Instructor Lin Is Exiled to Cangzhou; Lu Zhishen Makes a Great Scene in Wild Boar Forest

Instructor Lin Is Exiled to Cangzhou; Lu Zhishen Makes a Great Scene in Wild Boar Forest

A poem says:

Heaven watches clearly, yet lets villains bully and kill and seize men’s wives.  
Know that the wicked devise every scheme to destroy a hero’s life.  
Loyalty and righteousness are inborn in the heart; one thought that lets go of greed and hate can give rise to good.  
Lin Chong was fated to survive this disaster; it only showed Gao Qiu’s scheming was all in vain.

Now Marshal Gao ordered his guards to seize Lin Chong and behead him on the spot. Lin Chong cried out that he was innocent. The marshal said, “Why did you come into the military council hall? And with a sharp sword in your hand—were you not coming to assassinate me?” Lin Chong pleaded, “If Your Excellency had not summoned me, how would I dare come on my own? Two runners from your residence came into the hall and tricked me into coming here.” The marshal shouted, “Nonsense! There are no such two runners in my residence! This man will not confess!” He ordered his men, “Take him to the Kaifeng Prefecture. Tell Prefect Teng to question him carefully. When the case is clear, execute him. Seal up this precious sword and send it along with him.”

The men took the order and escorted Lin Chong to the Kaifeng Prefecture. It happened that the prefect was holding court and had not yet withdrawn. In the hall:

Red silk adorned the walls, purple ribbons surrounded the desk.  
Above hung a vermilion plaque; bamboo curtains hung on all sides.  
The officials upheld justice; the warning stone bore the emperor’s four-line admonition.  
The clerks were strict; the black lacquer board read “Speak Softly.”  
The inspectors managed secret affairs; the recorders handled documents and warrants.  
The runners looked solemn; the jailers were awe-inspiring.  
Bailiffs with rattans stood before the steps; guards with heavy clubs lined both sides.  
Gray-browed jailers carried heavy cangues, their faces fierce;  
Glaring wardens held iron chains, their manner terrifying.  
In marriage and lawsuit cases, judgment was clear as a jade balance;  
In fights and disputes, decisions were bright as a hanging mirror.  
Though only the head of one prefecture, truly he was the parent of the people.  
He could make a prisoner feel he stood on thin ice;  
His clear trials made men feel they faced a mirror.  
Countless were his majestic airs, like a hall full of clay gods.

Gao Qiu’s men brought Lin Chong to the steps of the hall. Lin Chong knelt. The prefecture officials relayed the marshal’s words to Prefect Teng and placed the sealed precious sword before Lin Chong. The prefect said, “Lin Chong, you are an instructor of the Imperial Guard. How can you not understand the law? You held a sharp blade and deliberately entered the military council hall. That is a capital crime!” Lin Chong pleaded, “Your Honor, see clearly and pity my injustice. Though I am a rough soldier, I know the law. How would I dare enter the White Tiger Hall without permission? On the twenty-eighth of last month, my wife and I went to the Yue Temple to burn incense and fulfill a vow. There we met Marshal Gao’s adopted son, who molested my wife. I shouted him away. Later he had Inspector Lu Qian trick me into going out to drink, and sent Fu An to lure my wife to the upper room of Lu Qian’s house, intending to molest her. I arrived in time and smashed up Lu Qian’s house. Both times he failed, and there are witnesses. The next day I bought this sword with my own money. Today the marshal sent two runners to my home and told me to bring the sword to the residence for comparison. So I followed them to the outside of the council hall. The two runners went inside. I never expected the marshal to come from outside and trap me by design. I beg Your Honor to decide for me!”

After hearing Lin Chong’s statement, the prefect had a reply written to the marshal. At the same time he had a cangue brought, put it on Lin Chong, and sent him to prison. Lin Chong’s family often came with food and spent money everywhere to smooth things over. Lin Chong’s father-in-law, Instructor Zhang, also ran about and spent money to help both above and below.

