“Xi Lu Xu Shi” 西魯敘事 or Narration Version (Or. 2339, background unclear, maybe Shanghai region). Discovered in the British Museum by Xiao Yishan 蕭一山 in the early 1930's, and published in his book Jindai mimi shehui shiliao (1935), juan 2: 1b-3a. Transcribed using simplified characters in TDH I:39-41. An English translation can be found in Murray (1994), pp. 207-211. This document is difficult to date as it was rebound upon arrival to the British Museum in 1881, but may date back to 1864 or earlier (ter Haar 1998, p. 35).
The “Xi Lu Xu” comes from a cache of materials gathered together by Mrs. Gertrude Ball of Hong Kong, and the “Xi Lu Xu Shi” apparently comes from papers acquired by General Chares G. Gordon, active in the Shanghai region from 1862-1864 (ter Haar 1998, p. 34-35). Both these documents were first studied by by historian and Chinese nationalist Xiao Yishan in 1932, while he was looking for sources on the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace (Taiping Tianguo) in the British Museum (Murray 1994, p. 126 and ter Haar 1998, p. 32-35). The “Xi Lu Xu” and “Xi Lu Xu Shi” are now housed in the Oriental Reading Room under the document numbers OR 2339 (acquired 1881) and OR 8207 D (acquired 1919) (Murray 1994, pp. 237f., and ter Haar 1998, pp.32-35 and p. 369).
兹自康熙甲午年,西魯國王命大將彭龍天領兵打入中國。地方,地方官不能取勝,直攻至潼關。守將劉景, 黃忠泉上表告急。朝廷即刻出下招軍榜文各處張掛,許退兵者封侯賜爵。彼時少林寺内,一百二十八人相議,揭了榜文,不用軍將前去退敵,斬了大將彭龍天,殺得西魯兵屍滿山川,血流成河,得勝回朝。清主大喜,欽賜遊街三日,犒勞甚厚。即欲封眾人官職。眾人奏道:「 臣等不願為官,仍欲回寺修行。」 清主准奏,即賜玉璽印一顆,刻成三角,內有日山二字,重二斤十三兩,御駕親送出午門外方回,後多年無事。因雍正十三年有一老奸,名喚鄧勝,到寺行香,見寺內御賜玉印乃是寶物,即欲貪為己有。因與寺僧不睦,便生惡意,妄奏君王說: 「 少林寺內教授法術,意圖謀反; 若不早圖,必生後患。不如詐稱行香,將寺放火燒燬,以絕禍根。」 那昏君就聽老奸之言,即命鄧勝領御林軍三千前去行事,果然少林寺中不知提(持)防,一夜燒死了一百一十人,只存十八人不能走脱,幸得雲端上來了一位達摩尊者,見寺內有五人命不該絕,日後尚有結拜天地會一段緣由,即化黃黑浮雲,救出十八人。到了雲霄按為漳州詔安縣之一鄉名地面,又死去十三人。此時五人慌忙無措。後奸臣聞知有人逃走,即領兵追趕。五人走至烏龍岡,前後無路,只得向天禱祝道:「 若我兄弟五人命不該絕,萬望再賜一條生路。」 祝罷來了朱江、朱開二仙,將刀刃放下,江上化做二板浮橋,渡過五人。走至廣東省惠州府石城縣高溪廟中居住,不料水中浮起一物,撈起看時,乃是一個白錠香爐。亦不以為意。是夜,白錠香爐,毫光閃爍,見爐中底面,現出「反清復明」四字。眾人看時,甚為奇異,大悅。相議欲結拜天地會,做劉、關、 張三人桃園結義故事。即往大普庵,得遇萬雲龍,道知其詳。萬大哥大喜,即同五人仍回高溪廟,相酌欲豎義旗,同心盟誓。此係荒郊之地,並無物件,不得已插草為香。舉目觀見枯木二條,即取為燭。以花碗二個,取作筶。當天禱祝: 「投於石上,若能反清復明之日,碗不破碎。」祝畢,將碗抛於半空之中,落將下來,果然完全不破,以作聖筶。兄弟俱各歡喜,以為此仇有報。正相議間,舉頭見一小童子, 年方十三歲,面如桃粉,唇若抹硃,兩耳垂肩,雙手過膝,真是帝王貴相,欲來投軍。眾人道:「爾乃小小年紀,手無寸鐵,敢來投軍,有何能處?」小童子道:「我非别人,乃係崇禎皇之孫,西宮娘娘李伸妃派出太子之子也。想我太祖堂堂江山,卻被清狗所占,不能恢復中原,有何面見祖宗於九泉乎? 今見眾英雄起義,前來投軍,以圖恢復基業,萬望諸君助我一臂之力,則復中原足矣。一來消我之恨,二來報死者之仇,三來完民眾之願。」眾人連聲應諾,欲到廣東省惠州府石城縣太平寨白鶴林岳(嶽)神廟起義。齊集人馬,逢山開路,遇水造橋,萬大哥正在岳廟內焚香禮拜,忽然人馬之聲一齊俱到廟前聚集。萬大哥一一詢問,便請諸君到淨室奉茶。眾人茶罷,相議興師。因見萬大哥滿面鬍鬚,身材高大,猛勇過人。眾人道:. 「願拜爾為大哥」。時雍正甲寅年七月廿五日丑時,歃血立誓,擇定八月廿日出軍,與清(氵+月)*兵交戰。戰至九月初九日,萬大哥失利,敗敵陣亡,死於岑街石下。小軍前來報知,兄弟五人正在城中飲酒,得知此情,一齊出馬,清(氵+月)*兵大敗,死者不計其數。收回屍骨,燒化,立他為祖。葬於五鳳山背左翼,糞箕湖八角墩,高三丈,大二十一丈八尺三寸,號為八角營圖。坐東南,向西北,壬申分金。三角墓碑高九尺,闊一尺六寸,碑名萬壽碑。上有十六个字,各有三點水,共成四十八點水也。
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