蓂莢、屈軼之屬；又言山出車，澤出舟，男女異路，市無二價，耕者讓畔，行者讓路，頒白不提挈，關梁不閉，道無虜掠，風不鳴條，雨不破塊，五日一風，十日一雨；其盛茂者，致黃龍、騏驎、鳳皇。 |
| | Confucian scholars discussing the omens of a peaceful and prosperous age all mention extraordinary phenomena, such as red grass (zhucao), sweet springs (likuan), soaring phoenixes (xiangfeng), sweet dew (ganlu), auspicious stars (jingxing), good grains (jiahe), firewood with meat-like flesh (shicha), calamus leaves (mingjie), and the bending plant that indicates direction (quyi). They also say that mountains produce chariots, marshes produce boats, men and women walk separate roads, the market has no double prices, plowmen yield to each other at field boundaries, pedestrians give way on paths, elderly people with white hair do not carry burdens themselves, frontier passes remain open, roads are free from banditry, winds do not break branches, rains do not damage soil clods, there is one wind every five days and one rain every ten days; The most flourishing among these phenomena are the appearance of yellow dragons (huanglong), qilin, and phoenixes (fenghuang).
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| | 是應: |
夫儒者之言，有溢美過實。瑞應之物，或有或無。夫言鳳皇、騏驎之屬，大瑞較然，不得增飾；其小瑞徵應，恐多非是。夫風氣雨露，本當和適，言其鳳翔甘露，風不鳴條，雨不破塊，可也；言其五日一風，十日一雨，襃之也。風雨雖適，不能五日十日正如其數。言男女不相干，市價不相欺，可也；言其異路，無二價，襃之也。太平之時，豈更為男女各作道哉？不更作道，一路而行，安得異乎？太平之時，無商人則可，如有，必求便利以為業，買物安肯不求賤？賣貨安肯不求貴？有求貴賤之心，必有二價之語。此皆有其事，而襃增過其實也。 |
| | What Confucian scholars say often contains excessive praise that exceeds the truth. Omens of prosperity may exist or not exist at all. Regarding phoenixes, qilin and the like, these are major omens that are clearly evident; they cannot be exaggerated or embellished. As for smaller auspicious signs and their supposed manifestations, many of them may likely not be genuine. Winds and rains should naturally be harmonious and moderate; to say that phoenixes soar, sweet dew falls, winds do not snap branches, or rains do not break up soil clods is acceptable. To describe them as occurring once every five days for wind and once every ten days for rain is a form of praise. Although winds and rains may be timely, they cannot occur precisely every five or ten days as described. To say that men and women do not interfere with each other and market prices are honest is acceptable; to describe them as walking separate roads or having no double pricing is a form of praise. In times of peace and prosperity, would they really build separate roads for men and women? If no special roads are built, people walk along the same road; how could there be any separation? In times of peace and prosperity, it may be possible to have no merchants; but if there are any, they must seek convenience for their trade. When buying goods, how could one possibly not seek the cheapest price? When selling goods, would anyone be willing to accept a low price? Where there is the desire for high or low prices, there must also be talk of double pricing. These are all real occurrences, but they have been exaggerated in praise beyond their actuality.
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| | 是應: |
若夫萐脯、蓂莢、屈軼之屬，殆無其物。何以驗之？說以實者，太平無有此物。 |
| | As for things like shicha (firewood with meat-like flesh), mingjie (calamus leaves), and quyi (the bending plant that indicates direction), they probably do not exist at all. How can this be verified? If we judge by reality, there are no such things in times of peace.
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| | 是應: |
儒者言萐脯生於庖廚者，言廚中自生肉脯，薄如萐形，搖鼓生風，寒涼食物，使之不臭。 |
| | Confucian scholars who say that shicha grows in kitchens are referring to the idea that meat jerky is produced naturally within the kitchen, thin and shaped like firewood with a meat-like flesh. It sways and generates wind, cooling food and preventing it from becoming smelly.
