The poem says:
Feeling the deep love for my beloved, intent on guarding the fragrant box.
Years often forget the days gone by, emotions linger regardless of time.
As the swallows fly, they vow to be as one, like a pair of mandarin ducks.
Counting the past feelings, I often count on my fingers in thought.
Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian were responsible for Wu Dalang's death, and the next day, they hosted a banquet, asking Wang Po to take care of Ying'er. They discussed, "When Wu Dalang returns, how can we keep this from him, so he doesn't know that Liu Jie is the one I married?" Wang Po laughed and said, "With me around, no matter how Wu Dalang makes a fuss, I can handle him. You can rest assured, my lord!" Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing was ecstatic and gave Wang Po three or four taels of silver as thanks. That night, he sent most of Pan Jinlian's belongings back to her family, leaving only some broken tables, damaged stools, and old clothes for Wang Po. The next day, the eighth day of the month, a sedan chair with four lanterns, Pan Jinlian dressed in a vibrant outfit, and Wang Po escorted the bride, while Dai An followed the sedan chair, carrying Pan Jinlian into Ximen Qing's home. Everyone on this street knew about the affair, fearing Ximen Qing's wealth and power, they dared not meddle, and even composed a four-line couplet:
"It’s laughable that Ximen is so shameless,
First committing adultery, then marrying, leaving a bad name.
Inside the sedan sits the wanton woman,
Followed by the old matchmaker."
Ximen Qing placed Pan Jinlian in three rooms in the lower level of the back garden. The rooms had a separate side door, with potted flowers and plants in the courtyard, rarely visited by anyone; it was very quiet. The rooms were divided into a living room and a bedroom. Ximen Qing spent sixteen taels of silver to buy a black lacquer and gold bed, a red silk canopy, various exquisite decorations, and the furnishings were neatly arranged. Madam Wu Yueniang's room had two maids, one named Chunmei and the other named Yuxiao. Ximen Qing moved Chunmei to serve Jinlian and instructed Jinlian to call her "Mother." He also spent five taels of silver to buy another maid named Xiaoyu to serve Yueniang, and spent six taels of silver to buy a maid named Qiujue to serve Jinlian. Pan Jinlian was the fifth wife in Ximen Qing's household. The wife from the Chen family, Sun Xue'e, was probably twenty years old, short and chubby, but quite pretty. Ximen Qing arranged her as the fourth, thus placing Pan Jinlian in the fifth position. We'll leave this matter for now.
As soon as Pan Jinlian entered, Ximen Qing took her to his chamber, and the two of them were very affectionate. The next day, Pan Jinlian dressed up beautifully, wearing gorgeous clothes, with Chunmei serving tea and accompanying her to pay a visit to Madam Wu Yueniang, presenting a gift. Yueniang carefully observed Pan Jinlian, who was probably twenty-five or twenty-six years old and strikingly beautiful. Her eyebrows resembled willow leaves in early spring, always hinting at rain and cloud. Her face was like peach blossoms in March, imbued with a touch of romance. Her slender waist was graceful and languid like a swallow, while her delicate lips were alluring, captivating the hearts of men. Her beauty was enchanting, her demeanor charming, and she possessed an alluring fragrance.
Wu Yueniang appraised her from head to toe, thinking to herself: "Those young men always talk about Wu Dalang's wife’s looks; I’ve never seen her before; I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful. No wonder my husband likes her so much." Jinlian bowed to Yueniang and offered her a gift. Yueniang returned the gesture. Afterwards, the second was Li Jiaor, the family’s singer, who was plump in figure; though a famous courtesan, her charm didn’t compare to Jinlian's. The third was the newly married Meng Yulou, probably thirty years old, with a pear-shaped face, a slim waist like a willow, and a tall, oval face, a bit of freckles on her face, naturally beautiful, but similar in figure to Jinlian. The fourth, Sun Xue'e, was a household maid, short and plump, lively and sprightly, skilled at making various soups, and could also dance. Jinlian took note of all this. After a few days, Jinlian would rise every morning to help Yueniang with sewing and mending, make shoe insoles, and worked diligently without expecting anything in return. She was also very kind to the maids, especially obedient to Yueniang, whom she called "big sister," quickly winning Yueniang's favor, who then called her "sixth sister." She even gifted her cherished clothes and jewelry and ate and drank with her. As a result, Li Jiaor and the others noticed Yueniang’s favoritism towards Jinlian and were very dissatisfied, often saying behind her back: "We’re all older; she’s only been here a short time. Why is big sister so foolish?" Since marrying Pan Jinlian, Ximen Qing has lived in a grand house, adorned in gold and silver; the two were a handsome couple, in the prime of their youth, with a strong bond, deeply affectionate, and intimate every day. But that’s a story for another time.
