Once upon a time, Wu Er was arrested and taken to see the county magistrate, but let's put him aside for now. Ximen Qing jumped out of the window and hid at the home of an elderly man named Hu. Mr. Hu is a physician. There was a plump young girl in his house who went to the restroom to wash her hands, her backside sticking out. Suddenly, she saw a person crouching under the wall, and she screamed, "Thief!" Mr. Hu quickly came out to take a look and recognized Ximen Qing. He exclaimed, "Mr. Ximen, you’re fortunate. Wu Er didn’t find you, but he killed someone else and was taken to the county, and will definitely be sentenced to death. You should get home quickly; it’s all over now." Ximen Qing thanked Mr. Hu and went home to tell Pan Jinlian all about it. They were both very happy, feeling as if they had finally escaped their predicament. Pan Jinlian urged Ximen Qing to spend more money to ensure Wu Er's situation was completely resolved and not let him come out. Ximen Qing dispatched his trusted aide, Lai Wang, to present gifts to the magistrate, which included a set of exquisite gold and silver wine vessels and fifty taels of silver. The officials in the county office also took measures, hoping Wu Er would receive a lighter sentence.
The county magistrate accepted a bribe and called an immediate court session the next day. The local magistrate's officials brought Wu Song, along with the waitstaff and singers from the tavern, and forced them to kneel. The magistrate, wearing a stern expression, said, "Wu Song! You falsely accused someone innocent yesterday, and I have already shown leniency. Why do you still break the law and kill someone for no reason?" Wu Song replied, "I have a vendetta against Ximen Qing and went to fight him, but I didn't expect to accidentally harm this person. He protected Ximen Qing, and in a moment of rage, I killed him. Please, my lord, take charge of this matter, capture Ximen Qing, and bring him to justice to avenge my brother. I am willing to bear the responsibility for the accidental injury." The magistrate said, "Nonsense! Do you not recognize that he is a constable of the county office? There must be another reason for his death; why do you bring Ximen Qing into this? If you don't confess, you'll be punished!" He ordered that Wu Song be given twenty hard blows. Wu Song cried out in protest, "My lord, I have also contributed to the government; please have pity on me and don’t beat me anymore!" The magistrate became even angrier: "You personally killed a man and still refuse to admit it; what are you denying?" He ordered, "Give him a hard beating!" Wu Song was beaten again and received fifty more blows, then was placed in stocks and imprisoned. The others were confined in a room by the prison entrance. The county deputy and the assistant official had a good relationship with Wu Song and wanted to help him, but they had both accepted bribes from Ximen Qing and dared not speak up. Wu Song continued to cry out in protest for several days, eventually providing a vague testimony, then took a coroner and neighbors to Lion Street to examine the body and fill out the autopsy report. The autopsy results showed that Wu Song, due to a dispute over money, fought with Li Waizhu after drinking, resulting in punches and kicks which resulted in Li Waizhu's death. There were varying degrees of bruises on his left rib, face, chest, and lower body. After the autopsy, they returned to the county office. A few days later, the documents were prepared, and Wu Song was escorted to Dongping Prefecture, awaiting his fate. The prefect of Dongping, Chen Wenzhao, a native of Henan, was known for his integrity. Upon receiving the report, he immediately called an immediate court session. What sort of person was he? As the poem describes:
Throughout his life, he was upright and wise. In his youth, he studied hard at the snow-covered study desk, and as he grew older, he offered advice in the imperial court. He always embodied loyalty and filial piety, and ruled with kindness. With household registrations and provisions in order, the people praised him in the streets; with crime and banditry reduced, the elderly sang his praises in the bustling marketplaces. His name would be remembered in history for millennia, and his legacy would endure through the ages. Known as a father figure to the people, he was renowned for his integrity.
