South of the Yellow River, the Yangwu embankment lies northwest of the capital and has been repeatedly destroyed by floods. Each repair uses several hundred thousand labourers.
In the Huangtong era of the Jin it breached once, and soldiers were sent to close it. Built by morning, collapsed by evening. The prefect of Kaifeng recruited anyone who could swim to probe the bottom.
An old fisherman said he could stay under for a day and a night, so he was given offerings, and the river god was sacrificed to first, and then he was sent down.
Half a day later he came out and said: “Below there is a great flood dragon doing the damage, and that is why the embankment will not hold. It must be killed. I need a precious sword. The dragon is sleeping soundly at the bottom of a hundred-fathom abyss, and killing it is easy.”
The prefect took an ancient sword from the treasury store and gave it to him. As he was about to go in he said again: “I would like all the boats gathered at the bank to wait for me. At noon the water will turn red, and then send them out to midstream.”
At the appointed time the water turned red. The old fisherman came up with the dragon’s head in his hands and leapt into the boat. The torrent dropped abruptly and the embankment held.
The prefect wanted to memorialise for a military title for him. He refused it. Offered much gold and silk, he refused that too. And he died on the spot.
The prefect built a shrine for him at that place and petitioned the court, which enfeoffed him as General Four, taking him for the son of the Dragon Girl Third Sister, and set up his statue beside hers. His responses are very marked.
Of the fisherman’s family, no one could be found.