Wu Song arrived in Qinghe County in early August and first checked in at the county office. The county magistrate was quite pleased to know that the matter concerning Jin Bao was settled, gave him a reward of ten taels of silver, and covered his meals and drinks. Wu Song then went back to his place, changed into clean clothes, put on a new hat, locked the door, and headed straight to his brother's house on Zishi Street. When the neighbors saw him back, they were all shocked and anxious, thinking to themselves, "This time something bad is going to happen! This big shot is back; will he let it go?" Wu Song arrived at his brother's door, lifted the curtain and stepped inside, only to find his niece Ying'er upstairs, busy sewing. He called out to his brother and sister-in-law, but there was no response. He wondered, "Am I going deaf? Why can't I hear my brother and sister-in-law's voices?" He then went to ask Ying'er. When Ying'er saw her uncle, she was so startled she couldn't say a thing. Wu Song asked, "Where have your parents gone?" Ying'er just cried and did not speak. Just then, the next door Wang Po heard that Wu Song had returned, worried that the truth would come out, and she quickly ran over. Wu Song greeted Wang Po and asked, "Where did my brother go? Why is my sister-in-law nowhere to be seen?" Wang Po said, "Sit down, Second Brother; let me explain. Your brother got seriously ill and passed away in April after you left."
Wu Song asked, "On what day in April did my brother die? What illness did he have? What medicine did he take?" Wang Po replied, "Your brother fell seriously ill with severe chest pain on the tenth day of April, and after being ill for eight or nine days, he sought divine guidance. He tried all kinds of medicine, but nothing worked, and he ultimately died." Wu Song said, "My brother never had this kind of illness before. How did he die so suddenly?" Wang Po said, "Don't say that, unexpected things can happen, and fortunes can change overnight. Who can guarantee that nothing will go wrong in a lifetime?" Wu Song asked, "Where was my brother buried?" Wang Po replied, "After your brother passed away, the family had no money, and your sister-in-law couldn't afford a proper burial. Fortunately, a wealthy man nearby who had a bit of a relationship with your brother helped with a coffin. They had no choice but to cremate him after three days of waiting." Wu Song then asked, "Where is my sister-in-law now?" Wang Po said, "She is young and has no support. After observing the mourning period for one hundred days, her mother advised her to marry someone from another place. She left the child behind for me to take care of until you return, thinking of it as a good deed."
Wu Song listened, fell silent for a while, then left Wang Po and went to the county magistrate's residence. Upon entering the room, he changed into mourning clothes, called a bailiff and sent him to buy a hemp rope, a pair of cotton pants, and a mourning hat; he also bought some fruits, pastries, incense, paper money, and gold and silver offerings, then returned to his brother's home to reestablish Wu Da's spirit tablet. He arranged the food, lit the incense, placed the wine and dishes, hung the prayer flags and paper money, and organized everything neatly. Around midnight, Wu Song lit incense and prayed, saying, "Brother, in your spirit in heaven, you were weak in life, and now that you are dead, things are unclear. If you died wronged, harmed by someone, then come to me in a dream and let me know; I will take revenge for you!" While drinking and mourning, he burned paper money and then cried out loud. His cries echoed in all directions, and the neighbors shared in the sorrow. After crying, he ate with the bailiff and Ying'er. He let the bailiff sleep outside, Ying'er inside, while he spread a mat and slept at the table in front of Wu Da's spirit tablet.
Just as he finished speaking, a cold wind suddenly rose beneath the spirit tablet:
Formless and shadowless, neither fog nor smoke. Whirling like an eerie wind that chills to the bone, fierce like murderous intent that pierces the skin with cold. Dim and dark, the light before the spirit has lost its brightness; ghastly and dim, the paper money on the wall fluttered chaotically. Faintly revealing the food poison spirit, drifting and swirling, the shadowy soul banners flutter.
The cold wind startled Wu Song so much that his hair stood on end. He focused his gaze and saw a person emerging from beneath the ancestral tablet, shouting, "Brother! I died a terrible death!" Before Wu Song could get a good look, the figure disappeared, and the cold wind dissipated. Wu Song suddenly collapsed onto the mat, thinking, "Strange! It feels like a dream, yet it isn't a dream. My brother was just about to tell me something, but it was dispersed by my yang spirit. There must be something fishy about his death." He looked at the drum, and it was exactly three in the morning. He glanced back and saw the constable sound asleep. Wu Song felt restless and decided to wait until dawn to figure things out.
