Young Master Li gave Yuzaner a beating, then had Ma Tao take Yuzaner away and sell her for eight taels. He then bought an eighteen-year-old maid named Mantang and had her work in the kitchen.
Let's set aside Young Master Li's business for now and talk about Chen Jingji. Since Sister Ximen came to his house, there were small squabbles every three days and major blowouts every five days, always hitting up Zhang's mother for cash. His uncle Zhang Tuanlian borrowed fifty taels of silver from his mother, hoping she could help him get a job as a steward. However, Chen Jingji got drunk and made a scene at his uncle's place. His uncle was furious, borrowed money from someone else, became the steward himself, and repaid the borrowed money to his mother. Zhang's mother got sick from all the stress and spent her days in bed, popping pills. Eventually, she gave Chen Jingji three hundred taels to open a cloth shop in front of their house.
Chen Jingji finally settled down, but he spent his days hanging out with Lu Sanlang, Yang Dalang, and other lowlifes, strumming the pipa, playing dominoes, and tossing dice in the shop, drinking in the middle of the night, and blowing through all his cash. His father Chen Ding told Zhang's mother he was ruining the family. Zhang's mother took Chen Ding's side and cut him off. Chen Jingji turned around and said that Chen Ding was losing money in the cloth business and booted the whole family out. Then, he partnered with Yang Dalang. This Yang Dalang, also known as "Iron Fingernails," was a smooth-talking con artist who could charm money out of anyone. Chen Jingji hit up his mom for two hundred taels, added it to the five hundred he already had, fell for Yang Dalang's pitch, and headed to Linqing to peddle cloth.
Yang Dalang packed up his luggage and followed Chen Jingji to Linqing. The Linqing wharf was very lively, with merchants converging, bustling with activity, and many brothels and inns. Chen Jingji, full of youthful vigor, was taken around by Yang Dalang to visit brothels and taverns, but he hardly made any sales. In one of the brothels, he took a liking to a girl named Feng Jinbao, who was beautiful and talented. The madam claimed Feng Jinbao was her own daughter, eighteen years old this year. Chen Jingji was immediately captivated and gave the madam five taels of silver, spending several days with her. Seeing Chen Jingji infatuated with this girl, Yang Dalang encouraged him to marry Feng Jinbao. The madam initially asked for one hundred and twenty taels of silver, but they settled on one hundred taels, and Chen Jingji took Feng Jinbao as his wife. On the way back, Feng Jinbao rode in a sedan chair, while Chen Jingji and Yang Dalang rode horses, accompanying the goods cart, all the way happily.
The poem goes: The sentimental swallow's tower, the road empties as I look back. Carrying the spring of Wuling, as companions of the phoenix.
When Zhang Shi saw that Chen Jingji's business was not doing well and that he was spending money on an opera singer, she was furious and soon passed away. Chen Jingji had to buy a coffin for her, performed a seven-day chanting of sutras, and after the funeral, buried her. His uncle Zhang Tuanlian, considering his mother's sake, did not argue with him. Chen Jingji used one of his mother's three main rooms to enshrine her spirit, gave the other two rooms to Feng Jinbao to live in, and Sister from the West Gate lived in the side room. He also hired a maid named Chong Xier to attend to Feng Jinbao. Yang Dalang opened a shop in front of the house and treated Feng Jinbao to lavish meals every day. Chen Jingji spent all his time with Feng Jinbao, while neglecting Sister from the West Gate.
One day, he heard that Meng Yulou had married the son of County Magistrate Li, Li Yanei, and brought a substantial dowry. After his three-year term ended, County Magistrate Li was promoted to Yanzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang. Chen Jingji remembered that he had stolen Meng Yulou's jade hairpin in the garden before and wanted to use it as leverage to confront Meng Yulou in Yanzhou. He believed Meng Yulou had once had an affair with him and given him the jade hairpin, but later married Li Yanei, and those dowries might have been stolen goods hidden by Yang Jiang. "Li Tongpan, a civil servant, must have plenty of perks! As long as I give him a little scare, his son will definitely obediently send his wife to me. By then, I will marry Meng Yulou and go against Feng Jinbao; wouldn't that be fantastic?"