At that time there was a clerk named Sun Ding, in charge of legal files. He was upright and kind, and always wanted to save good men. People called him Sun the Buddha. He understood the whole matter and tactfully explained it to the prefect. He reported, “In this case Lin Chong is truly wronged. We should find a way to save him.” The prefect said, “He has committed such a crime, and Marshal Gao has already marked it for punishment. He insists Lin Chong held a sharp blade, entered the council hall, and intended to assassinate him. How can we save him?” Sun Ding said, “Is the Kaifeng Prefecture not a court of the imperial government, but a private court of Marshal Gao?” The prefect said, “Do not talk nonsense!” Sun Ding said, “Everyone knows Marshal Gao holds great power and bullies others. His residence can do any evil. If anyone offends him even slightly, he sends them to the Kaifeng Prefecture, to be killed or sliced as he pleases. Is that not his private court?” The prefect said, “According to you, how should Lin Chong’s case be lightened?” Sun Ding said, “From Lin Chong’s statement, he is an innocent man. We simply cannot catch those two fake runners. Let him confess that he should not have carried a sharp blade at his waist and accidentally entered the council hall. Sentence him to twenty strokes on the back, tattoo his face, and exile him to a distant, harsh military district.” Prefect Teng knew the truth. He went in person to the marshal’s residence and repeatedly reported Lin Chong’s statement. Gao Qiu knew in his heart that he was in the wrong and could not force the prefect too hard, so he agreed to the sentence.

That day the prefect held court again. He had the heavy cangue removed from Lin Chong, gave him twenty strokes on the back, called the tattooer, and had a prisoner’s mark tattooed on Lin Chong’s face. According to the distance, he sentenced him to the prison camp at Cangzhou. In the hall they put on him a seven-and-a-half-catty round iron-leaf protective cangue, sealed it, wrote the official document, and assigned two guards, Dong Chao and Xue Ba, to escort him on the road. The two received the document and took Lin Chong out of the Kaifeng Prefecture. Lin Chong’s neighbors and his father-in-law, Instructor Zhang, were waiting outside. They took Lin Chong and the two guards to a wine shop under the State Bridge and sat down. Lin Chong said, “Thanks to Clerk Sun’s help, the beating was not too heavy, and I can still walk.” Instructor Zhang told the shop to prepare wine, food, and fruit for the two guards. After a few cups, Instructor Zhang brought out silver and gave it to the two escorts. Lin Chong took his father-in-law’s hand and said, “Father-in-law, this year I have met disaster. I ran into Gao Yanei and became entangled in this wrongful case. I have something to say to you. You have been kind enough to marry your daughter to me. Three years have passed, and there has never been the slightest discord between us. Though we have no children, we have never quarreled. Now I have met this calamity and am exiled to Cangzhou. Whether I live or die is uncertain. I cannot rest easy leaving my wife at home. I fear Gao Yanei will force her to remarry. She is still young. Do not let her waste her whole life because of me. This is my own decision, not something forced by others. Today, in front of these neighbors, I will write a letter of divorce. She may remarry as she wishes, and I will never contest it. Then I can set out with peace of mind, and Gao Yanei will not keep plotting against her.”

Instructor Zhang said, “Lin Chong, why do you say such things? It is only bad luck that brought this disaster. You did nothing wrong. Go to Cangzhou for now to escape the danger. If Heaven pities us and you return, husband and wife can be reunited. My family is well enough off. Tomorrow I will bring my daughter and the maid Jin’er back to my house. No matter how many years, I can support them. I will not let them go out casually, so Gao Yanei will not even get to see her. Do not worry. Leave everything to me. While you are at the Cangzhou prison camp, I will often send letters and clothing. Do not think wildly. Go with peace of mind.” Lin Chong said, “Thank you for your kindness, Father-in-law. But I truly cannot let go. I would only be wasting two people’s lives. If you pity me, grant my request, and I will be at peace even if I die.” Instructor Zhang refused. The neighbors also said it should not be done. Lin Chong said, “If you do not agree, then even if I live and return, I will never be reunited with my wife!” Instructor Zhang said, “Since you insist, then write the divorce letter. But I will never let my daughter remarry.” He called the shop to find a scribe and bought paper. The man held the brush, and Lin Chong dictated:

“I, Lin Chong, instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards of the Eastern Capital, have committed a grave crime and am sentenced to exile in Cangzhou. Whether I live or die on this journey is uncertain. My wife, Madam Zhang, is still young. Of my own free will I write this letter of divorce, allowing her to remarry. I will never contest it. This is truly my own wish and not forced by anyone. Lest there be no evidence in the future, I write this document as proof. Year, month, day.”

Lin Chong watched the document written, took the brush, signed below, and pressed his fingerprint. Just as it was finished in the private room and he was about to give it to his father-in-law, Lin Chong’s wife came crying and searching for him. The maid Jin’er carried a bundle of clothes and had followed them to the wine shop. Lin Chong rose to meet her and said, “Wife, I have something to say. I have already discussed it with your father. My fate has met disaster, and I have suffered this wrongful case. Now I am exiled to Cangzhou, and whether I live or die is unknown. I fear I will waste your youth, so I have written this letter of divorce. I hope you will not wait for me. If you meet a good man, remarry. Do not let me ruin your whole life.” When his wife heard this, she wept loudly and said, “Husband! I am innocent and have no stain. Why do you divorce me?” Lin Chong said, “Wife, I mean it for your good. I fear that later we will drag each other down and harm you.” Instructor Zhang said, “Daughter, rest easy. Though Lin Chong has decided this, I will never have the heart to let you remarry. Let him go with peace of mind. Even if he cannot return, I will prepare enough to support you in your old age. You may keep your chastity in peace.”