At the crack of dawn, the rooster crowed, and the sky was just beginning to brighten. Wu Er's men got up to boil water, and Wu Er finished washing up himself and asked Ying'er to stay home. He then went door to door asking, "How did my brother die? Who did my sister-in-law marry?" The neighbors all knew what happened, but they were scared of Ximen Qing, so no one dared to say a word, only saying, "Wu Du, don't ask anymore. Wang Po lives next door; go ask her and you'll know." Others chimed in, "Yun Ge, who sells pears, and Wo Zuo He Jiu, they know best." So Wu Er went to find Yun Ge. He saw young Yun Ge, who was carrying a willow basket of rice. Wu Er called out to him, saying, "Brother!" Yun Ge saw that it was Wu Er and said, "Wu Du, you’re late; this isn’t going to be easy. My father is sixty years old and no one supports him. I can’t get mixed up in your legal troubles." Wu Er said, "Good brother, come with me." He took Yun Ge to an upstairs restaurant and ordered two bowls of rice. Wu Er said to Yun Ge, "Brother, although you are young, you are a filial child. I have nothing..." as he took out five taels of silver from his body and handed it to Yun Ge, "Take this first to provide for your father, and when the matter is settled, I will give you another ten taels of silver as capital. Be honest with me; don’t hold anything back. Who was against my brother? Who harmed him? Who married my sister-in-law?" Yun Ge took the silver and thought, "This silver should last my father for three to five months, and enough to accompany him in the lawsuit." Then he said, "Wu Er, just hear me out and don’t get mad." So he told Wu Er how Yun Ge, who sells pears, went to find Ximen Qing, how Wang Po beat him and didn't let him in, how he helped Wu Da catch his wife cheating, how Ximen Qing kicked Wu Da, and how Wu Da died in pain for a few days. He told the whole story in detail. Wu Er asked, "Is that really true?" and asked again, "Did my sister-in-law really marry someone?" Yun Ge said, "Your sister-in-law was carried back by Ximen Qing; as for whether she really married him, I honestly don’t know!" Wu Er warned, "Don’t lie to me." Yun Ge said, "Even in front of the government, I would say the same." Wu Er said, "Brother, since that's the case, let's have a meal." After a while, they finished their meal, Wu Er paid, and the two went downstairs. Wu Er said to Yun Ge, "Go home and give this money to your dad; wait for me at the county yamen gate tomorrow morning to testify for me." He also asked, "Are you still trying to find He Jiu?" Yun Ge said, "He heard that you came back three days ago, and I have no idea where he went." So Wu Er let Yun Ge go home.
The next morning, Wu Er first went to Chen’s house to write a complaint, then arrived at the county yamen. Yun Ge was waiting there as well, and the two of them entered the hall together and knelt down, with Wu Er crying out for justice. The county magistrate recognized Wu Song and asked, "What’s your complaint? Why are you crying out for justice?" Wu Er said, "My brother Wu Da was killed by the bully Ximen Qing and his wife Pan, who were having an affair. Wang Po is the ringleader, and He Jiu improperly handled the body and burned it. Now Ximen Qing has taken my sister-in-law as his concubine. This young man, Yun Ge, is a witness. Please, my lord, intervene!" As he spoke, he handed over the complaint. The magistrate took the complaint and asked, "Why didn't He Jiu come?" Wu Er replied, "He Jiu knows the details and has run away; we don't know where he is." The magistrate then questioned Yun Ge and retreated to discuss with several officials. As a result, the magistrate, the deputy magistrate, the chief clerk, and the record keeper were all in cahoots with Ximen Qing, so they thought this matter would be difficult to handle. The magistrate came out and said to Wu Song, "You’re also a captain in this county; why don’t you understand the law? It’s always been the case that to catch someone cheating, you need to catch both parties; to accuse someone of murder, you need a body. Your brother's body is gone, and you haven't caught them in the act. Filing a complaint based solely on this young man’s words seems a bit one-sided, don’t you think? Don’t act recklessly; think it through carefully." Wu Er said, "My lord, all of this is the truth, not something I made up. Please, my lord, bring Ximen Qing, Pan Jinlian, and Wang Po here for questioning; the truth will naturally come to light. If I wrongfully accuse them, I’ll accept any punishment." The magistrate said, "You get up first; I will think it over. If possible, I will arrest them." Only then did Wu Er stand up, step outside, leaving Yun Ge in the room and not letting him go home.
Someone had already informed Ximen Qing about this. Ximen Qing panicked upon hearing this, quickly summoned his trusted aides, Bao and Liang, brought money and bribed the officials overnight. The next morning, Wu Er waited in the hall to lodge a complaint and urged them to make an arrest. Unexpectedly, the officials had taken bribes and had already dismissed the complaint, saying, "Wu Song, don't be impulsive. This matter is unclear and hard to resolve. As the sage said, 'What you see with your own eyes may not necessarily be true; what you hear behind your back cannot be fully trusted.' " The officials nearby said, "Du Tou, you also understand the law in the yamen. In a case involving a person's life, there must be evidence of a corpse, injuries, illness, weapons, and traces of the crime before we can establish a case. Since your brother's body is missing, how can we establish a case?" Wu Er said, "Are you saying I can't seek revenge for my brother? Since the magistrate won't let me file a complaint, then forget it." He then took back the complaint, left the yamen, told his brother to go home, then let out a deep sigh, gritted his teeth, and cursed those immoral women.
