Well, the personalities of people are inherently different; some are strong-willed, some gentle, some quick-tempered and others more laid-back—there's a wide variety. If you really think about what's right and wrong, very few can restrain their desires. Those who truly understand how things work and know how to exercise self-discipline and return to propriety are indeed extremely rare! The misconduct of prison officials has been a long-standing issue. Since the Wei dynasty, the law hasn't been enforced strictly, with lots of loopholes that let many slip through the cracks. Emperor Gaozu took some tough measures to rein in officials in order to make everyone in the court aware of the law's authority. Now, recording the deeds of Di Zhen and others is a lesson for future generations, offering both a warning and some motivation.
Di Zhen, styled Bao'an, was originally from Shanquyang in Zhongshan. He joined Emperor Gaozu in the uprising and was later appointed as the Chief Historian. He was known for being harsh and irritable, with an insatiable greed. He later became the Right Minister and Grand Chancellor, also overseeing military affairs. Di Zhen was especially cruel to his subordinates, making everyone turn against him, and ultimately, he was killed by the common people. After he died, he was given the title of Governor of Dingzhou posthumously.
Song Youdao, from Guangping, his ancestors were from Dunhuang. His father, Song Jiyu, once served as the Governor of Bohai. When Song Youdao was young, he accompanied his father in the county, and after his father's death, many officials sent gifts, but he did not accept any of them. He was famously filial to his mother. He lived separately from his uncle, and when a servant from his uncle's household falsely accused his uncle of treason, Song Youdao deceived his uncle into returning, cleared the false accusations, and then killed the servant who made the false accusation. Later, when King Guangyang of Wei launched a northern campaign, he appointed him as the Armory Officer, then made him the governor of Dingzhou, and appointed him as a government assistant. After King Guangyang was assassinated by Ge Rong, Yuan Hui falsely accused Song Youdao of surrendering to the enemy and captured his wife and children. Song Youdao traveled far and wide to rescue them, and together with the son of King Guangyang, returned King Guangyang's body to his hometown for burial. The lieutenant Li Shanchang greatly admired his character and invited him to the palace as an Imperial Censor. People in the palace said, "If you run into trouble, just look for Song Youdao!"
After Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang took power, Youdao was dismissed from his post as Left Zhongbing Langzhong. Wang Yu, the Linhuai Prince and Minister of Personnel, reprimanded him. Youdao took his tablet, bowed deeply, and said, "I appreciate Your Highness's anger, but I do not appreciate Your Highness's decision." That day, he went directly to the palace to submit a memorial, which stated in summary: Yuan Fu, the governor of Xu Zhou, had repeatedly reported, "The pretender Liang is mobilizing troops with the intention of attacking Pengcheng, requesting an additional two thousand Yulin troops." Since Yuan Fu was a royal relative and an important minister, his request seemed reasonable, so the court allocated one thousand troops to him. However, after Yuan Fu took over from his predecessor, he only accepted eight hundred Yulin troops on the grounds of road blockages and said, "The border is peaceful, I request to send these eight hundred men back to the capital." As the official in charge, I understand this is not right. Wang Yu, the Minister of Personnel and a nephew of Yuan Fu, sent people to pressure me eight times in three days to act according to Yuan Fu's request. I did not dare to disobey the imperial edict, deceive the emperor, or betray his trust. However, since Yuan Fu is still in office, requesting additional troops is reasonable; after he leaves, we can withdraw the troops, which is a reasonable course of action and does not suggest any intention to harm the state. If my request is found unreasonable, then please punish me according to the law!
Yù asked me to go to the Hall of the Minister of Rites and said, "You, a mere young official, do you truly care for the country more than I do?" He berated me, completely disregarding court etiquette. The Right Minister, Shìlóng, the Minister of Personnel Xuè Huā, and more than a hundred others witnessed this scene. At that moment, I spoke frankly and said, "A loyal minister serves the country with steadfast loyalty; what does it matter how high or low one's official rank is? When you entered Luoyang from the North Sea, you did not fight for the country; instead, you cleared the palace to welcome the bandits. Zheng Xianhu stood firm in his principles in Guangzhou, yet you personally led your troops to suppress him. You show such leniency towards the wicked but are so quick to act against the righteous! Now that you are the highest-ranking official, you still harm the country's interests for personal matters!" Because of what I said, Yù became even angrier. My capabilities were limited, and I had offended the powerful, so I requested to be relieved of my position as an official. The emperor summoned me and even praised me. Yù also submitted a petition saying, "As the head of all officials, I have allowed a mere young official to shout at me and act recklessly; I request to be relieved of my position as Minister of Rites." The emperor then ordered that both of them be dismissed from their posts.
