钟馗嫁妹 | Zhong Kui Marrying Off His Sister

 

钟馗嫁妹是我国流传已久的民间传说故事，充满了神怪、侠义与温情。
"Zhong Kui Marries Off His Sister" is a long-standing Chinese folk legend, full of fantasy, chivalry, and tender emotions.

#### **第一回：寒门才子，蒙难毁容** | **Chapter 1: The Talented Scholar from a Poor Family, Meets with Misfortune and is Disfigured**

唐朝时，终南山下住着一位名叫钟馗的秀才。他父母早亡，与妹妹梨花相依为命。虽家境贫寒，但钟馗志向远大，性情豪爽，学得了一身文武之才。
During the Tang Dynasty, at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, lived a scholar named Zhong Kui. His parents died early, and he relied on his sister, Li Hua, for support. Despite their poverty, Zhong Kui had great ambitions and a heroic spirit, mastering both literary and martial arts.

这年京城科举开考，钟馗意欲前往，却苦无盘缠。幸得同乡好友**杜平**慷慨赠银，他才得以踏上征程。
That year, the imperial examination was held in the capital. Zhong Kui wished to go but lacked the travel funds. Fortunately, his townsman and good friend **Du Ping** generously provided him with silver, enabling him to embark on the journey.

途中，钟馗病倒在一座破庙前，昏迷不醒。一群恶鬼嫉妒他相貌堂堂、才华出众，竟一拥而上，将他按倒在地，**血淋淋地为他“扒皮换貌”**。钟馗痛醒后，恶鬼已狞笑着散去，他的容貌也变得丑陋无比。
On the way, Zhong Kui fell ill in front of a dilapidated temple and lost consciousness. A group of evil spirits, jealous of his handsome appearance and talent, swarmed him, pressed him to the ground, and **"skinned and changed his appearance" in a bloody ritual**. When Zhong Kui awoke in agony, the demons had fled with scornful laughter, leaving him horribly disfigured.

#### **第二回：状元被黜，含冤触鼎** | **Chapter 2: The Top Scholar is Rejected, Wronged and Dashes Against the Cauldron**

钟馗忍痛赶到京城，参加考试，并以其卓越的才华**高中状元**。
Bearing the pain, Zhong Kui rushed to the capital, took the exam, and **achieved the top score (Zhuangyuan)** with his exceptional talent.

然而，当皇帝召见时，见其容貌丑陋，心中不悦，拒绝点他为状元。尽管主考官极力劝谏，陈述其才，钟馗也解释了破庙遭遇，皇帝仍大怒，以欺君之罪赐死。
However, when the emperor summoned him and saw his ugly appearance, he was displeased and refused to name him Zhuangyuan. Although the chief examiner strongly advocated for him and Zhong Kui explained his ordeal in the temple, the emperor was furious and sentenced him to death for "deceiving the sovereign."

性情刚烈的钟馗悲愤交加，高呼冤枉，**一头撞向殿前的铜鼎**，当场身亡。
The fiery-tempered Zhong Kui, filled with grief and indignation, cried out "Injustice!" and **smashed his head against a bronze cauldron** in front of the hall, dying on the spot.

#### **第三回：大闹地府，玉帝敕封** | **Chapter 3: Raising Hell in the Netherworld, the Jade Emperor's Decree**

含冤而死的钟馗魂归地府，见到阎王便破口大骂，斥其纵容恶鬼行凶，骂阳间皇帝是昏君，阴间阎王是昏王。盛怒之下，他拿起殿前的**镇殿宝杵**追打阎王，无人能挡。
Wrongfully dead, Zhong Kui's spirit descended to the underworld. Upon seeing the King of Hell (Yanluo Wang), he cursed him loudly, accusing him of condoning the evil spirits' actions, calling the earthly emperor a tyrant and the King of Hell a foolish king. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the hall's **Treasure Pestle, a sacred treasure used to suppress evil**, and chased the King of Hell, and no one could stop him.