Wu Song's violent temper meant he couldn't hold back his anger! He charged directly to the pharmacy run by Ximen Qing, intending to confront him. Just then, he saw Ximen Qing's assistant at the counter. Upon seeing Wu Song's fierce appearance, the assistant quickly asked, "Is there something you need to talk about?" Recognizing Wu Song, the assistant cautiously said, "He’s not at home. Do you have something to discuss with the captain?" Wu Song replied, "Let’s talk privately." The assistant had no choice but to comply and was pulled by Wu Song into a quiet alley. Wu Song grabbed the assistant by the collar, glaring at him and asking, "Do you want to live or not?" The assistant, terrified, stammered, "Captain, I haven’t offended you, why are you so angry?" Wu Song said, "If you want to live, be honest! Where is Ximen Qing right now? How long has he been with my sister-in-law? Spill it all, and I'll spare you!" The assistant, feeling intimidated by Wu Song's fierce demeanor, was so frightened that he lost his composure and quickly said, "Captain, please calm down! I work for him, getting two taels of silver a month, just responsible for watching the store. I don’t know anything else. The master is indeed not at home; he just went to a big restaurant on Lion Street to drink with a friend. I swear, I wouldn’t lie!" Finally, Wu Song let him go and took off running towards Lion Street, leaving the assistant in shock for a moment. Wu Song ran all the way, heading straight for the restaurant under the Lion Street bridge.
Ximen Qing was upstairs drinking with a lackey named Li Waizhuan from the county. Li Waizhuan was a spy who made money by hanging around the yamen to gather information. When two families had a lawsuit, he would play both sides; when officials needed help, he would take care of it on both ends. So the county called him "Li Waizhuan." That day, he heard that the magistrate had approved Wusong's petition, so he hurried to tell Ximen Qing. To show his gratitude, Ximen Qing gave him five taels of silver. They were happily drinking when Ximen Qing suddenly looked downstairs and saw Wusong rushing over like a vengeful spirit from under the bridge. Knowing that Wusong meant trouble, Ximen Qing panicked and thought about running, but he couldn't get downstairs in time, so he quickly pretended to hide in the changing room. Wusong ran to the tavern and asked the innkeeper, "Is Ximen Qing here?" The innkeeper replied, "Master Ximen and a friend are drinking upstairs." Without missing a beat, Wusong quickly rushed upstairs. Ximen Qing had already left, and only Li Waizhuan was sitting there, with two singing girls beside him. Wusong recognized Li Waizhuan as a servant from the county and was certain this guy had tipped Wusong off. He was furious, rushed over, pointed at Li Waizhuan, and shouted, "You bastard, where did you hide Ximen Qing? Tell me now, or I'll beat you!" Li Waizhuan was so scared by Wusong's anger that he couldn't speak. Seeing him remain silent, Wusong became even angrier, kicked the table over, smashing the dishes and scaring the two girls. Li Waizhuan realized the situation was dire and tried to run, but Wusong grabbed him and punched him in the face, making him yelp in pain. Li Waizhuan said, "Ximen Qing went to the back of the building to change clothes, it's not my problem, just let me go!" Wusong grabbed him and tossed him out the window, saying, "If you want to leave, then leave!" Li Waizhuan fell heavily to the street below. Wusong immediately went to the back of the building to find Ximen Qing. When Ximen Qing heard Wusong causing trouble downstairs, he was so scared he jumped out of the back window and ran along the eaves to escape. Not finding Ximen Qing, Wusong figured Li Waizhuan was lying, so he turned and went downstairs, where he saw Li Waizhuan lying on the ground, still gasping for breath. Out of anger, he kicked him twice, and Li Waizhuan died on the spot.
People were discussing, "How did Li Zaoli offend the Wudu captain? Why did he get killed?" Wu Song said, "I was originally going to hit Ximen Qing, but this kid couldn’t keep his mouth shut and ended up getting in the way." The local militia saw that someone had died and didn't dare to arrest Wu Song, so they could only approach him cautiously to take him in. The tavern keeper Wang Luan and two actresses, the Bao and Niu girls, were also arrested and taken to the county jail. Lion Street in Qinghe County was in chaos, with people talking about it everywhere, saying Wu Song had killed Ximen Qing.
Li Gong drank Zhang Gong's brew; Zheng Liu had a son named Zheng Jiu.
How many injustices are there in the world? They're all just stories told by those who witness them.