As the poem goes: "Plan to catch the moon hare in the middle of the month, and plot to catch the golden crow in the middle of the day. Jingji did not come at a good time, but when he did, it was just like: encountering five roads when lost in the night, the hungry ghosts meet Zhong Kui. There is a poem as proof: rushing to Yanzhou to visit the jade person, it's hard to read someone's heart, like a stone sinking. Once inside the Marquis's door, it feels as deep as the sea, and from then on, the young man falls into a pit."
Chen Jingji searched through his mother's trunk, found a thousand taels of silver, left a hundred taels for Feng Jinbao's family, called back Chen Ding to take care of the house, and sold the shop out front. He and Yang Dalang, along with their family member Chen An, and with nine hundred taels of silver, set off on the Mid-Autumn Festival in August to go to Huzhou to trade silk. When they reached Qingjiangpu, they parked the boat and stayed at a shop called Chen Er. Chen Jingji asked Chen Er to get some chicken and wine and drank with Yang Dalang. As they drank, he said to Yang Dalang, "Buddy, you watch over the goods on the boat; I'll stay at the inn for a few days. Chen An and I will go to Yanzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang to see my sister, at most five days, at least three days, and then we'll come back." Yang Dalang said, "Big brother, you go; I'll wait for you here. When you get back, we'll head out together."
Chen Jingji brought silver and gifts, specifically to visit Judge Li in Yanzhou Prefecture. Upon arriving in the city of Yanzhou Prefecture, he first stayed at the temple and inquired around, learning that Judge Li had been in office for a month, but his family had only arrived three days ago. Chen Jingji did not dare to delay, so he bought four gifts and four pieces of silk, had Chen An carry them, dressed neatly, and went to the prefectural office. He made a bow to the gatekeeper and said, "Please announce that I am Meng Erjie, the uncle of the new wife, here to visit Judge Li." The gatekeeper did not dare to delay and hurried in to report. Judge Li was reading in the study. When he heard that his wife's brother had come, he had the servants bring in the gifts right away and quickly tidied himself up, saying, "Please come in." Chen Jingji was invited into the prefectural office, and they sat down as host and guest. Judge Li said, "Why didn't I see you on your sister's wedding day?" Chen Jingji replied, "I run a business in Sichuan and only make it back once a year. I didn't know my sister had married into the prefecture; I'm sorry. Today, I specially brought a small gift to see my sister." Judge Li said, "I didn't know either; I'm sorry." After finishing their tea, Judge Li instructed the servants, "Take the gift list and gifts inside and inform my wife that her uncle has arrived." Meng Yulou was sitting in the room. When the servant came in and announced, "Uncle Meng has arrived," Yulou thought, "Which uncle? Could it be my second brother, Meng Rui? Did he come all the way to see me?" The servant brought in the gifts and gift list, which said "Meng Rui," and she realized it was her younger brother who had come, so she said, "Please invite him in," and asked Lanxiang to tidy up the back hall.
After Yulou had finished getting ready, she came out to meet the guests. Judge Li invited her in directly. Yulou peeked behind the curtain and was startled. It was not her younger brother who came, but Chen Jingji. "Why is he here? What should I say when we meet later? As the saying goes, family ties aren't just about closeness; they're about shared roots. Even though he’s not my brother, he’s my sister’s husband." While thinking this, she came out to greet him. Chen Jingji said, "I never knew that my sister had married here, and I haven't been able to..." Before he could finish, the gatekeeper came to inform Judge Li that there were guests outside. Judge Li asked Yulou to entertain Chen Jingji and went out to host the guests. Yulou saw Chen Jingji bowing and quickly returned the greeting, saying, "No need for formalities, brother-in-law. What wind blew you here?" After some small talk, they sat down, and Yulou asked, "How is my older sister?" Chen Jingji then told Yulou about being driven out by Ximen Qing before and about demanding the chest and boxes. Yulou also told him about going to the grave on Qingming Festival, meeting Chunmei at Yongfu Temple, and burning paper at Jinlian's grave. Yulou said, "When I was at home, I often told your mom to treat her son-in-law well and not to support outsiders. She listened to the wrong people and drove you out. Later, when you demanded the boxes, I didn't know about it." Chen Jingji said, "I'll be honest with you, everyone knows about my relationship with Sister Six. But she believed the words of the servants and drove me away, which led to Wusong killing her. If she had stayed home, even if Wusong had seven heads and eight arms, he wouldn’t have dared to come after her! My hatred for her runs as deep as the ocean! Even in death, I won’t let her off the hook!" Yulou said, "Brother-in-law, what's done is done. Throughout history, feuds can only be resolved, not piled up."