Later on, Yóudào became a junior official in Sizhōu. Just when he was about to return to Yè City, it was pouring rain, and travelers were stuck on the river bridge. Yóudào spent every night drinking and singing with his colleagues, and someone said, "It's raining now, and you're still singing; that's just plain silly!" Yóudào replied, "When is it not a good time to sing? It's the people who say such things that are foolish!"
Later, Gao Huan came from Taiyuan to the capital to visit the emperor. Upon seeing You Dao, he said, "This must be Song You Dao, right? I have heard his name long ago, and today I finally see the real deal." Thus, Gao Huan promoted You Dao to Deputy Director. After some time, Gao Huan came to Sizhou and hosted a banquet for the officials of the court. He raised his wine cup to toast You Dao, saying, "Only those who can drink this wine with gusto are real men, and you should drink this cup!" When Gao Huan returned to Jinyang, the officials said their goodbyes to him on Zimo. Gao Huan held You Dao's hand and said, "I know some people in court are jealous of you. Just keep doing your job and don’t worry; I’ll make sure your rank matches theirs." Thus, Gao Huan promoted You Dao to the position of Lieutenant.
However, King Wenxiang (Gao Cheng) strongly requested, and in the end, the Minister of Personnel, Cui Xian, was made the Inspector Lieutenant, and You Dao became the Left Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel. King Wenxiang said to Cui Xian and You Dao, "One of you will be at the Southern Platform (Inspectorate), and the other at the Northern Ministry (Ministry of Personnel). You need to instill a sense of awe in the people!" After You Dao took office, he impeached the Grand Tutor, Prince of Xianyang, Tan, Grand Protector Sun Teng, Minister of Works Gao Longzhi, Minister of War Hou Jing, Recorder of the Ministry of Personnel Yuan Bi, and the Minister of Personnel Sima Ziru, accusing them of taking bribes and pressuring people for fees. While it wasn’t outright bribery, they still couldn’t escape the influence of the powerful. He also submitted a memorial refuting hundreds of violations and mistakes from the Ministry of Personnel, and those powerful officials in the ministry, like Wang Ruzhi and others, were harshly criticized by him. He even set up access control in the Ministry of Personnel, keeping track of when officials came and went, and even servants had to be on their best behavior around him.
Prince Anping of Wei died as a result of his misdeeds, and those closely related to him, including the Second Prince Zhangwu and other princesses and royal concubines, were also implicated and held accountable. Official Bi Yiyun was responsible for this matter; he directly banned some memorials and also prohibited others that were not reported. The verdict from the judicial court was sent to the Court of Judicial Review, but Gao Longzhi disagreed and accused Youdao of being obstinate and of humiliating him. He then distorted the facts and coerced minor officials into providing false testimony. Together with the Left Minister Wang Xu of Xiangcheng and Minister Zheng Shuzhu, he submitted a memorial declaring: "Falsifying evidence and obscuring the truth is absolutely not permitted by the laws of the state; deceiving those below and concealing the truth from those above is intolerable under royal law. Investigate the Left Minister Song Youdao carefully; his reputation has never been good, and what merits does he possess that are worth recording? At the beginning of the Yong'an years, officials in the court were either dead or scattered, and there was a shortage of talent, yet he fortuitously became a court official. His behavior is frivolous and immature, his words flattering; he is unscrupulously cunning, ignorant of the rules, indifferent to the law, and everyone despises his character while fearing his tongue. He has risen from local to central government, with increasingly higher official positions, yet he has not changed his bad habits, never knowing remorse, allowing his reputation and slander to be at his discretion. In this matter concerning Prince Anping, he acted recklessly, abusing his public office for personal gain, and mutually impeaching with Official Bi Yiyun. Furthermore, the Left Military Official Wei Shudao reported back: 'Those demoted in the bureau, such as Zuo Ze, were sent from the capital to the province, ordered to be released.' When the General was in the province, the verdict was 'approved.' Youdao became furious, saying: 'What kind of government was that before? From now on, we will handle everything according to this example!' He also said: 'According to previous edicts, what can be accomplished?' Inquiring about this matter, Youdao admitted everything. According to the law: 'To confront an envoy is a breach of the etiquette of subjects and is a great disrespect punishable by death.' If confronting an envoy warrants death, how much more so for Youdao, who spoke words unbefitting a subject, committing the crime of offending the sovereign, talking about Yi and Qi while secretly thinking of Dao Zhi, deceiving the public, betraying the law, accepting bribes, and amassing wealth and status with each promotion? Though his illicit gains remain hidden, his cunning is clearly evident. Citing this incident, other fraudulent acts can also be verified. Now, in accordance with both ritual and law, Youdao is sentenced to death.