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| | 是應: |
夫太平之氣雖和，不能使廚生肉萐，以為寒涼。若能如此，則能使五穀自生，不須人為之也。能使廚自生肉萐，何不使飯自蒸於甑，火自燃於竈乎？凡生萐者，欲以風吹食物也，何不使食物自不臭？何必生萐以風之乎？廚中能自生萐，則冰室何事而復伐冰以寒物乎？人夏月操萐，須手搖之，然後生風。從手握持，以當疾風，萐不鼓動。言萐脯自鼓，可也，須風乃鼓，不風不動。從手風來，自足以寒廚中之物，何須萐脯？世言燕太子丹使日再中，天雨粟，烏白頭，馬生角，廚門象生肉足。論之既虛，則萐脯之語，五應之類，恐無其實。 |
| | Although the atmosphere of peace may be harmonious, it cannot cause kitchens to produce meat-like firewood that cools food. If such a thing were possible, then it would also be possible for the five grains to grow by themselves without human effort. If kitchens could naturally produce meat-like firewood, why not also have rice automatically steamed in steamers and fires automatically burning on stoves? Anyone who claims that shicha is produced naturally does so to suggest it uses wind to cool food; why not instead claim the food itself never spoils? Why go through the trouble of producing meat-like firewood to generate cooling winds at all? If kitchens can naturally produce shicha, then what is the need for ice houses and the labor of cutting ice to cool things? In summer, when people hold shicha in their hands, they must shake it themselves before any wind is generated. Even if one holds and shakes it to create a strong breeze, the shicha does not move or vibrate on its own. To say that shicha moves by itself is acceptable; but it requires wind to do so, and without wind, it remains still. If the breeze from one's hand is sufficient to cool things in the kitchen, then why would shicha even be needed? The world says that Prince Dan of Yan caused the sun to appear twice in one day, rain fell as millet grains, crows turned white-headed, horses grew horns, and elephant feet with meat-like flesh appeared at the kitchen gate. Since these accounts are already unfounded, it is likely that stories about shicha and other similar phenomena also lack factual basis.
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| | 是應: |
儒者又言，古者蓂莢夾階而生，月朔日一莢生，至十五日而十五莢；於十六日，日一莢落，至月晦，莢盡。來月朔，一莢復生。王者南面視莢生落，則知日數多少，不須煩擾案日曆以知之也。 |
| | Confucian scholars also say that in ancient times, mingjie grew along the steps of palaces; one leaf would sprout on the first day of each lunar month, and by the fifteenth day, fifteen leaves would have grown. On the sixteenth day, one leaf fell per day; by the last day of the month, all the leaves had fallen. On the first day of the following month, a new leaf would sprout again. The ruler, sitting facing south and observing the growth and falling of these leaves, could thus know how many days had passed without needing to consult a calendar.
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| | 是應: |
夫天既能生莢以為日數，何不使莢有日名，王者視莢之字，則知今日名乎？徒知日數，不知日名，猶復案曆然後知之，是則王者視日，則更煩擾不省，蓂莢之生，安能為福？ |
| | If Heaven is capable of producing leaves to indicate the number of days, why not make these leaves also bear the names of the days? If the ruler could read the characters on the leaves, would he then know the name of that day? Knowing only the number of days but not their names still requires consulting a calendar to find out, which means that if the ruler must look at both the leaves and the calendar, it becomes even more troublesome. How then can the growth of mingjie be considered a blessing?
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| | 是應: |
夫蓂、草之實也，猶豆之有莢也，春夏未生，其生必於秋末。冬月隆寒，霜雪霣零，萬物皆枯，儒者敢謂蓂莢達冬獨不死乎？如與萬物俱生俱死，莢成而以秋末，是則季秋得察莢，春夏冬三時不得案也。且月十五日生十五莢，於十六日莢落，二十一日六莢落，落莢棄殞，不可得數，猶當計未落莢以知日數，是勞心苦意，非善祐也。 |
| | Mingjie is merely the pod of a plant, like beans that produce pods. It does not grow in spring or summer; if it grows at all, it must be toward the end of autumn. In winter, when cold is intense and frost and snow fall heavily, all things wither. Would Confucian scholars dare to claim that mingjie alone survives the winter unscathed? If mingjie grows and dies along with all other plants, then its pods would only form toward the end of autumn. This means that in late autumn one could observe them, but not during spring, summer, or winter. Moreover, if on the fifteenth day of a lunar month fifteen pods grow and one falls each day starting from the sixteenth, then by the twenty-first day six have already fallen. These fallen leaves are discarded or withered and cannot be counted; thus, one would still need to count only those that remain attached in order to determine the number of days passed. This is a laborious and burdensome process, not an auspicious blessing at all.
