1.After getting drunk, Chunyu Fen went to sleep. In a disoriented state he came upon a walled city. He looked up to see a many-storied red building upon which was written, "The Kingdom of Dahuai'an."
2.A crowd of officials came forth to greet him and the king offered him a daughter as a bride. Countless screens of gold and jade were used to decorate their sumptuous wedding.
3.Not long after they wed, the king appointed Chunyu as magistrate of Nanke Prefecture.
4.After taking over the job, Chunyu worked hard and governed ably showing great love for the people. Year after year, the weather was good, and harvests were bountiful.
5.For 20 years, Chunyu served outstandingly. The king appreciated his efforts and made him a noble. Highly honored, he was well regarded throughout the court.
6.Then one day, the king said to him: "You have already been away from home for so long. You ought to go back." Chunyu Fen was startled.
7.He found that he was lying on the ground in front of his house under a big locust tree. Everything was just like it had been before, but in the dream it was as if he had passed a lifetime.
8.Under the tree, he found a big anthill, which was probably the "Kingdom of Dahuai'an" he had seen in his dream. There was a hole in the right side of the tree's root, which was probably Nanke prefecture! Later people would use this "dream of Nanke" to describe how life is like a dream, illusory and ever changing.
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