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At that time, the court officials all thought You Dao was incompetent. When Wen Xiang heard about You Dao's confrontation with Gao Longzhi, he said to Yang Zunyan, "This person is truly a principled tough guy!" Zunyan replied, "It’s like having a dog; initially, you want it to guard the house, but if it barks too much, you might just end up putting it down. I'm afraid there won't be any dogs barking in the future." The emperor ordered the case to be reviewed by the Court of Judicial Review, and You Dao was dismissed from his position. Wen Xiang sent Yuan Jingkang to tell You Dao, "You should come to Bingzhou with me soon; otherwise, someone will kill you." When You Dao arrived in Jinyang, he served as an official in the Grand Secretariat and also as a consultant for the Taiyuan Public Office. When the Duke of Pingyang was made lieutenant, You Dao concurrently served as a consultant and a secretary to the censor. Soon after, he also took on the role of left chief historian of the Minister of Works.
Wen Xiang suspected that palace attendant Wen Zisheng might be aware of Yuan Jin's plans, so he had him arrested and imprisoned, ultimately starving him to death. Wen Zisheng even ended up eating his clothes before dying by the roadside. Later, someone collected his body and buried him. After hearing this, Wen Xiang remarked, "Recently, I wrote to the dignitaries in the capital, talking about the court officials and saying that you (referring to You Dao) were favoring your friends, which cou
Wang Daoxi of Donglai participated in the selection of the imperial censor, but because he did not meet the eligibility criteria, he submitted a self-recommendation letter. Daoxi and Youdao had known each other before, so he asked his subordinates to submit Daoxi's letter. Wenxiang was furious and gave Youdao a severe beating, then ruled: "Youdao is straightforward and outspoken, unable to tell right from wrong, and often points out others' shortcomings and nitpicks. Previously, he had a dispute with the physician Lan Jingyun, accusing him of ten charges. Upon further investigation, all of them were found to be baseless. He also, along with Daoxi, disregarded court regulations, and as a judge, violated legal discipline, which is truly unforgivable and should be dealt with by the provincial authorities." Youdao was imprisoned, and the jailer offered to loosen his bindings, but he firmly refused, saying, "This is a government order; it can't be undone lightly." Upon hearing this, Wenxiang granted him a pardon. Youdao consistently upheld his integrity and incorruptibility.
In the first year of the Tianbao era, Youdao was appointed as the Minister of Finance, responsible for auditing the accounts of the Minor Treasury. As a result, he discovered that the chief official was embezzling and accepting bribes, amounting to millions. Those corrupt officials then falsely accused Youdao, leading to his imprisonment. Not long after, Youdao was released, but instead of going home, he went straight to the yamen to attend to official business. After his death, his will requested a simple burial with no monument and no posthumous title. The court posthumously appointed him as Governor of Guazhou. During the Wuping era, due to his son Shisu's long tenure managing confidential matters, the court once again posthumously appointed Youdao as Yitong Sansi and conferred the posthumous name "Zhenghui" upon him.
You Dao is a person of uncompromising integrity, who particularly detests evil people. Whenever he sees someone committing a crime, he feels compelled to bring them to justice. He handles public affairs seriously and meticulously, and he enjoys investigating secret matters. During interrogations, he employs very harsh methods. When the governor of Yanzhou, Li Zizhen, was corrupt and acted tyrannically during his tenure, You Dao submitted a petition for his impeachment. At that time, Emperor Wenxiang decided it was best to let it slide because Li Zizhen had previously made contributions. You Dao suspected Chen Yuankang was an accomplice of Li Zizhen, so he secretly wrote to the emperor, saying, "Li Zizhen and Chen Yuankang have a close relationship; they may have some collusion in secret." Emperor Wenxiang was furious and summoned all officials in the Hall of the Ministry of Personnel, where he executed Li Zizhen on the spot. Later, the people of Yanzhou built a temple for You Dao, with a plaque reading "Loyal and Honest Official."