Just as they were speaking, the maid brought out the food and drinks, filling the table. Yulou poured a cup of wine and handed it to Chen Jingji, saying, "Don’t be shy, have a drink." Chen Jingji took the wine, returned the gesture, and sat down. He saw Yulou always calling him "brother-in-law" and thought inwardly, "Why doesn't this woman admit her guilt and just call me brother-in-law? I need to slowly test her." After a few rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes, with no one around, Chen Jingji began to probe, saying, "I miss my sister so much, like being thirsty for water and hot for coolness. In the past, at Ximen Qing's place, we played chess and cards together, inseparable and close. Who would have thought that today we are worlds apart?" Yulou smiled and said, "You’re joking, brother-in-law. As the saying goes, the clear will prove itself, and time will tell." Chen Jingji cheekily took out a two-person scented tea bag from his sleeve and handed it to Yulou, saying, "Sister, if you still have any compassion, have a little mercy on me, brother, and drink my scented tea." He then knelt down. Yulou blushed instantly, threw the scented tea bag on the ground, and said, "You really don’t know how to show respect! I kindly offer you wine, and you play tricks on me!" With that, she swept her sleeves and left. Chen Jingji picked up the scented tea and said, "I came to see you out of goodwill, but you have changed! Can you honestly say you’re happy after marrying the magistrate's son and ignoring me? When you were living as a concubine at Ximen Qing's place, didn’t we have a private affair?" He took out the gold-headed silver hairpin from his sleeve and said, "Who does this belong to? If you didn’t have an affair with me, how could this hairpin be in my hands? It is even engraved with the words 'Yulou.' You colluded with the legal wife and brought over the eight boxes of gold, silver, jewelry, and jade that my family entrusted to Yang Jian, all of which were official items. I'm telling you, don’t worry, we haven’t even begun to settle this; we’ll sort it out later!"
When Yulou saw Jingji speaking, she pointed at the golden lotus petal hairpin on Jingji's head and said, "This hairpin was missing in the garden before; how did it end up in your hands, you short-lived ghost?" Afraid of making a fuss and letting the servants know, she immediately put on a cheerful smile, walked out, and grabbed Jingji, saying, "You annoying guy! I was just teasing you! Why are you so mad?" Making sure there was no one around, she quietly said, "Since you are interested, I am interested too." Without another word, they kissed. Jingji's tongue flicked into Yulou's mouth, and he said, "Just call me 'darling husband' once, then I will believe you are sincere." Yulou replied, "Keep your voice down; don't let anyone hear." Jingji whispered, "I have a cargo ship docked in Qingjiangpu now. If you are willing, pretend to be a gatekeeper tonight, sneak out, and come on board with me. We can get married; what's the harm in that? He is a civilian official, afraid of causing trouble; he won't dare to come after you." Yulou said, "If that's the case, okay." They both agreed, "Wait behind the mansion wall tonight; I will bring some gold and silver valuables and throw them to you from the wall. Then I will disguise myself as a gatekeeper and come out to join you on the ship." Readers, this is truly a case of a beautiful woman showing her interest; no wall can stop her. A woman's fickleness, even if they're miles apart, they can still find their way to each other. If Meng Yulou had married a fool, how could Jingji be so charming? Jingji's move was brilliant! But now she's married to Li Yanai, who has a bright future ahead. Li Yanai is also handsome and charming, young and beautiful, and they are madly in love. Why would Jingji still come and provoke her? They don't have much of a relationship usually. Jingji is quite unfortunate; he told the truth and ended up being deceived by a woman. It is true: Under the flower leaves, there may still be thorns, and it's hard to guard against the poison lurking in people's hearts.