When his wife heard this, her heart was filled with grief. Seeing the divorce letter, she cried out and fell to the ground, unconscious. It was like:

Fine jade from Mount Jing was damaged, and years of married love were pitied;  
A flower on a precious mirror withered, and the bond of husband and wife was wasted.  
The beautiful woman fell to the ground, like a peony leaning against a railing in the west courtyard;  
Her lips were tightly closed, like Guanyin of the South Sea sitting in meditation.  
Last night a wild wind blew into the small courtyard and broke the plum blossom by the river, laying it flat.

Lin Chong and Instructor Zhang revived her. After a long time she came to, still weeping without stop. Lin Chong gave the divorce letter to his father-in-law to keep. The neighbor women also came to comfort Lin Chong’s wife and helped her home. Instructor Zhang instructed Lin Chong, “Go with peace of mind. Try to stay alive and come back to see us. I will look after your family matters. Tomorrow I will bring my daughter home and wait for your return. Do not worry. If you meet anyone going the same way, remember to send letters often.” Lin Chong rose, thanked him, bowed farewell to his father-in-law and neighbors, put his bundle on his back, and set out with the guards. Instructor Zhang and the neighbors each went home. Of this we need not speak further.

Now the two escorts took Lin Chong to the messenger hostel and locked him up temporarily. Dong Chao and Xue Ba each went home to pack. Dong Chao was tying his bundle at home when a wine waiter from the lane came to say, “Guard Dong, an official in my shop asks you to come speak with him.” Dong Chao asked, “Who is it?” The waiter said, “I do not know him. He only told me to invite you.” In the Song dynasty, people called runners “Duan Gong.” Dong Chao followed the waiter to a private room in the wine shop and saw a man sitting there, wearing a ten-thousand-character headwrap, a black gauze outer robe, black boots, and white socks. When the man saw Dong Chao, he quickly bowed. “Guard, please sit.” Dong Chao said, “I have never met you. May I ask why you have called me?” The man said, “Sit first. You will know soon.” Dong Chao sat opposite. The waiter set out wine, food, and fruit, filling the table. The man asked, “Where does Guard Xue live?” Dong Chao said, “In the lane just ahead.” The man told the waiter to ask the address and invite him. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the waiter brought Xue Ba to the room. Dong Chao said, “This official wants to speak with us.” Xue Ba said, “May I ask your honorable name?” The man said, “You will know in a moment. Drink first.” The three sat, and the waiter poured wine. After a few cups, the man took out ten taels of gold from his sleeve and put it on the table. He said, “You two guards take five taels each. I have a small matter to ask of you.” The two said, “We do not know you. Why give us gold?” The man said, “Are you the ones escorting a prisoner to Cangzhou?” Dong Chao said, “We have received orders from the prefecture to escort Lin Chong to Cangzhou.” The man said, “Since that is so, I entrust it to you. I am Lu Qian, Inspector Lu, a trusted man in Marshal Gao’s residence.” Dong Chao and Xue Ba quickly bowed and said, “We are lowly men. We dare not sit and drink with you.” Lu Qian said, “You also know that Lin Chong has a grudge with the marshal. I have been ordered by the marshal to give this ten taels of gold to you two. I hope you will agree not to go far, but to kill Lin Chong in a quiet place ahead and bring back proof. If the Kaifeng Prefecture causes trouble, the marshal will handle it himself and will not implicate you.” Dong Chao said, “I fear this cannot be done. The Kaifeng Prefecture document only says to escort Lin Chong alive. There is no order to kill him. Besides, Lin Chong is still young. If the matter is exposed, there will be trouble.” Xue Ba said, “Dong Chao, listen to me. Even if the marshal ordered us to die, we would have to obey, let alone when this official brings gold. Say no more. Take the gold. We will also be doing the marshal a favor, and he may take care of us later. Ahead there is a large, dangerous pine forest. We can find a chance to finish him there.” Xue Ba took the gold and said, “Rest easy, sir. Whether we go five stages more or two stages less, it can be done.” Lu Qian was delighted. “Guard Xue is truly straightforward. After it is done, you must peel off the tattooed skin from Lin Chong’s face as proof. I will give you another ten taels of gold as thanks. I will wait for good news. Do not delay.” In the Song dynasty, all exiles had their faces tattooed. People avoided the word and called it “stamping the gold seal.” The three drank a while longer. Lu Qian paid the bill, and the three left the shop and parted.

