The He Wang Temple is a temple dedicated to the God of Rivers. The God of Rivers is the king of a river and the god of the water palace, but the He Wang Temple here is said to be the He Wang Temple, and the river He has become the surname He. What's going on?

Legend has it that the Yong'an River was quite long, quite wide and full of fish. There was once a man called Wang Youcai in Wangjiawan by the river who often set his fishing net in this river. His fishing net was particularly effective at catching fish, and no matter how many fish there were, he would never have a bowl of fish for himself that was not enough. When Wang Youcai reached his sixties, his wife passed away, his children and grandchildren grew up, and he no longer had to worry about the fields. So he simply built a small shed by the river, lived and slept by the river, and could pull the net day and night. Every morning, he went to the market to sell the fish, bought some oil, salt, wine, and other things, and returned to the shed to pull the net whenever he felt like it, or to sleep whenever he felt like it. In the evening, he set out a small table, sat on a low stool, and leisurely ate and drank while he pulled in the net, with three bowls of side dishes and four taels of white wine. Often, after a few taels of wine had gone down his throat and a few catties of fish had been caught, he washed his hands and feet and went to sleep.

But that night, Wang Youcai was also drinking and pulling the net, but every time he pulled, it was empty: the first time, the second time, and the third time. What the heck, there's a ghost tonight! Why isn't there even a tiny fish? Wang Youcai wondered. After finishing the two liang of wine, he wanted to give it one last pull, put the net up, and go to bed. When he gave it a pull, something strange happened. A black lump rolled around inside the net. Wang Youcai thought, “What the hell!” He used the fishing net to scoop up the black lump and set it on the bank. He walked up to it and took a closer look. At that moment, the black lump turned into a black shadow in the shape of a little person. Wang Youcai was already bold, and after drinking wine, he was even more fearless. He shouted, “What are you?”

The little black shadow said, “I am a water ghost. I came here for a stroll just now and accidentally bumped into someone in your net. Ghosts are most afraid of nets. Please let me go back.”

Wang Youcai thought, ”No wonder I couldn't catch any fish today. It's still you, the ghost? According to my temper, I'll just... What should I do with you? Beat you to death, but you're already a ghost; cook you and eat you, but I can't cook you well and I can't eat you anyway; take you to the street to sell you, but who would dare to buy you? Alas, I really don't know what to do with you. But then I thought, a water ghost is really pitiful. A living person becomes a water ghost, where does he live? What does he eat? And he has to obey the King of Hell, what a life!

Thinking about this, Wang Youcai said, “Don't worry, come, come, come, have some wine, you'll get the hang of it after a few times, and after the third or fourth time, we'll be friends.”

“No, no, as long as you let me go back, I will be eternally grateful.”

Wang Youcai insisted on keeping him, and the water ghost couldn't refuse. Wang Youcai took out a small stool, set out cups and chopsticks, poured a glass of wine for the water ghost, and poured himself another one or two, and the two of them drank and chatted.

“Where are you from, and how did you become a water ghost?”

“I'm from Hejiadun, 20 li upstream, and my name is He Youde. That year, I was 22 years old. During a crossing, the ferry capsized due to high winds and waves. There were five people on board, including me and the ferryman, plus a woman and two children. After the ferry capsized, I grabbed two children and sent them to the side of the boat. The ferryman also managed to grab the boat. I saw that the woman was still struggling in the water, far away from the boat, so I went back to grab her and bring her back. At that time, I don't know what held my feet, I couldn't row anymore. Later I learned that it was a water ghost looking for a substitute, and sent me to the water prison.”

“Hey, you also tried to save someone with good intentions, but you became the scapegoat. How did you get out today?”

“I have been in the water prison for 40 years, and my sentence is up. I came out to get some pocket money, and to find a substitute, so that I can reincarnate soon.”

“Forty years, how old are you?”

“Sixty.”

“I'm also sixty, we're the same age! Here, let's toast to our being the same age!”