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| | 是應: |
使莢生於堂上，人君坐戶牖間，望察莢生，以知日數，匪謂善矣。今云「夾階而生」，生於堂下也。王者之堂，墨子稱堯、舜高三尺，儒家以為卑下。假使之然，高三尺之堂，蓂莢生於階下，王者欲視其莢，不能從戶牖之間見也，須臨堂察之，乃知莢數。夫起視堂下之莢，孰與懸曆日於扆坐，傍顧輒見之也？天之生瑞，欲以娛王者；須起察乃知日數，是生煩物以累之也。 |
| | Even if these pods grew in the hall and a ruler sat by the door or window to observe them for counting days, this would not be considered good. Now it is said that they "grew along the steps," meaning they grew beneath the hall. The halls of a ruler, according to Mozi, were said by Yao and Shun to be three chi high; Confucian scholars consider them low. Assuming this to be true, if the hall were only three chi high and mingjie grew beneath its steps, then a ruler wishing to observe these pods could not see them from within the doorway or window. He would have to personally go down to the hall to examine them in order to know how many leaves had grown. Which is more convenient: going down to look at the pods beneath the hall, or hanging a calendar on the back of his throne so that he can glance at it and immediately see the date? Heaven produces auspicious signs to please the ruler; yet if one must get up and inspect them in order to learn the number of days, it is as though Heaven has created a troublesome thing that burdens him.
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| | 是應: |
且莢、草也。王者之堂，旦夕所坐，古者雖質，宮室之中，草生輒耘，安得生莢而人得經月數之乎？且凡數日一二者，欲以紀識事也。古有史官典曆主日，王者何事而自數莢？堯候四時之中，命曦、和察四星以占時氣。四星至重，猶不躬視，而自察莢以數日也？ |
| | Moreover, jie are merely pods of plants. The halls of a ruler are places where he sits day and night. In ancient times, even though life was simple, within palace courtyards weeds were regularly weeded; how could such pods possibly grow there for people to count them over the course of an entire month? Furthermore, any phenomenon that counts days in twos and ones is intended as a means to record or mark events. In ancient times there were historians who managed calendars and kept track of dates; why would the ruler himself need to count leaves? Yao observed the middle of the four seasons, appointing Xi and He to observe four stars in order to determine seasonal changes. Even for such important matters as these four stars, Yao did not personally observe them; how then could he possibly inspect leaves to count days himself?
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| | 是應: |
儒者又言，太平之時，屈軼生於庭之末，若草之狀，主指佞人。佞人入朝，屈軼庭末以指之，聖王則知佞人所在。 |
| | Confucian scholars also claim that in times of peace, quyi grows at the edge of a courtyard, appearing like grass and pointing toward wicked people. When wicked officials enter court, quyi at the end of the courtyard points to them; thus a sage ruler knows where the villains are.
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| | 是應: |
夫天能故生此物以指佞人，不使聖王性自知之，或佞人本不生出，必復更生一物以指明之，何天之不憚煩也？聖王莫過堯、舜，堯、舜之治，最為平矣。即屈軼已自生於庭之末，佞人來，輒指知之，則舜何難於知佞人，而使皋陶陳知人之術？經曰：「知人則哲，惟帝難之。」人含五常，音氣交通，且猶不能相知。屈軼、草也，安能知佞？如儒者之言，是則太平之時，草木踰賢聖也。獄訟有是非，人情有曲直，何不并令屈軼指其非而不直者，必若心聽訟，三人斷獄乎？ |
| | If Heaven is capable of deliberately producing such a plant to point out villains, then it must not trust the sage ruler's innate ability to recognize them. Moreover, if wicked people did not exist in the first place, would Heaven still produce another object to indicate their presence? How could Heaven be so undeterred from trouble and complexity? No sage ruler surpassed Yao and Shun; the rule of Yao and Shun was most peaceful. If quyi had already grown at the edge of the courtyard and pointed out villains as they arrived, then why did Shun have difficulty in identifying wicked people that he needed to send Gao Yao to present methods for recognizing them? The Classic says: "To know people is wisdom; even the Son of Heaven finds it difficult." People possess the Five Constants, with voices and energies interconnecting, yet still cannot fully understand one another. Quyi is merely a plant; how could it possibly know who is wicked? If we accept the claims of Confucian scholars, then in times of peace and prosperity plants would surpass sages and virtuous people. In cases of lawsuits and disputes, there are always right and wrong; in human affairs, there is always justice or injustice. Why not also let quyi point out those who are clearly at fault and unjust? Is it necessary to rely solely on careful listening by judges and decisions made by three officials?