After the two men discussed and finalized their plans, Jingji drank a few glasses of wine, said his goodbyes, and returned home. Li Yane personally escorted him to the gate of the mansion, with Chen An tagging along. Li Yane asked Yulou, "Where does your brother live? I’ll go visit him tomorrow and bring him a little something." Yulou replied, "He’s not my brother; he’s Ximen Qing’s son-in-law. He came to try and win me over. I’ve already arranged to meet him at the back wall at three in the morning. Why don’t we trap him and catch him red-handed, getting rid of this troublemaker?" Li Yane said, "This guy's got some nerve; you know what they say: 'no guts, no glory.' It's not me going to find him; he’s coming to us." He immediately called his trusted servants to get ready. Jingji, unsuspecting, indeed arrived with Chen An at the back wall of the mansion in the middle of the night. Coughing as a signal, they heard Yulou's voice from the other side of the wall, and a rope was thrown down with a large bag of silver tied to it, which turned out to be two hundred taels of stolen silver from the warehouse. Jingji was just about to have Chen An grab it and go when suddenly they heard gongs ringing out, and four or five figures jumped out of the shadows, yelling, "Catch the thief!" They quickly tied up Jingji and Chen An and reported to Judge Li, who ordered, "Lock them up for now and we’ll interrogate them tomorrow."
The prefect of Yanzhou, Xu Fang, is from Lintao Prefecture in Shaanxi Province and was a successful candidate in the imperial civil service examination. He is a very honest and upright person. The next day at court, many officials stood on either side. Judge Li approached and took his seat in the courtroom, presenting a report on the theft case alongside Chen Jingji, stating, "Last night, during the second watch, we caught two thieves, Chen Jingji and Chen An. They forced open the warehouse door, stole two hundred taels of silver, and escaped over the wall. We caught them and brought them here to see the master." Prefect Xu ordered, "Bring them up!" Chen Jingji and Chen An were brought to kneel in front of the court. Seeing that Jingji was young and handsome, the prefect asked, "Where are you from? Why did you come to the yamen in the middle of the night to steal the silver from the official warehouse? Do you have anything to say?" Chen Jingji just kept bowing and pleading. Prefect Xu said, "You're stealing and still pleading innocent?" Judge Li bowed and said, "Master, there's no need to question him. The evidence of the theft is irrefutable; why interrogate further?" Prefect Xu immediately ordered, "Take them down and administer twenty lashes!" Judge Li said, "This man is stubborn; he must be punished, or he may recant his confession." Immediately, the bailiffs dragged Jingji and Chen An away and administered a severe beating. Chen Jingji continued to curse, "It's Meng San's adulteress who framed me; it's unfair! It's too painful!" Prefect Xu, being experienced in the official field, sensed that there might be more to the situation. After ten lashes, he ordered, "Stop, place them in jail for the time being; we will interrogate them again tomorrow." Judge Li said, "Master, you should not let him off lightly. As the saying goes, 'the human heart is like iron, the law is like a furnace,' let him rest for the night; maybe he will change his tune." Prefect Xu said, "It's fine, I have a strategy in mind." The jailer took Jingji and Chen An to prison.
Magistrate Xu had some doubts, so he summoned his trusted aides and instructed them to discreetly investigate the prison regarding Jing Ji's case. A bailiff, posing as a prisoner, shared a bed with Jing Ji that night and asked him, "You seem too young to be a thief. How did you end up here?" Jing Ji replied, "It's a complicated story. I am the son-in-law of Magistrate Ximen Qing of Qinghe County. The new wife of Judge Li's son is my father-in-law's concubine, who I used to have an affair with. This time, I brought ten boxes of gold, silver, and jewels from my father-in-law Yang Jian to seek justice here, but they framed me for theft. Being wrongfully accused and beaten, unable to see the light of day, is truly unbearable!" After hearing this, the bailiff hurried back to report to Magistrate Xu. The magistrate said, "I knew this kid was crying foul. It's Meng Shi who's up to no good."
