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AUTHOR'S FOREWORD
　　Suppose a man languishing in poverty and distress were to be accidentally informed of the extravagant and sumptuous lifestyle of those proud generals or ministers in the Imperial Court, how might he respond to this? He would heave a helpless sigh and wish that, perchance, he too could one day be graced with such good fortune. Now, suppose that this mans wish comes true and he becomes a celebrated general or a powerful minister, and then grows bored with exquisite cuisine and rare wine and is pressed to pursue even greater power, what would he then say upon being informed of the lifestyles of the immortals whose lives are simple, casual, carefree and given to visionary meditations? Most likely, the man would give another pathetic sigh and say admiringly that he longs for a chance to live likewise.To such an important individual, the life of celestial beings might appear to offer the comfort and joy derived from nature, like pure water from some mountain spring that refreshes his eyes or a gentle mountain breeze that caresses his body. How could such an ideal state of living be less than perfect? Under these circumstances, what unforeseen tribulations or unutterable adversity could possibly disturb his peace of mind and trouble his soul? Indeed, upon reflection, one might conclude that the satisfaction of achieving greatness as a heroic figure or the joy of being a carefree immortal is, to a greater extent, identical.
　　In A Dream at Handan, the protagonist, Lu Sheng, runs into an immortal at an inn in Handan, who gives him a magic pillow upon which to rest his head while taking a nap. Lu Sheng then falls into a dream in which he acquires a large fortune through marriage. In the dream, he participates in an all-encompassing engagement with the social life of the Court during the Kaiyuan Reign of the Tang Dynasty, freely associating with the people and currentaffairs of the time. As the governor of Shanzhou he undertakes a canalage project to facilitate the waterway transportation network; as a distinguished general in command of an expedition, he expands the empire’s borders far into the Western Region through successful wars against the Tubo; he is then ensnared by a calumnious minister and subsequently suffers banishment and great hardship but, after the vicious slanderer is put to death by the Emperor, he is summoned back to the Court to resume his office as the Prime Minister. Through the eventful history of his dream life, Lu Sheng goes through the whole spectrum of the ups and downs of human life: from the moment of imperial exaltation to abject humiliation, experiencing unexpected gains and losses, and life-and-death emergencies.
　　This account of Lu Sheng’s dream is essentially an expanded version of the tale known as “An Acolyte’s Pillow in Jiaohu Temple” which is widely but arguably attributed to Li Bi, the Marquis of Ye. Historical accounts reveal that Li Bi was fervently fond of occult tales of the immortals and their teachings from a young age and dismissed marriage and political success as trivial earthly pursuits. Later, having been imposed upon by the Tang emperors, he had to serve as an imperial official and minister, but subsequently achieved quite a few successes in his undertakings due to his exceptional wisdom, prudence and leadership. To facilitate the transportation of grain to the imperial capital, Li Bi initiated the land survey projects of the Shan and Guo provinces, constructed a highway through the mountains to reach San Men Ji (Three Gate Fair), and repeatedly succeeded in diplomacy with the warlike Tubo States in the west frontier. In the meantime, Prime Minister Yuan Zai considered Li Bi’s noticeable presence in the Court a threat and plotted to eliminate him. The Emperor, though absolute in power, could do no more to protect Li Bi than conceal him in the residence of Wei Shaoyou、, the imperial inspector of Jiangxi Province. Following Yuan Zai’s execution for treason, Li Bi was then summoned back to the Court. The sage, “Crippled Sluggard”, was undoubtedly correct when he advised Li Bi that he should “be not lavish of thy tongue, for then thou shalt be a prime minister thereafter for a decade”. In this regard, can one say that what has been related in A Tale in the Pillow is anything other than Li Bi’s life experience in miniature? I would fain say that compared to Lu Lian and Fan Li, famed men of wisdom from ancient times, Li Bi of the Tang Dynasty is not only an outstanding achiever in worldly affairs but also aconscientious and insightful thinker concerning the significance of life.
 

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