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| | 是應: |
故夫屈軼之草，或時無有而空言生，或時實有而虛言能指。假令能指，或時草性見人而動，吉者質朴，見草之動，則言能指；能指，則言指佞人。司南之杓，投之於地，其柢指南。魚肉之蟲，集地北行，夫蟲之性然也。今草能指，亦天性也。聖人因草能指，宣言曰：「庭末有屈軼，能指佞人。」百官臣子懷姦心者，則各變性易操，為忠正之行矣。猶今府廷畫皋陶、觟𧣾也。 |
| | Therefore, the so-called quyi plant is either nonexistent but claimed to exist, or it may actually exist but falsely said to be able to point out villains. Even if it could indeed indicate, perhaps the plant's nature is to move when people are near; a kind-hearted and simple person might see this movement and say that it can point out villains. If it appears to indicate, then they claim it points out villains. The spoon of the south-pointing compass (sinan), when placed on the ground, naturally points south with its handle. Insects from fish and meat gather toward the north; this is their natural tendency. Now, if a plant can point in a direction, it too would be due to its nature. A sage might observe that the plant has this directional ability and declare: "There is a quyi growing at the edge of the court, which can point out villains." Ministers and subjects who harbor treacherous intentions would then change their nature and behavior, acting with loyalty and integrity. This is similar to the practice today of painting Gao Yao or Huo Ju on court walls.
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| | 是應: |
儒者說云：觟𧣾者、一角之羊也，性知有罪。皋陶治獄，其罪疑者，令羊觸之。有罪則觸，無罪則不觸。斯蓋天生一角聖獸，助獄為驗，故皋陶敬羊，起坐事之。此則神奇瑞應之類也。 |
| | Confucian scholars say: "Huoju is a one-horned sheep that naturally knows who is guilty." When Gao Yao presided over court cases, if there was doubt about someone's guilt, he would let the huoyang sheep touch them. If guilty, it would butt; if innocent, it would not. This is supposedly a sacred one-horned beast born by Heaven to assist in verifying court cases; therefore, Gao Yao respected the sheep and treated it with reverence when sitting or standing. This is an example of a miraculous omen.
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| | 是應: |
曰：夫觟𧣾則復屈軼之語也。羊本二角，觟𧣾一角，體損於群，不及眾類，何以為奇？鱉三足曰能，龜三足曰賁。案能與賁不能神於四足之龜鱉，一角之羊何能聖於兩角之禽？狌狌知往，乾鵲知來，鸚鵲能言。天性能一，不能為二。或時觟𧣾之性徒能觸人，未必能知罪人。皋陶欲神事助政，惡受罪者之不厭服，因觟𧣾觸人則罪之，欲人畏之不犯，受罪之家，沒齒無怨言也。夫物性各自有所知，如以觟𧣾能觸謂之為神，則狌狌之徒，皆為神也。巫知吉凶，占人禍福，無不然者。如以觟𧣾謂之巫類，則巫何奇而以為善？斯皆人欲神事立化也。 |
| | It may be said: "The huoyang story repeats the tale of quyi." Sheep naturally have two horns; a one-horned huoyang is physically different from the herd and inferior to others. Why then should it be considered extraordinary? A three-legged turtle is called Neng, a three-legged tortoise is called Bin. Investigation shows that neither Neng nor Bin possess any greater supernatural power than four-legged turtles and tortoises; how then can a one-horned sheep be considered more sacred than two-horned animals? The shengsheng knows the past, the qianque knows the future, and the yingque can speak. A natural ability may be one thing but cannot encompass two. Perhaps the huoyang's nature is only to butt people, not necessarily to know who is guilty. Gao Yao wished to use a miraculous event to assist governance. Displeased with the fact that those receiving punishment were not satisfied or convinced, he declared anyone touched by huoyang guilty, hoping people would fear it and avoid wrongdoing so that those punished would never complain even until their last breath. Each creature has its own natural knowledge; if we call huoyang a divine being merely because it can butt, then shengsheng and others would also be considered divine. Witches who know good or ill fortune and predict people's calamities or blessings are no different in this regard. If we consider huoyang to be of the same category as witches, then what makes witches themselves extraordinary enough to be considered virtuous? These are all human desires to create miraculous events in order to establish transformation.