The next day at court, the officials stood on either side. Magistrate Xu brought Chen Jing Ji and Chen An forward, reviewed their statements, confirmed their innocence, and ordered their release. Judge Li, unaware of the situation, kept insisting, "Your Honor, this kid is guilty; we can't let him go." As a result, Magistrate Xu sternly reprimanded him in front of all the officials, saying, "I am the magistrate of this prefecture, serving the court, and should not assist your family in seeking private revenge and framing innocent people. Your son married Meng Shi, the concubine of your father-in-law Ximen Qing, brought many things, and there shouldn't be any stolen property among them. He is Ximen Qing's son-in-law, here to claim what is rightfully his, yet you falsely accuse him of theft and expect me to help your family? Officials must also think about their children. If this is how it is, where is the justice in that?" Judge Li felt ashamed and embarrassed in front of everyone, bowing his head in silence. Chen Jing Ji and Chen An were released. After a while, Magistrate Xu exited the courtroom.
When Li Tongpan returned home, he was furious and shouted at his wife, "I've raised a worthless brat! Today, Governor Xu made a fool of me in front of everyone, it makes me so mad!" His wife was shocked and asked, "What happened?" Li Tongpan immediately summoned his son and ordered the servants, "Hurry and bring the big stick, I'm furious!" Then he scolded his son, "You worthless brat! You offended Ximen Qing's son-in-law! That woman brought a lot of dowry gold and silver, but you said it was stolen goods and accused you of stealing official silver. As a result, Governor Xu publicly humiliated me! It's all because of you on my first day in office! What use do I have for you?" The servants immediately beat the poor kid, leaving him bruised and bleeding. His wife cried and begged for mercy, while Meng Yulou hid in the back hall, feeling uneasy. After thirty lashes, Li Tongpan ordered the servants, "Lock this kid up, and send her off to remarry to keep things quiet and protect my reputation!" The young master couldn't bear to part with his wife and pleaded, "I'd rather take a beating from Dad than be separated from my wife!" Li Tongpan locked his son in the back hall, planning to keep him locked up forever. His wife cried, "Sir, you've been an official for most of your life, and he's your only son. For a woman, you're locking him up. Who's gonna take care of you when you're old and retired?" Li Tongpan said, "No, he's here, causing me trouble!" His wife suggested, "Then let him and his wife go back home." Li Tongpan listened to his wife and released his son, giving them three days to head back to their hometown in Zhaoqiang County to study.
Chen Jingji and Chen An left Yanzhou Prefecture, went to the temple to retrieve their luggage, and headed straight to Chen Er's store in Qingjiangpu to find Yang Dalang. Chen Er said, "He mentioned in a letter three days ago that you couldn't come, so he has already returned home with the goods." Jingji was skeptical, so he went to the dock to find a boat, but returned empty-handed. He cursed in anger, "This bastard, why did he leave without waiting for me!" Having just come out of prison with no money, he and Chen An could only hitch a ride on someone else's boat, pawn their clothes, beg for food, and return home in disgrace, looking as pitiful as lost dogs, as frantic as fish out of water, searching everywhere for Yang Dalang, but there was no sign of him. It was late autumn, with trees withering, the cold wind biting, and an air of desolation.
The reeds and lotus leaves have withered, the leaves of the parasol tree are falling. The crickets chirp in the decaying grass, and the geese land on the flat sandy ground.
The light rain dampens the green forest, the heavy frost chills the air. With no travelers in sight on the road, how can one appreciate the essence of autumn?
A few days later, Jingji returned home, and Chen Ding saw him at the door, in rags and looking worn out, and was shocked. He brought Jingji back home and asked about the cargo ship. Jingji was too furious to say anything for a while, and he talked about the injustices he faced in Yanzhou Prefecture: "Thanks to Magistrate Xu for letting me go, otherwise my life would be in danger. Now that bastard Yang Dalang has made off with my goods!" He told Chen Ding to check at Yang Dalang's house, and the Yang family said he hadn't returned yet. Jingji went to ask in person again, but still no news. Worried, he went back to his room. Feng Jinbao and Sister Ximen had been together since Jingji left. Sister Ximen said, "Feng Jinbao took the money to the brothel; his family's maid is lazy, drinks and eats meat all day, the house lacks everything, sleeps until noon, does nothing, and bullies us." Feng Jinbao also said, "Sister, you do nothing all day, swap rice for cakes, and steal preserved meat to share with the maid Yuanxiao." Jingji believed it to be true, scolded Sister Ximen, "You slut, swapping rice for cakes and stealing meat to share with the maid!" He hit Yuanxiao and kicked Sister Ximen. In a fit of anger, Sister Ximen slammed into Feng Jinbao and yelled, "You gold-digging whore! You gave the stolen goods to the brothel, and now you accuse me of stealing rice and meat. I was caught by the night patrol in the middle of the night, and you let the man kick me! I'll deal with you later; what do I even need this life for?" Jingji said, "You slut, you are not even worth a few toes of his!" With that, he grabbed Sister Ximen's hair, punched and kicked her, leaving her battered and dazed, unable to think straight for a while. Jingji went back to his room to sleep, leaving Sister Ximen sobbing in the room and Yuanxiao sleeping in the outer room. In the middle of the night, Sister Ximen hung herself and committed suicide, at just twenty-four years old.