During their conversation, they learned that Wang Youcai had no spouse and was lonely, living alone on the riverbank; after He Youde died, his parents burned some paper money for him, but they died one after the other a few years ago, and no one was left to burn paper money for him anymore.

Since then, He Youde often came to Wang Youcai's place to chat. Wang Youcai sold fish in the morning and bought some paper money on the way back. In the evening, the two old men drank wine, pulled the fishing net, and chatted while Wang Youcai burned paper money for He Youde. When there was no fish, He Youde went into the water to invite fish for Wang Youcai, so Wang Youcai's net caught more fish. He Youde, accustomed to living this way with his old friend, stopped thinking about finding a replacement.

One night, the moon was particularly bright, and Wang Youcai pulled in a red carp. He put it in the basket, but the carp kept jumping, and suddenly it jumped out of the basket and fell on the slope. It happened to land on a slope, and the carp looked at Wang Youcai, its eyes blinking.

Wang Youcai said, “This fish is quite interesting, it can even blink.”

He Youde said at a glance, “Ah! This carp is the prime minister's little daughter. I saw her in the water palace and recognize her. Let her go back?”

Wang Youcai said, ‘In that case, let her go,’ and said to the carp, ”If you are Miss Carp and want me to let you go back, then wag your tail three times.”

The carp wagged its tail three times.

The two old men then let the carp go.

After a while, one day, He Youde said to Wang Youcai, “Old friend, I can no longer accompany you.”

Wang Youcai said, ‘Why?’ He Youde said, ”Even though I don't want a replacement, the Lord of Hell has arranged one for me. Tomorrow at noon, there will be a young child about ten years old at the Guo family residence ten li upstream, leading a cow to the river to drink. That will be my replacement. I will pull him into the water, and I will go to be reborn.”

The next day, Wang Youcai went to the market in the morning to sell fish, and then hurried back to the shed to cook and eat. He didn't drink any wine, didn't sleep, and didn't set the fishing net. After breakfast, he walked towards the Guo family's shed, wanting to see what was going on. When he got there, he saw several people pulling a ten-year-old child out of the water, along with a cow. Everyone said, “It's hopeless,” “It's hopeless,” “Try, I'm afraid there's still hope.” Wang Youcai turned his head and walked away. He thought to himself, “What's there to save? He's gone with my old buddy to be a substitute.”

That night, Wang Youcai drank alone, and didn't even bother to pull the net. A moment later, a dark figure came up out of the water. Wang Youcai thought he had drunk too much and his eyes were blurry. When he looked again, it was indeed his old buddy.

“Why are you here again? Didn't you say you had been reincarnated? I also saw the child who fell into the water,” Wang Youcai said as he took out a cup and chopsticks and poured a glass of wine for Lao Geng. He Youde sat down and said, “I did go to find the child to be the substitute, but then I asked around and found out that this child's father had three brothers and he was the only son. If he died, it would be the end of the three families. I couldn't bear it in my heart, so I let someone pull him up the slope and save his life.”

“Ah, I see. Come, let's two old folks have a hearty drink today.”

In fact, the only one who had a hearty drink was Wang Youcai, who drank two more cups than usual. As for He Youde, he was a ghost, so he only pretended to drink by setting a cup of wine out, but did not actually drink the wine in the cup.

After a while, one day, He Youde said, “My friend, I really can't accompany you this time. The King of Hell has arranged a substitute for me. Tomorrow afternoon, at around 6 o'clock, there will be a woman at Wu Jiaqiao, ten li downstream, arguing with her husband and about to throw herself into the river. She will be my substitute.”

The next day, Wang Youcai sold his fish, again found drinking tasteless, sleeping restless, and did nothing. After lunch, he walked early to Wujiaqiao to see for himself.

As soon as Wang Youcai arrived, he heard the sound of a quarrel between the couple coming from the village. After a while, he saw a woman with her hair loose, running while crying loudly, and running to the river, where she jumped into the water with a splash, while someone was still chasing after her. Although Wang Youcai was far away, he could still see clearly. He thought to himself, “What's the rush? He's my brother's double.”