You Dao also impeached five others, including Ji Ning, leading to their execution, and he smirked. Many officials in the court looked down on his actions. However, You Dao valued friendship, was loyal, and kept his promises. He was always strict and upright while in office, but privately he often accepted bribes, distributing money to impoverished relatives and friends, and helping orphans and widows arrange marriages. When there were funerals, he would personally assist with the arrangements. While serving as the official overseeing governance in Sizhou, he had a poor relationship with the princes Mu Changle and Xihe, but after their deaths, he took great care in handling their funerals. He became close friends with Li Jiang from Dunqiu at first sight. Li Jiang said, "I am getting old and plan to have my younger brother be your assistant, so he can treat you with utmost respect." You Dao replied, "That's not acceptable." Later, when Li Jiang became the governor of Henan, he invited You Dao to be the Chief of Justice. Many envoys came to visit him and held him in great respect, and the two often shared drinks and stories, enjoying each other's company.
After Yuan Hao attacked Luoyang, Li Jiang accepted Yuan Hao's appointment and was dispatched to Xuzhou as an envoy, but was ultimately killed by the Xuzhou governor Yuan Fu and a local resident, Zhao Sha. You Dao sought to vindicate Li Jiang and eventually cleared his name, petitioned the court for a posthumous promotion of Li Jiang's official rank, while voluntarily accepting a demotion to compensate for Li Jiang's loss of status. He also befriended Liu Xun and entrusted Liu Xun's brother, Liu Cui, with the task of killing Zhao Sha in Xuzhou. Later, Liu Xun was executed in Luoyang, and Liu Cui rebelled in Xuzhou. The court dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion and displayed Liu Cui's severed head in Ye City. Sun Teng sent an emissary to bribe the city officials, offering five million coins to secure the return of Liu Cui's head. At that time, You Dao was an official in Sizhizhong, and he had his family pretend to be Liu Cui's relatives to accuse Sun Teng in the province, seeking a legal judgment, and then reported to the court. The court's order was issued, but the city officials still refused to hand over the money. You Dao then punished the city officials with a beating, forcing them to promptly hand over the money. Sun Teng was furious upon hearing this.
At that time, Li Jiang's two sons, Li Gou and Li Xun, lived in poverty. You Dao later had them expose three wealthy men for capital offenses, and their sentences were commuted, and they received a total of 1.5 million coins, which was all given to Li Gou and Li Xun. You Dao wielded his power to bully others and formed cliques for personal gain. At that time, people said, "You Dao has a monkey-like face and a figure like a fighting chicken. Who would have thought that his heart was not as ugly as his appearance? How could someone who looks ugly necessarily lack loyalty?" Li Gou once jokingly said when You Dao was entertaining guests, "Xian Cong is outside the door; he is a good person and should be personally welcomed." He jokingly referred to him as "Cousin You Shan." When You Dao went out to look, it turned out to be someone dressed in a monkey suit. You Dao wanted to cut ties with him, but Li Gou apologized, and the two reconciled. After You Dao died, Li Gou became the Chief Historian of Dingzhou, and You Dao's third son, You Shixun, became the registrar of Moca and Boling Wang. He conspired with the official to falsely accuse Li Gou. Li Gou honored You Dao in prison and shared his grievances with him. During the day, You Shixun slept as if in a dream, and in his dream, You Dao said to him angrily, "Don't you know the bond between me and Li Gou? How could you conspire with those petty people to harm an upright person?" You Shixun was so scared that he knelt down and said, "I dare not, I dare not." He died just a few days later.
You Dao advised his sons Shi Su, Shi Yue, and Shi Shen, saying: "I have been too rigid in my dealings with the world, and that's why I often face setbacks. This is my character, and you shouldn't follow my example!" All the sons heeded their father's words and became gentle and humble in how they interact with others. Shi Su was steady and spoke little, but he was very capable. He gradually rose through the ranks and became a secretary of the Central Secretariat. Later, Zhao Yan Shen recommended him to the inner court to participate in confidential affairs, and he successively held the positions of Deputy of the Central Secretariat and Deputy of the Yellow Gate, eventually promoted to the positions of Yitong Sansi and Sanqi Changshi, often serving as Deputy of the Yellow Gate at the same time. He worked in core departments for nearly twenty years, known for being cautious, gentle, and respectful, earning Zhao Yan Shen's deep trust. At the time when Zu Ting was in control of the government, he had appointed Zhao Yan Shen as a regional governor. Zu Ting suggested appointing Shi Su as the governor of Dongjun, and Li Delin, the Deputy of the Central Secretariat, pleaded with Zu Ting to keep him, so Shi Su was reappointed as Deputy of the Yellow Gate and continued to participate in confidential affairs. Shi Yue was also a good person, reaching the position of Left Assistant Minister.