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| | 是應: |
師尚父為周司馬，將師伐紂，到孟津之上，杖鉞把旄，號其眾曰：「倉光！倉光！」者、水中之獸也，善覆人船。因神以化，欲令急渡，不急渡，倉光害汝，則復觟𧣾之類也。河中有此異物，時出浮揚，一身九頭，人畏惡之，未必覆人之舟也。尚父緣河有此異物，因以威眾。夫觟𧣾之觸罪人，猶倉光之覆舟也，蓋有虛名，無其實效也。人畏怪奇，故空褒增。 |
| | Shi Shangfu served as the military commander of the Zhou dynasty. Leading an army to attack King Zhou, he arrived at Mengjin and, holding a staff and halberd while carrying a banner, called out to his troops: "Cangguang!" "Cangguang!" Cangguang is a beast in water, skilled at capsizing people's boats. By invoking the supernatural to inspire transformation, he urged his men to cross quickly, warning that if they did not hurry, Cangguang would harm them. This is again of the same kind as huoyang. There may be such strange creatures in rivers, occasionally surfacing and floating about with one body and nine heads. People fear them, but they do not necessarily capsize boats. Shi Shangfu took advantage of the existence of this strange creature in the river and used it to intimidate his troops. The so-called ability of huoyang to indicate criminals is like the supposed power of Cangguang to capsize boats; both are names with no real effect. People fear strange and wondrous things, so they exaggerate praises without basis.
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| | 是應: |
又言太平之時有景星。《尚書中候》曰：「堯時景星見於軫。」 |
| | It is also said that in times of peace and prosperity there appears the auspicious star (jingxing). The "Shangshu Zhonghou" says: "During Yao's time, the auspicious star appeared in Zhen."
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| | 是應: |
夫景星、或時五星也。大者、歲星、太白也。彼或時歲星、太白行於軫度，古質不能推步五星，不知歲星、太白何如狀？見大星則謂景星矣。 |
| | An auspicious star is sometimes one of the five planets. lords The larger ones are Shuixing (Jupiter) and Taibai (Venus). At that time, Jupiter or Venus happened to be moving through the Zhen constellation. The ancients lacked the knowledge and methods to accurately calculate the movements of the five planets, so they did not know what form Jupiter or Venus would take. They saw a large star and called it an auspicious star.
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| | 是應: |
《詩》又言：「東有啟明，西有長庚。」亦或時復歲星、太白也。或時昏見於西，或時晨出於東，詩人不知，則名曰啟明、長庚矣。然則長庚與景星同，皆五星也。太平之時，日月精明。五星、日月之類也。太平更有景星，可復更有日月乎？詩人、俗人也；《中候》之時，質世也，俱不知星。王莽之時，太白經天，精如半月，使不知星者見之，則亦復名之曰景星。 |
| | The "Shijing" also says: "In the east is Qiming, in the west is Changgeng." These were also at times Jupiter or Venus. At some times it appeared in the west during dusk, and at other times emerged in the east at dawn. The poets did not understand this, so they named them Qiming and Changgeng. Therefore, Changgeng and jingxing are the same—both belong to the five planets. In times of peace and prosperity, the sun and moon shine brightly. The five planets are similar to the sun and moon. If in times of peace there is an additional auspicious star, could there also be additional suns and moons? Poets are ordinary people; The time of "Zhonghou" was an age of ignorance, and they also did not understand stars. During the time of Wang Mang, Venus passed across the sky and shone as bright as a half-moon. Those who did not understand astronomy would see it and also call it an auspicious star.