Wang Youcai walked back carelessly. When he reached his shed, it was already late at night. Suddenly, he noticed his friend sitting in front of his shed. Wang Youcai was surprised and said, “Why are you here again? You were faster than me. I saw the woman jump into the water with my own eyes. Could it be that you didn't leave again?”

He Youde said, “Yes, I didn't make it again. I waited until the woman jumped into the water and saw that she was pregnant. If I pulled her up as a substitute, and she died, the child in her stomach would also die, so it would be two lives. I really couldn't bear it, so I let someone pull her up the slope and save her life.”

Needless to say, the two old folks had another friendly dinner and a long chat that night.

He Yude's refusal to take the double had long reached the ears of the Lord of the Underworld, who considered He Yude to be a kind and decent person who should be promoted and made a deity. What deity should he be made? After thinking about it for a long time, he went to consult the Dragon King, who happened to be in the company of the Carp Prime Minister. The Carp Prime Minister had heard his daughter talk about this person and was more than willing to thank him, so when the opportunity arose, Minister Carp said, “People are building a temple for the river god at the confluence of the Yong'an River and the Da River. The temple is scheduled to be consecrated on the 15th of the 10th lunar month. The position of river god here is still vacant, so let him be the river god here.” The Dragon King and the King of Hell both thought this was a good idea. So the King of Hell petitioned the Jade Emperor, who immediately approved and bestowed the title of Yong'an River God, under the jurisdiction of the Dragon King. The judge sent this reply to He Youde, ordering him to officially take office on the 15th of the 10th lunar month.

Another night, He Youde said to Wang Youcai, “My dear, I'm really leaving this time, not to be reborn, but to become the river god. The temple of the river god is located at the confluence of the Yong'an River and the Dahe River. On the 15th of the 10th lunar month, the new temple will be completed and consecrated, and I will officially take office. You must be there on that day, and we will have a few drinks in the evening.”

Wang Youcai hurriedly said, “Good, good.”

On the 15th of October, Wang Youcai got up early, ate breakfast, and set off at dawn. When the sun was setting, he arrived at the River God Temple. There was a sea of people, smoke from incense filled the air, and firecrackers were going off. The newly renovated temple glistened in the sunlight. In the main hall, the newly carved golden statue of the River God looked lifelike. Wang Youcai walked into the hall and saw a leader insert three incense sticks into the incense burner, burn three joss papers, and say something in his mouth. He threw the joss paper on the ground, and it was an “yin” sign. He threw it again, and it was an “yin” sign. He threw it again, and it was still an “yin” sign. He threw it dozens of times, and it was all “yin” signs! Seeing this, Wang Youcai said, “What do you want to ask? Let me help you.”

The man said, “I ask the Lord of the River to bless us with peace from floods and droughts, a bumper harvest, and you help us ask? What are you up to?”

Wang Youcai said, ”Just give me the hexagram.”

Wang Youcai took the divination sticks and said what the man had told him to say, and then added a few more words at the end: “Lao Geng, you do good things for people, for ghosts, and for gods, too, for everyone. Just say yes to them, and give them a ten-pair-of-lines favorable divination.” After saying this, he threw down the divination sticks. Favorable divination! He gave ten consecutive favorable divinations like this. The crowd was amazed and asked what was going on, and Wang Youcai told them the whole story.

He did not mention drinking during the day. In the evening, the headmen wanted to take Wang Youcai to their homes for the night, but Wang Youcai insisted on staying at the temple. That night, Wang Youcai slept under the shrine, and He Youde also came down and lay with Wang Youcai, chatting away until the middle of the night. The leaders of the temple, who had built the temple, were afraid that Wang Youcai would be lonely, so they came to the temple to keep him company. They were even more surprised to hear the conversation between the two old men outside the door. The next day, the leaders discussed and decided to let Wang Youcai live in the temple for a long time, and Wang Youcai agreed.