Lu Fei, courtesy name Zizhang, was a native of Zhuojun, Fanyang. His father, Lu Tong, was a minister in the court of the Wei state. Lu Fei was known for his brutality and notorious for his ruthless decisiveness. Emperor Shizong recommended him to the imperial court, where he served as an assistant to the penal officer in the Ministry of Justice. The emperor also remarked about him, saying: “'Kuangjian' and 'Feiran Chengzhang' are not good names at all!” During the Tianbao era, he gradually rose in rank, becoming the Left Minister of the Ministry of Justice, specifically responsible for the imperial prisons in the capital region. He systematically tortured prisoners, committing acts that were utterly inhumane. Regardless of the size of the case, he excessively tortured prisoners, resulting in dozens of deaths due to his brutal methods. Some prisoners were thrown out onto the ice and snow during the harsh winters, while others were left to suffer under the scorching sun during sweltering
Bi Yiyun, nicknamed Tu'er, was a rough and uncouth bandit in his youth. He lived on the northern border of Yanzhou, which gave the locals quite a headache as he often robbed passing merchants. Later, he reformed and became an official. He gradually rose through the ranks to become the Minister of the Interior. He was stern and ruthless, and when handling affairs, he was swift and resolute. When Qi Wenxiang was the prime minister, he considered Bi Yiyun capable and appointed him to investigate corrupt officials, notably employing cart spokes to extract confessions, which led to the capture of many. However, this also bred considerable resentment. An official from Sizhou accused him of corruption and forgery. Qi Wenxiang believed that despite his ruthless methods, he had captured many corrupt officials, and since the public was complaining, he chose not to hold Bi Yiyun accountable; instead, he arrested and executed several of his accusers. After this incident, Bi Yiyun intensified his interrogations and punishments, and his notoriety grew.
After Emperor Wenxuan ascended to the throne, he appointed Yiyun as the Deputy Censor-in-Chief. This guy enforced the law with an iron fist, even going after royal relatives who thought they were untouchable. He was later promoted to Chief Censor, and his investigations became even more rigorous. However, Yiyun was quite domineering and handled matters unfairly, often facing accusations against him.
Sima Zuirui, the Left Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat, again impeached Yiyun, saying: "In the fourth month of the first year of the Tianbao era, the Emperor's aunt from the Dou family passed away, and all the officials went to offer condolences. Yiyun only sent a censor to deliver a mourning card, and he didn't bother to show up himself. Yiyun also claimed that after becoming a widower, he was living in poverty and married the daughter of Li Shi'an. Although Li Shi'an was still in mourning, his daughter had already completed her mourning period, so Yiyun secretly married her without a grand celebration. However, on the day of the wedding, the ceremony was quite lavish, and he sent twenty officials dressed in bright attire following the carriage. This is clearly a deception against the Emperor! Yiyun's family is wealthy, living in a mansion, yet he pretends to be poor; this is downright hypocritical! If judges behave this way, who can we trust? Furthermore, when the Emperor arrived in Jinyang, the court mandated that officials ranked fourth and below, as well as those ranked fifth and above, should sign at the Nandu a day in advance, while those of the third rank and above should sign on the same day. Yiyun, however, violated the regulations and signed at home in advance, claiming he felt unwell that day and did not come." After hearing this, the Emperor handed Yiyun over to the Tingwei for trial, but later granted him a pardon. Sima Zuirui then continuously impeached Yiyun on more than ten charges, most of which were minor offenses, and in the end, he was merely fined a small sum and faced no significant repercussions. Sima Xiaonan, Sima Zuirui's brother, was the governor of Beiyuzhou, and Yiyun dispatched Censor Zhang Zijie to Beiyuzhou for an investigation, even going so far as to prohibit guests at Sima Xiaonan's home. In fear, he fled to Xizhou. At that time, many believed Yiyun was to blame, claiming he was retaliating against Sima Zuirui, and this incident also came to the Emperor's attention. Previously, when the Emperor held banquets for the officials, Yiyun always attended, but after this, he was sidelined, and his reputation took a nosedive.