After Chen Wenzhao opened the court, he had the official documents and testimonies of the people from Qinghe County read aloud, which included:
"Report from Qinghe County, Dongping Prefecture: The defendant Wu Song, aged twenty-eight, a native of Yanggu County, skilled in martial arts and a former headman of the county. While returning home for official business to honor his deceased brother, he discovered that his sister-in-law, Pan Shi, had remarried before completing the mourning period. On that day, Wu Song was patrolling at the entrance of the alley when he encountered Li Waichuan at the Wangluan Tavern on Lion Street. Due to Li Waichuan being drunk, Wu Song asked for the three hundred coins he had previously lent him, but Li Waichuan refused to pay. A dispute ensued between the two, leading to a physical altercation, which led to Li Waichuan's death. Witnesses, including the singers Niu and Bao, testified and were taken into custody by the local militia. Officials conducted an on-site examination of the corpse, gathered forensic evidence, completed diagrams, and confirmed the findings. It is recommended to impose a death sentence by hanging for Wu Song for causing death in a fight. The tavern keeper Wang Luan, Niu, and Bao are innocent. This report is submitted for the magistrate's decision.
Dated August, Year 3 of the Zhenghe era
County Magistrate Li Dataian, County Deputy Le He'an, Chief Clerk Hua Helu, Archivist Xia Gongji, Clerk Qian Lao."
After the magistrate finished reading it, he called Wu Song over and asked, "How did you kill Li Wai Chun?" Wu Song kowtowed and said, "Your Honor! I finally have the chance to clear my name, please listen to me." The magistrate said, "Go ahead." Wu Song explained in detail how Ximen Qing had taken advantage of Pan Jinlian, how his brother was killed while trying to catch them in the act, and how he was unable to seek justice afterwards. He said, "I originally wanted to avenge my brother and fight Ximen Qing, but I never intended to kill this man by mistake. I am innocent, but Ximen Qing is wealthy and powerful, so there was nothing I could do. I have no regrets about my own death, but my brother Wu Da died unfairly; his life was taken unfairly." The magistrate said, "No need to say more, I understand everything." He called the bailiffs and gave them twenty lashes, saying, "You officials are not doing your jobs properly; how can you be so corrupt and unjust?" Then he questioned the others one by one, adjusted Wu Song's statement, and told the county magistrate and officials, "This man was seeking revenge for his brother and accidentally killed Li Wai Chun; he's a hero, not a criminal." He removed his heavy shackles, replaced them with lighter ones, and locked him up in a cell. The others were sent back to their original county. At the same time, he sent a letter to Qinghe County to investigate Ximen Qing, Pan Jinlian, Wang Po, Yun Ge, and the others thoroughly. In the prison of Dongping Prefecture, everyone knew that Wu Song was a hero; the guards refused his money and even brought him food and wine.
Someone had already reported this matter to the Qinghe County officials. When Ximen Qing heard about it, he was frantic. Chen Wenzhao was an honest and upright official, so Ximen Qing was too afraid to bribe him. Therefore, Ximen Qing could only seek help from a trusted aide from his father-in-law's family and sent his servant Lai Wang to write a letter to Inspector Yang in Beijing overnight. Inspector Yang then reached out to Grand Tutor Cai in the Imperial Court. Grand Tutor Cai, worried about how it would affect Magistrate Li's reputation, quickly penned a confidential letter to Chen Wenzhao, clearing Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian of any wrongdoing. Chen Wenzhao, who had been the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple and was later promoted to Prefect of Dongping Prefecture, had been a student of Grand Tutor Cai. He knew that Inspector Yang had a lot of influence in the court, so he aimed to avoid offending either side. The final verdict was that Wusong was spared the death penalty, received forty lashes, and was exiled two thousand miles for military service. As for Wudalang, who was already dead and whose body was missing, the case was dropped. The other individuals involved were released. After Chen Wenzhao submitted his memorial to the provincial court, he waited for the official documents to arrive before promptly executing the orders. Chen Wenzhao brought Wusong out of his cell, read the court's judgment aloud, removed his shackles, placed a seven-and-a-half-pound iron collar on him, branded two characters onto his face, and sent him to Mengzhou Prison to serve his sentence. After all the verdicts were carried out, the Prefect signed the official documents in court, dispatched two escorting officials, and took Wusong to Mengzhou for transfer.