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| | 是應: |
《爾雅·釋四時章》曰：「春為發生，夏為長嬴，秋為收成，冬為安寧。四氣和為景星。」夫如《爾雅》之言，景星乃四時氣和之名也，恐非著天之大星。《爾雅》之書、五經之訓故，儒者所共觀察也，而不信從，更謂大星為景星，豈《爾雅》所言景星，與儒者之所說異哉？ |
| | The "Er Ya · Shi Sishi Zhang" says: "Spring is for sprouting and growth, summer is for flourishing and abundance, autumn is for harvest, and winter is for peace and tranquility." When the four qi harmonize, an auspicious star appears. According to "Er Ya," jingxing is merely the name for the harmony of the four seasons' qi, and it probably does not refer to a large star in the sky. The "Er Ya" is a book of interpretations and explanations of the Five Classics, commonly observed by Confucian scholars. If they do not believe in it but instead call a large star an auspicious one, does this mean that the jingxing mentioned in "Er Ya" differs from what Confucian scholars say?
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| | 是應: |
《爾雅》又言：「甘露時降，萬物以嘉，謂之醴泉。」醴泉乃謂甘露也。今儒者說之，謂泉從地中出，其味甘若醴，故曰醴泉。二說相遠，實未可知。案《爾雅·釋水泉章》：「一見一否曰瀸。檻泉正出。正出、涌出也。沃泉懸出。懸出、下出也。」是泉出之異，輒有異名。使太平之時，更有醴泉從地中出，當於此章中言之，何故反居《釋四時章》中，言甘露為醴泉乎？若此，儒者之言醴泉從地中出，又言甘露其味甚甜，未可然也。 |
| | The "Er Ya" also says: "When sweet dew falls at the right time, all things flourish and are blessed; this is called likuan (sweet spring)." Likuan refers to sweet dew. Now, Confucian scholars explain it as a spring emerging from the ground whose taste is sweet like liquor, hence called likuan. These two interpretations are quite different; the truth remains unknown. According to "Er Ya · Shi Shuiquan Zhang": "A spring that appears and disappears is called shan." "Jianquan flows straight out." Zhengchu means to gush forth. Woquan flows down like a waterfall. "Xuchu means flowing downward." Thus, different ways of spring emergence are given distinct names. If in times of peace, there were an additional likuan emerging from the earth, it should have been mentioned in this chapter. Why is it instead placed in "Shi Sishi Zhang," where sweet dew is called likuan? If this is the case, then Confucian scholars' claim that likuan emerges from the ground and their assertion that sweet dew has an extremely sweet taste cannot be accepted.
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| | 是應: |
儒曰：「道至大者，日月精明，星辰不失其行，翔風起，甘露降。」雨濟而陰一者謂之甘雨，非謂雨水之味甘也。推此以論，甘露必謂其降下時，適潤養萬物，未必露味甘也。亦有露甘味如飴蜜者，俱太平之應，非養萬物之甘露也。何以明之？案甘露如飴蜜者，著於樹木，不著五穀。彼露味不甘者，其下時，土地滋潤流濕，萬物洽沾濡溥。由此言之，《爾雅》且近得實。緣《爾雅》之言，驗之於物，案味甘之露下著樹木，察所著之樹，不能茂於所不著之木。然今之甘露，殆異於《爾雅》之所謂甘露。欲驗《爾雅》之甘露，以萬物豐熟，災害不生，此則甘露降下之驗也。甘露下，是則醴泉矣。 |
| | Confucian scholars say: "When the Dao is at its greatest, the sun and moon are bright, stars do not deviate from their courses, auspicious winds arise, and sweet dew descends." A rain that nourishes the land and brings harmony is called ganyu (sweet rain), not referring to the taste of the rainwater being sweet. By this reasoning, ganyu must refer to its descent at a time that appropriately nourishes all things; it does not necessarily mean the dew itself has a sweet taste. There are also dews that have a sweet flavor like honey and syrup, but these are all omens of peace and prosperity; they are not the ganyu that nourish all things. How can this be proven? Sweet dew that is as sweet as honey and syrup appears on trees, but not on the five grains. That dew which is not sweet, when it descends, moistens and saturates the land, thoroughly nourishing all things. From this we can say that "Er Ya" comes closer to the truth. Following what "Er Ya" says, examining it in the physical world: when sweet-tasting dew falls and adheres to trees, observing those trees that are covered by the dew reveals they do not grow more vigorously than those without it. Yet today's ganyu is likely different from what "Er Ya" refers to as sweet dew. To verify the ganyu described in "Er Ya," one should look to whether all things flourish and ripen, and whether disasters do not arise; this would be proof that sweet dew has descended. If sweet dew descends, then it is indeed likuan.
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