In the early years of the Qianming era, Zi Rui was promoted to the position of Deputy Censor-in-Chief. At that time, Zheng Zi Mo had just been appointed to court, and interestingly, Yi Yun's aunt was also Zheng Zi Mo's grandmother. Consequently, Yi Yun's aunt was appointed Minister of Revenue and also took on the role of Acting Left Chancellor. Later, following Zheng Zi Mo's execution, Yi Yun's aunt was relieved of her duties as Left Chancellor.
Emperor Xiao Zhao went to Jinyang, while Gao Yuanhai remained in Ye City to maintain order. Yi Yun had a particularly close relationship with Gao Yuanhai and relied heavily on him. Gao Yuanhai, aware of Yi Yun's Buddhist practices, often accompanied him to listen to sermons, resulting in a close bond where they shared everything. Later, as Emperor Xiao Zhao fell gravely ill, he entrusted the throne to Emperor Wu Cheng on his deathbed. Upon Gao Guiyan's arrival in the capital, Emperor Wu Cheng remained uncertain.
Gao Yuanhai sent an ox cart to the North Palace to summon Yi Yun for discussions. Yi Yun, along with Gao Yuanhai and others, backed Emperor Wu Cheng's ascension, and then followed him to Jinyang to participate in state affairs. Before long, Yi Yun was appointed as the Governor of Yanzhou, and the court even assigned him a band of musicians to accompany him, as Yanzhou was his place of office. At that time, he was charismatic and brimming with ambition, dreaming of future promotions to higher positions.
He welcomed visitors with genuine enthusiasm. He also told others that this goodbye was just temporary and that he wouldn't linger in the province for long. When he traveled, a band would precede him, and when he arrived at the government office to conduct business, he had the band play again, thus employing both bands. He frequently wrote to Gao Yuanhai about significant political issues.
On one occasion, when Gao Yuanhai went to the palace to meet the emperor, he accidentally dropped Yi Yun's letter, which was found by the official Li Xiaozhen and shown to the emperor. This incident gradually strained the relationship between Gao Yuanhai and Yi Yun, while Li Xiaozhen was subsequently elevated to Secretary of the Central Secretariat. Later, when Gao Guiyan staged a rebellion, Yi Yun secretly recruited soldiers and stockpiled weapons in the province, claiming it was for self-defense, but in truth, he had ulterior motives.
He was reported to the court, and after Gao Guiyan was captured, Yiyun was also accused of colluding with Gao Guiyan and abusing his power, so he was summoned back by the court. However, Emperor Wucheng, considering his past contributions, ultimately chose not to punish him; instead, he appointed him as the concurrent Minister of War.
To be honest, Yiyun is a generous and charitable person; his family had been governors of the province for several generations, and they are very wealthy. Many impoverished scholars have received his assistance. However, after he became an official, he became arrogant and extravagant, building grand houses and estates, which he completed in no time. His household was chaotic, and his reputation was in tatters both at court and among the public. When he was a court official, he had a conflict with the Left Chancellor Song Youdao over official business, which led to a quarrel. Song Youdao publicly humiliated him, saying, "The poem 'Xiong Hu' has been waiting for you for thousands of years!" Yiyun said nothing in response.
In reality, he is a ruthless and brutal man, far from being normal. At home, he was even more vicious; his son, grandson, and servants were often left battered and bruised. He had a wicked son named Shan Zhao, who was utterly vile; he had a sordid affair with Yiyun's maid and often beat her severely. Once, he even put a bridle on her, tied her to a tree in the yard, and fed her grass for over ten days before releasing her. Later, Yiyun was killed in the middle of the night, and the murder weapon was Shan Zhao's dagger, which was deliberately thrown into Yiyun's courtyard. After hearing the news of the incident, Shan Zhao ran over in tears; when his family discovered his dagger, he was so frightened that he quickly fled and hid in Ping'en Shushe.
The next day, Emperor Shizu sent the attendant Lanzichang to investigate the Yiyun family. Previously, Yiyun had just married a young and beautiful woman from the Lu family from Fanyang. Lu's wife suspected that she conspired with someone to kill Yiyun and wanted to arrest her for interrogation. Lu's wife explained what happened, saying it was Shan Zhao who did it. Consequently, they arrested Shan Zhao and locked him up in Linzhang prison, preparing to execute him by beheading. Xing Shao protested that this was a serious injustice, and since Yiyun was an important minister of the court, this couldn't be made public. In the end, Shan Zhao was executed in prison, and his body was dumped into the Zhang River.