It so happened that from then on, there was a bumper harvest every year, and occasional floods and droughts did not cause major problems.

Thirty years later, Wang Youcai passed away at the age of over 90. The local people gave him a grand funeral and carved a statue of him to sit next to the King of the River and share the incense. Since then, people have sometimes called the temple the Temple of the King of the River and sometimes the Temple of the King of He. Even today, the three characters “Temple of the King of He” are still written on the temple!

(Originally published in “Chinese Taoism” 2004, No. 3)

河王庙是供奉河王爷的庙宇。河王就是一河之王，水府之神，而这里的河王庙却被人们说成了何王庙，河流的河变成了姓何的何。这是怎么回事呢 ?

传说这永安河有蛮长，河面也蛮宽，河里的鱼也蛮多。河边王家湾里曾经有一个叫王有财的人，常在这条河里扳河罾。他的河罾特别刹鱼，再没有鱼，一碗自家吃的鱼是不会落空的。王有财到了六十多岁，老伴去逝了，儿孙都大了，田里的事也不用操心了，干脆在河边搭起了小棚，吃住在河边，日夜都可扳罾。每天早晨，他上街卖鱼，买回一些油盐酒啊什么的，回棚子想扳罾就扳罾，想睡觉就睡觉，随心所欲，自由自在。到了晚上，摆出小桌子，坐着矮凳子，三碗小菜，四两白酒，边吃边喝边扳罾，悠哉游哉。常常是几两酒下了肚，几斤鱼也到了手，然后洗了手脚，倒头大睡。

却说这天晚上，王有财也是边喝酒，边扳罾，可是一扳起来，空的：两扳起来，又是空的；再扳起来，还是空的。噫，今儿有鬼!?怎么一个小鱼也没有?王有财心里纳闷。四两酒喝完了，他想最后扳一次，把河罾晾起来再去睡觉。这一扳，出了稀奇，罾里面一个黑坨儿滚来滚去，王有财想，看是么鬼!他用捞子把黑坨儿捞起来搁在坡上，走近来看。这时黑坨儿变成一个小人样子的黑影，王有财本来就胆大，刚喝了酒，更是什么都不怕，大声说：“你是什么东西?”

小黑影说：“我是一个水鬼，刚才来这里游玩，不慎撞人你的网中，鬼是最怕网的，请您放我回去吧。”

王有财想：难怪我今儿扳不到鱼，还是你这个鬼?依得我的脾气，我就把你…。一把你怎么办?打死你，你已经是鬼了；把你煮得吃，煮不好，也吃不得；把你拿到街上去卖，哪个敢要?哎，真是把你没办法。又一想，水鬼也是怪可怜的，活生生的一个人成了一个水鬼，他住哪里?吃什么?还要服阎王管，真是作孽啊。

想到这里，王有财说：“慌么事，来，来，来，喝点酒，一回生，二回熟，三回四回是朋友嘛。”

“不敢，不敢，只要您放我回去，我就感激不尽了。”

王有财执意要留，水鬼也不好推却。王有财拿出一个小凳，摆上杯筷，倒了一杯酒，给水鬼，自己又倒了一两多，两个边喝边聊。

“你是哪里人，怎么成了水鬼?”

“我是上游二十里远的何家墩人，叫何有德。那一年，我二十二岁，一次过渡的时候，由于风浪很大，渡船翻了，船上连我和摆渡老爹共五个人，另外是一个女人和两个小伢。船翻后，我先后抓住两个小伢送到船边，摆渡的老爹也抓到了船，我看到那个女人还在水里挣扎，离船较远，我又去把她抓住送回来。这时，不知是么东西拉住了我的脚，硬是划不动了。后来才知道是一个水鬼找替身，把我送进了水牢。”

“哎，你也是好心救人，自己却成了替死鬼。你今儿是怎么出来的?”