On that day, Wusong left Dongping Prefecture with the two escorting officials and returned to his hometown in Qinghe County. He sold everything he could sell at home, gave the escorting officials some money for their journey, and asked his neighbor, Yao Erlang, to take care of Ying'er: "If the court pardons me in the future and allows me to return home, I will make sure to repay you." The wealthy neighbors, seeing Wusong as a righteous hero in trouble, supported him with silver, and some even brought him food and drink. Upon reaching his destination, Wusong requested his belongings from the soldiers escorting him and left Qinghe County that same day, making his way to Mengzhou. There is a poem as proof:
The governor was renowned for his integrity, while Wu Song was on the brink of death yet still managed to convey his thoughts. This morning, he was sent to the prison in the city, where the sickly grass thrived in the warm wind.
We won't discuss Wu Song's assignment to Mengzhou. Furthermore, upon hearing that Wu Song had left, Ximen Qing felt a stone lift from his heart, as if a heavy load had been shed, making him feel much lighter. He then instructed Lai Wang, Lai Bao, and Lai Xing to clean up the hibiscus pavilion in the back garden, set up screens, hang up brocade curtains, and prepare a lavish banquet. He even invited a band to play music. He called over Wu Yueniang, Li Jiaor, Meng Yulou, Sun Xue'e, and Pan Jinlian, and the family celebrated joyfully over drinks. The wives, maidservants, and female attendants were all nearby serving them.
The scene was as follows: incense wafted from the precious censer, flowers arranged in golden vases. The table was set with ancient artifacts from Xiangzhou, and the curtains opened to reveal the bright pearls of Hepu. In the crystal plates, candied dates and pears were piled high; in the jade cups, they overflowed with fine wine. They cooked dragon liver and roasted phoenix gallbladder, indeed worth a fortune; black bear paws and purple camel hooves were served after drinking, filling the room with fragrance. The crushed phoenix pastries were presented in white jade bowls, creating a frothy appearance; the fine liquid was poured from the purple gold pot, releasing a clear aroma. After all, they could outshine Meng Changjun, as only they dared to outsmart the wealthy Shi Chong.
Ximen Qing and Wu Yueniang sat in the main seats, while others sat on both sides, drinking and playing games, creating a lively atmosphere. While they were drinking, they saw a young servant leading a male servant and a young girl. The young girl, with long hair, was adorable and well-mannered. She was holding two boxes and said, "The Hua family next door sent flowers and snacks for the ladies." They walked up to Ximen Qing and Lady Wu, kowtowed, and stood beside them, saying, "My mistress asked me to bring snacks and flowers for Lady Ximen." Upon opening the boxes, they found one contained imperial pepper-and-salt pastries, and the other contained freshly picked jade hairpins. Lady Wu was delighted and remarked, "Your mistress is so considerate." As she looked at the dishes, she offered some snacks to her guests. Lady Wu gave the young girl a handkerchief and handed the young servant a hundred wen, saying, "Thank your mistress, we are very grateful." Then she asked the young girl, "What is your name?" The young girl replied, "My name is Xiuchun. The young servant is Tianfu." She sent them away. Lady Wu said to Ximen Qing, "The lady from the Hua family is truly kind; she often sends us things. I haven't had a chance to reciprocate." Ximen Qing said, "Hua's second brother married this wife less than two years ago. He himself says his wife is wonderful. Otherwise, how could they have these two good maids?" Lady Wu said, "I once saw her during her father-in-law's funeral. She’s of average height, has a round face, delicate eyebrows, fair skin, and a gentle demeanor. She is not very old, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five." Ximen Qing said, "You might not know, but she was once a concubine of Liang Zhongshu from Daming Prefecture. Later, she married into the Hua family and brought a lot of money with her." Lady Wu said, "Since she's sent us gifts, we can't be rude. Tomorrow, we should send her some gifts in return."
Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you the story in detail: It turns out that Huazi Xu's wife is surnamed Li. Since she was born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, others gifted her a pair of fish vases, so her nickname is Vase Sister. She used to be a secondary wife of Liang Zhongshu from Damingfu. Liang Zhongshu is the son-in-law of Grand Minister Cai from Dongjing, and his wife was extremely jealous. Many of his concubines met a tragic end and were buried in the backyard. Li lived outside the study, with an old maid attending to her. On the night of the Lantern Festival in the third year of the Zhenghe era, Li Kui killed the entire Liang family, and both Liang Zhongshu and his wife fled for their lives. Li took a hundred Western pearls, a pair of two-tael dark green gemstones, and escaped to Dongjing with the old maid to seek refuge with her relatives. At that time, Eunuch Hua was promoted directly from the imperial court to guard Guangnan. Since his nephew Huazi Xu had not married, he asked a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for him to take her as his legitimate wife. Eunuch Hua went to Guangnan and brought her along, where they lived for more than half a year. Unfortunately, Eunuch Hua fell ill and retired to his hometown. As he was from Qinghe County, he returned to live there. Now that Eunuch Hua is dead, Zixu is in possession of a lot of money. He spends his days idly wandering around the courtyard with friends and was sworn brothers with Ximen Qing. He spends all day with his friends, including Earl Ying, Xie Xida, and several others, meeting once a month, inviting theater troupes, eating, drinking, and having fun. Seeing that Huazi Xu is from a noble family and has money, they encourage him to hire prostitutes in the courtyard, often not returning home for several nights. Indeed:
The spring light shines on the purple paths, the red building is filled with music and wine. How many moments can we truly enjoy in life? If not joyful, it’s all in vain.
Let's not linger on this matter. That day, Ximen Qing brought his wife and concubines, and the whole family happily drank at the Furong Pavilion until evening. Upon returning to Pan Jinlian's room, Ximen Qing was already a bit tipsy. Taking advantage of the alcohol, he wanted to get intimate with Pan Jinlian. Pan Jinlian quickly lit incense, made the bed, and prepared to join him in bed.
As a result, Ximen Qing didn't go through with it because he knew that Pan Jinlian was best at playing the xiao (a type of Chinese flute). So he sat inside the gauze tent, with Pan Jinlian lying beside him... Ximen Qing lowered his head to admire her skills and praised her for quite some time, and his desire grew stronger, so he called Chunmei in to bring tea. Pan Jinlian was worried that the maid would see, so she hurriedly lowered the curtain. Ximen Qing asked, "What are you worried about?" Then he began to say, "There are two pretty maids in the next room of Brother Hua Er. The one who brought flowers today is a little maid. There's another one who's about the same age as Chunmei, also used by Brother Hua Er. I saw his mother standing at the door, and when that maid came out, she was really beautiful! I never expected Brother Hua Er, being so young, to have so many people in his household!"
Upon hearing this, Pan Jinlian glanced at him and said, "You really are something. I won't give you a hard time anymore. If you want that maid, go ahead and take her. Why beat around the bush and compare her to me? I'm not that kind of person; she's not my maid! How about this, tomorrow I'll go to Meng Yulou for a while to give you some space. You can just call her into the house; if you want her, then take her." Ximen Qing, upon hearing this, happily said, "My good wife, you're so thoughtful; how could I not love you!" The two chatted happily, their feelings deepening, and after finishing the flute playing slowly, they embraced and fell asleep.
Indeed, there are inner matters that cater to a gentleman's desires; she plays the purple xiao with great care.
As evidenced by the poem "Xijiangyue":
**The gauze tent's fragrance wafts with orchid and musk; the elegant brows are accustomed to the xiao's song. The snow-white jade body透房帏, cannot withstand the soul flying and the spirit shattering. The jade wrist adorned with golden bangles, both feelings intoxicated and infatuated. The talented gentleman's feelings are stirred, urging the maid to know, slowly savor it a little longer.**
The next day, Pan Jinlian indeed went to Meng Yulou. Ximen Qing then called Chunmei into the room and took that maid for himself.
Indeed:
**The spring points to the apricot and peach blossoms blooming; the wind plays with the green, swaying willows.**
Since then, Pan Jinlian looked after Chunmei in every way, not allowing her to do any heavy labor, only letting her make the beds, fold blankets, and serve tea and water. She even gave her her favorite clothes and jewelry, dressing her up to be beautiful. Chunmei was different from Qiujiao; she was clever, lively, and pretty, which made Ximen Qing quite fond of her. Qiujiao was rather slow-witted and naive, and Pan Jinlian often punished her.
Indeed:
**The sparrows don garments of purple and red, chattering and vying for attention.
Though countless birds may flock together, their statuses and beauty differ.**