The next morning, Yuanxiao got up and couldn't get the door to the inner room open. Jingji and Feng Jinbao were still sleeping. Yuanxiao asked Chongxier to call the eldest sister, saying that she needed a washbasin, but still couldn't open the door. Jingji cursed, "This shameless woman, why hasn't she gotten up yet! I'll go in and pull out all her hair!" Chongxier looked through the window crack and said, "She's up, playing on the swing in the room!" He also said, "She's playing with puppets!" After looking for a while, Yuanxiao shouted, "Dad, something's wrong, Mom's hanged herself!" Xiaolang, shocked, rushed into the room with Feng Jinbao to rescue the eldest sister, but despite their frantic efforts, they couldn't revive her.
Where does true nature find its place, lost among wandering clouds and autumn waters?
Chen Ding heard that the eldest sister had died and, fearing he would be implicated, went to inform Yuemeng first. Yuemeng heard that the eldest sister had hanged herself. Jingji and Feng Jinbao had long harbored deep resentment, so she immediately took seven or eight family members and servants to Jingji's house in a threatening manner. Upon seeing the eldest sister's body, they grabbed Jingji and beat him severely, leaving him bruised all over. Feng Jinbao hid under the bed and was also dragged out and beaten. They smashed the doors and windows and looted everything in the house. Upon returning home, they sought advice from Wu Dajiu and Wu Erjiu. Dajiu said, "Sister, while no one has reported to the officials yet, if they come back tomorrow to ask for things, failing to plan ahead will lead to trouble. It's better to go to the authorities and prevent future problems." Yuemeng agreed with her brother's suggestion and wrote a petition.
The next day, Wu Yuemeng personally went to the county yamen to lodge a complaint. The newly appointed county magistrate was named Huo Dali, a scholar from Huanggang, Hubei, renowned for his integrity. Upon learning it was a homicide case, he immediately accepted the case. The petition stated:
The plaintiff is Mrs. Wu, 34 years old, the late Ximen Qing's wife. She accuses her son-in-law Chen Jingji of bullying a widow, acting on the words of the prostitute Feng Jinbao, and physically abusing her daughter, which ultimately led to her daughter's suicide. She requests the county magistrate to impose harsh punishment on the culprits so she can live peacefully. Chen Jingji hid in the Wu family for a few years after committing a crime. He often caused trouble by drinking and being irresponsible, frequently resorting to violence. Mrs. Wu, fearing his lawlessness, threw him out. Unexpectedly, Chen Jingji held a grudge and frequently beat Ximen, Mrs. Wu's daughter, who endured it all. Later, Chen Jingji married the prostitute Feng Jinbao from Linqing, took over Ximen's room, and, listening to Feng Jinbao's instigation, humiliated and assaulted Ximen in every way imaginable, even pulling out her hair and kicking her all over. Ximen, unable to endure it any longer, hanged herself on the third watch of the night on August 23 of this year. Chen Jingji was arrogant and overbearing, bullying widows, and even threatened to kill Mrs. Wu. This was unbearable. She requests the county magistrate to arrest Chen Jingji and Feng Jinbao, investigate the cause of her daughter's death, address it according to the law, punish the evildoers, allow the good to live in peace, and ensure the deceased rest without grievances.