“我坐了四十年的水牢，刑期已满，我出来一来搞几个零用钱，二来物色替身，好早日转世还阳。”

“四十年了，您贵庚?”

“甲子的”

“我也是甲子的，我俩还是老庚呢!来，我们俩老庚干杯!”

闲聊中，双方得知王有财没有老伴，一个人独守河坡，很孤单；何有德死后，父母给他烧些纸钱，前些年父母相继去世，再也没人给他烧纸钱了。

从此以后，何有德经常到王有财这里来聊天。王有财早晨卖鱼，顺便买回一些纸钱，到了晚上，两老庚一边喝酒，一边扳罾，一边聊天，王有财还一边为何有德烧纸钱，在没有鱼的时候，何有德就下水为王有财邀鱼，因而王有财的罾也就更加刹鱼了。何有德呢，习惯了和老庚过这样的生活，也不去想找替身的事了。

一天晚上，月亮特别亮，王有财扳到一个红色鲤鱼，放到篓子里，这个鲤鱼不停地蹦，忽地一下蹦出了篓子，恰巧落在坡上，鲤鱼望着王有财，眼睛一眨一眨的。

王有财说：“这个鱼蛮有味呀，还会眨眼睛呢。”

何有德一看说：“呀!这鲤鱼是丞相的小千金，我在水府看到过，认得她，放她回去吧?”

王有财说：“既然如此，就放了她，”又对鲤鱼说：“你如果是鲤鱼小姐，要我放你回去，你就把尾巴摆三下。”

鲤鱼把尾巴摆了三下。

两老庚便把鲤鱼放走了。

这样过了一段日子，有一天，何有德对王有财说：“老庚，我再不能陪你了。”

王有财说：“为么事?”何有德说：“尽管我不愿找替身，阎王爷还是给我安排了一个替身，明天午时，在这上游十里远的郭家挡有一个十来岁的小伢要牵牛到河边喝水，那就是我的替身。我把他拉下水，我就去投胎了。”

第二天，王有财早晨上街卖了鱼，回棚子赶快做饭吃，这天他酒也不喝了，觉也不睡了，罾也不扳了，吃罢早饭，朝郭家挡走去，想看过究竟。等他走到那个地方，就看见几个人从水中捞起一个十来岁的小孩，旁边还有一头牛，大家你一言，你一语：“没救了”、“没救了”，“试试看，恐怕有救呢。”王有财扭头就走。心里想，还有什么救呢，他跟我的老庚做替身去了。

到了晚上，王有财一个人喝着闷酒，罾也懒得去扳。一会儿，一个黑影从水中上来，噫，怎么回事?王有财以为喝多了酒，眼发花。定神一看，果然是老庚来了。

“你怎么又来了，你不是说投胎去了吗，我也看到那个落水的伢了。”王有财一边说，一边拿出杯筷，倒了一杯酒给老庚。何有德一边坐下一边说：“我确实是去找那个伢做替身的，后来一打听，这个伢的父亲三兄弟，就这一个独儿子，如果他死了，就绝了他家三户的后啊，我心里不忍，就让别人把他拉上坡，救活了。”

“啊，原来如此，来，我们两老庚今儿痛痛快快的喝一顿。”

其实，痛痛快快喝一顿，也只有王有财比平常多喝了两把酒。而何有德呢，他是一个鬼，只有不过是摆上一杯酒做做样子罢了，并没有真的喝掉杯中的酒。

如此又过了一陈子，一天何有德又说：“老庚，我这回真的不陪你了，阎王又给我安排了一个替身，明天下午酉时许，下游十里远的吴家桥有一个妇女和丈夫吵架，要来投河，她就是我的替身。”

第二天，王有财卖了鱼，同样是喝酒无味，睡觉不香，事也不做，罾也不扳，吃过午饭，他早早地朝吴家桥走去，要去看个清楚明白。

王有财刚到了一会儿，就听到村子里传出两口子吵架的声音。又过了一会，只见一个女人披散着头发，一边跑一边嚎啕大哭，跑到河边，“扑通”一声跳进水里，后边也还有人在追赶。王有财虽说隔得较远，但还是看到真切，心里说，还赶么事哪，他是我老庚的替身呢。

王有财漫不经心的往回走，等他走到棚子，已是戌亥之时，忽然发现老庚已坐在他的棚子门前。王有财惊讶地说：“你怎么又来了，比我还快些，我亲眼看到那个女人跳了水，莫非你又没走成?”