无意中，宝杵撞响了**通天钟**，惊动了玉皇大帝。玉帝闻知原委后，为平息钟馗的怨愤，下旨敕封他为 **“驱邪斩祟大将军”** ，统领三千鬼卒，专司人间妖魔邪祟。阎王奉旨，赠予钟馗**青锋斩妖剑**和**化鬼葫芦**作为法宝。
Accidentally, the pestle struck the **Heaven-Reaching Bell**, alerting the Jade Emperor. Learning the truth, the Jade Emperor, to appease Zhong Kui's wrath, decreed him the **"Great General Who Exorcises Evil and Slaunts Malicious Spirits"**, commanding three thousand ghost soldiers, tasked with vanquishing demons and evil spirits in the human world. The King of Hell, obeying the decree, presented Zhong Kui with a **Green Blade Demon-Slaying Sword** and a **Ghost-Transforming Gourd** as his magical instruments.

#### **第四回：报恩除害，托梦嫁妹** | **Chapter 4: Repaying Kindness and Eradicating Evil, Entrusting His Sister Through a Dream**

在庆功宴上，钟馗思念孤苦的妹妹梨花而落泪。阎王特准他隐身返回阳间探望。
At a victory banquet, Zhong Kui wept, thinking of his lonely sister, Li Hua. The King of Hell specially permitted him to return to the mortal world invisibly to visit her.

钟馗先到破庙，召来昔日害他的恶鬼，用斩妖剑和宝葫芦将他们**全部化为青烟**，报了毁容之仇。
Zhong Kui first went to the ruined temple, summoned the evil spirits who had harmed him, and used his sword and gourd to **reduce them all to wisps of smoke**, avenging his disfigurement.

随后，他来到京城，发现杜平已为他修建了一座“钟馗庙”。恰逢大旱，杜平正带领百姓在庙中祈雨。钟馗被杜平的义举深深感动，决定先助百姓解旱灾。他返回地府，请阎王转奏玉帝，最终**求得甘霖普降**。
Later, he arrived in the capital and found that Du Ping had built a "Zhong Kui Temple" for him. A drought was occurring, and Du Ping was leading people in prayers for rain at the temple. Deeply moved by Du Ping's righteousness, Zhong Kui decided to help the people overcome the drought first. He returned to the underworld, asked the King of Hell to relay a message to the Jade Emperor, and finally **successfully brought forth nourishing rain**.

此时，钟馗得知妹妹梨花与恩人杜平在丧期相遇，已**互生情愫**，只是碍于礼法不便言明。于是，钟馗同时**托梦**给二人，讲述自己的经历，并亲自做媒，提出将梨花许配给杜平。
Meanwhile, Zhong Kui learned that his sister Li Hua and his benefactor Du Ping had met during the mourning period and had **developed mutual affection**, but were restrained by propriety from speaking it aloud. Therefore, Zhong Kui **appeared in dreams** to both simultaneously, telling them his story, acting as matchmaker himself, and proposing that Li Hua marry Du Ping.

#### **第五回：鬼王送亲，了却心愿** | **Chapter 5: The Ghost King Escorts the Bride, Fulfilling His Wish**

杜平与梨花惊觉同梦，知是钟馗安排，便选定吉日完婚。
Du Ping and Li Hua, startled to have shared the same dream, knew it was Zhong Kui's arrangement. They chose an auspicious day for the wedding.

吉日一到，钟馗亲率数十名恢复人形的鬼卒，组成送亲队伍。他骑着高头大马，眉开眼笑地为妹妹送亲。鬼卒们吹吹打打，耸肩扭腰，欢天喜地，场景虽奇幻诡异却热闹非凡。
On the chosen day, Zhong Kui personally led dozens of ghost soldiers restored to human form, forming a wedding procession. He rode a tall horse, beaming with joy as he escorted his sister. The ghost soldiers played music, shrugged their shoulders, twisted their waists, and were utterly jubilant. The scene was fantastical and bizarre yet exceptionally lively.

送至天明，杜平的迎亲队伍到来。钟馗与妹妹依依惜别，带领鬼卒们渐渐远去。
At dawn, Du Ping's procession arrived to meet them. Zhong Kui reluctantly bid farewell to his sister and led the ghost soldiers away, gradually fading into the distance.

自此，钟馗**了却了人世最后的牵挂**，报答了杜平的恩情，安心担任起驱邪斩祟的职责，成为守护一方的神明。
From then on, Zhong Kui **fulfilled his last earthly concern**, repaid Du Ping's kindness, and settled into his role of exorcising evil and vanquishing malicious spirits, becoming a deity guarding the world.