After reading the complaint in court, Magistrate Huo saw Mrs. Wu, dressed in mourning attire, the dignified and elegant wife of a fifth-rank official. He stood up and said, "Madam Wu, as the wife of an official, I am familiar with the issues raised in this complaint. You can return home now and send someone to the yamen to await news. I will order the arrest." Mrs. Wu quickly thanked the magistrate and left in a sedan chair, leaving her family behind to wait at the yamen. Soon, the magistrate reviewed and approved the complaint and sent two yamen runners with official documents to arrest Chen Jingji, Feng Jinbao, and their neighbor, the village head, to bring them back to the county office for interrogation.
Chen Jingji was in the midst of a chaotic funeral, and when he heard that Wu Yuenu was reporting him, the county office sent people to arrest him, which terrified him. Feng Jinbao lay in bed, battered and in pain. Hearing that someone was coming to arrest her, she was also terrified. Chen Jingji quickly bribed the yamen runners, inviting them to drink and eat, and then was bound and taken to the county office. Neighbors Fan Gang, Sun Ji, and village head Wang Kuan were also brought to the county office. County Magistrate Huo, upon hearing that the suspects had been apprehended, immediately convened court. Lai Zhao, a relative of Wu Yuenu, knelt at the front, while Chen Jingji, Feng Jinbao, and others knelt below the hall. After reading the complaint, the magistrate called Chen Jingji to speak: "You are utterly despicable! Why did you believe the prostitute's words, beat Ximen Shi to death, and force her to hang herself? What do you have to say?" Chen Jingji kowtowed and begged for mercy: "Sir, I would never have killed her. Because I was cheated of money while doing business outside, and when I came back, I asked her for food. She didn't cook, so I kicked her twice. She hanged herself in the middle of the night." The magistrate shouted, "You married a prostitute and still asked her for food? This doesn't make sense! Wu's complaint says you killed her daughter and forced her to hang herself, and you still don't admit it!" Chen Jingji said, "Wu and I have a feud. She deliberately framed me; please investigate, sir." The magistrate was furious: "Her daughter is dead, and you still deny it?" He ordered Chen Jingji to be beaten with twenty planks. Then Feng Jinbao was brought up, subjected to one hundred strikes on his fingers, then beaten with one hundred planks, and then imprisoned. The next day, the magistrate sent the historian Zang Buxi to lead the yamen runners, village heads, neighbors, etc., to Chen Jingji's house, and brought out the body of Ximen Shi for examination. There were bruises on the body, and ligature marks on her neck, proving that Ximen Shi was beaten by Chen Jingji and could not bear it, so she committed suicide. The autopsy results were reported to the county office. The magistrate, furious, ordered ten additional strikes for Chen Jingji and ten for Feng Jinbao as well. Chen Jingji was convicted of beating his wife to death and sentenced to hang; Feng Jinbao was exiled one hundred miles and assigned to work at the local government office.
Chen Jingji panicked and wrote a letter to Chen Ding from prison, asking him to gather one hundred taels of silver by selling the fabric shop and his sister's jewelry, and secretly send it to the county magistrate. The magistrate took the bribe, changed the verdict overnight, and sentenced Chen Jingji to five years in prison for causing his wife's death, which was deemed a minor offense that could be absolved with a fine. Wu Yuemeng knelt in front of the county yamen several times to plead for mercy. The magistrate summoned Wu Yuemeng and said, "Madam, your daughter already has rope marks on her neck; how can we still convict him of beating her to death? Isn't that a bit unfair? If you're afraid he will harass you again in the future, I will write you a document to guarantee he won't come near your home again." Then he called Chen Jingji over and ordered, "I'm letting you off this time; you need to change your ways and not go to the Wu family to cause trouble again. If you cross me again, you won't get off so easy. Hurry up and bury Mrs. Ximen, come back and tell me so I can report it." Chen Jingji saved his own neck, paid the redemption money, brought the body home, held a wake for seven days, performed rites, and buried it outside the city. He spent two weeks in jail and drained his savings; Feng Jinbao was also sent away, everything in the house was sold, the house was pawned. He had managed to save his own neck and never dared to bring up his mother-in-law again.
It's true that misfortune often comes from one's own actions, and joy will eventually turn to sorrow.
There is a poem as proof:
Storms rise on calm ground, righteousness and kindness should not be forgotten.
Water overflows at the Blue Bridge; there must be a gathering, with the Three Stars playing the role of traders.