何有德说：“是的，又没走成。我等到那个女人跳下水一看，她已身怀有孕，我如果把她拉做替身，她死了，她肚子里的伢儿也死子，共是两条性命，我实在是不忍心，就让别人把她拉上坡救活了。”

无须多言，两老庚今夜又是一顿谊饭漫谈。

何有德的两次不要替身的事早就传到了阎王的耳朵里，他认为何有德是一个善良厚道的人，应该提拔，封为神明。封个什么神呢?想来想去，就来找龙王商量，恰巧鲤鱼丞相在场，鲤鱼丞相听女儿说过此人，正巴不得要感谢他，恰好机会来了。鲤里丞相说：“永安河下游出大河的地方，人们正在修河王庙，定于十月十五开光上殿，这里的河王还是个空缺，就让他到这里去当河王吧。”龙王和阎王听了，都认为很好。于是由阎王奏请玉帝，玉帝当即批复，封为永安河王，归龙王管辖。判官将此批复送给何有德，命他十月十五日正式上任。

又是一个夜晚，何有德对王有财说：“老庚，我这回真的要走了，不是去投胎，而是去当河王。河王庙就在这永安河下游与大河的交接处，十月十五，那座新庙建成，开光上殿，我就去正式上任。到那天，你一定要去，我们两老庚晚上再喝几杯。”

王有财忙说：“好，好。”

十月十五，王有财起了个大早，吃了饭天亮就赶路，太阳偏西的时候，到了河王庙，只见那里香烟缭绕，鞭炮阵阵，人声鼎沸，新修的庙宇在阳光的照耀下闪射着光芒。大殿上，新雕的河王金身栩栩如生。王有财走进殿里，看见一个为首者往香炉里插了三柱香，又烧了三张表，口中不知道说些什么，把卦往地上一丢，阴卦；又一丢，阴卦；再一丢，还是阴卦。如此丟了几十下，全是阴卦!看到这里，王有财说：“你要问什么，让我来帮你问吧?”

那个人说：“我要求河王老爷保佑我们这里水旱无忧，五谷丰收，你帮我们问?你是搞么事的?”

王有财说：“你只管拿卦来。”

王有财接过卦，照那个人的话说了，最后又加了几句，“老庚，你为人做好事，为鬼做好事，为神也要替大家做好事，你就答应他们吧，打十对顺卦。”说罢，将卦丢下，顺卦!这样一连打了十对顺卦。众人惊叹不已，问这是怎么回事，王有财把事情的来龙去脉讲了一遍。

白天喝酒不提。到了傍晚，头人要接王有财到家里住宿，王有财却执意要在庙里住。晚上王有财就睡在神龛下，何有德也下来和王有财一起躺着，叽哩咕哩聊了大半夜。建庙的几个头人，怕王有财一个人寂寞，到庙里来陪王有财，在门外听到了他们两老庚的对话，更是惊奇。第二天头人们商量，决定留王有财在这里长期住庙，王有财答应了。

说来也巧，从此这里年年丰收，偶有渍涝干旱，也无碍大事，有灾也不见灾。

过了三十年，王有财九十多岁，去世了。当地的人们把王有财进行了厚葬，并照他的样子雕了一尊神像，与河王爷并排而坐，共享香火。从此以后，人们有时把这庙说成河王庙，有时又说成何王庙。如今庙上还写着 “何王庙”三个大字呢!

（原载《中国道教》 2004年第3期）