Dong Chao and Xue Ba divided the gold and took it home. They packed their luggage, took their guard staffs, went to the messenger hostel, brought out Lin Chong, and set off. That day they left the city and walked more than thirty li before stopping for the night. On the roads of the Song dynasty, when guards escorted prisoners and stayed at an inn, they did not pay for lodging. Dong Chao and Xue Ba took Lin Chong into an inn and rested one night. The next morning at dawn they lit a fire, ate, and continued toward Cangzhou. It was the sixth month, and the weather was very hot. At first Lin Chong was all right after the beating, but after two or three days, the heat made the wounds on his back act up. Freshly beaten, he moved step by step with difficulty and could not walk. Dong Chao cursed, “Why are you so unreasonable! It is more than two thousand li to Cangzhou. At this rate, when will we ever get there?” Lin Chong said, “I suffered injustice in the marshal’s residence and was beaten only a few days ago. My wounds have acted up. The weather is so hot. I beg you two to be understanding.” Xue Ba said, “Walk slowly and stop chattering.” Dong Chao complained all along the way, crying, “How unlucky we are to get such a troublesome prisoner.”

Gradually evening came. They saw:

The setting sun sank in the west; the moon was about to rise.  
Far off woodcutters returned home; nearby brushwood gates were half closed.  
Monks hurried back to ancient temples; crows flew in flocks in the woods.  
Travelers hurried toward lonely villages; dogs barked by the shore.  
Women lit candles and went to their rooms; fishermen put away their rods.  
Insects chirped in the dry grass; egrets settled on the sandy islets.

That night the three stayed at a village inn. Entering the room, the two guards put down their staffs and opened their bundles. Lin Chong also opened his pack. Without waiting for the guards to speak, he took out loose silver and asked the waiter to buy wine, meat, and rice to cook, and invited the two escorts to eat with him. Dong Chao and Xue Ba kept urging him to drink and got him drunk. Lin Chong, wearing the cangue, lay down to one side. Xue Ba boiled a pot of scalding water, brought it over, poured it into a foot basin, and called, “Instructor Lin, wash your feet so you can sleep.” Lin Chong struggled to rise, but the cangue prevented him from bending. Xue Ba said, “I will wash them for you.” Lin Chong quickly said, “I dare not trouble you.” Xue Ba said, “When traveling, there is no need for such fuss.” Lin Chong did not know it was a trap. He stretched out both feet. Xue Ba suddenly pressed them into the boiling water. Lin Chong cried, “Aiya!” and quickly pulled his feet back. The tops of his feet were already red, swollen, and blistered. Lin Chong said, “There is no need to trouble you.” Xue Ba said, “Usually it is the prisoner who serves the guards. How can a guard serve a prisoner? I kindly washed your feet, and you still complain. Truly no good deed goes unpunished.” He cursed half the night. Lin Chong did not dare reply and lay to one side. The two poured away the hot water, changed to cold water, washed their own feet outside, and rested.

At the fourth watch, before others in the inn were up, Xue Ba rose, heated water, and prepared food. Lin Chong got up dizzy and uncomfortable, could not eat, and could not walk. Xue Ba picked up his guard staff and urged him on. Dong Chao took a pair of new straw sandals from his waist. The straps were woven of hemp. He made Lin Chong put them on. Lin Chong’s feet were covered with blisters. He wanted to wear his old sandals but could not find them. He had no choice but to put on the new ones. The waiter settled the wine bill. The two guards took Lin Chong out of the inn. It was already the fifth watch.

Before Lin Chong had gone two or three li, the blisters on his feet were rubbed open by the new sandals, and blood flowed. He truly could not walk and groaned in pain. Xue Ba cursed, “If you can walk, hurry up. If not, I will beat you with this staff.” Lin Chong said, “Be understanding, guards. I do not dare delay the journey, but my feet hurt so much I cannot walk.” Dong Chao said, “I will support you.” He supported Lin Chong, but they still could not go fast. They forced themselves another four or five li. Far ahead they saw mist and a gloomy, frightening forest.

Branches layered like a curtain of rain; trees dense like clouds.  
Boughs like phoenix nests; trunks twisted like coiled dragons and snakes.  
Roots coiled over the ground, crooked like pythons;  
Treetops rose into the clouds, where birds rested.  
Even a bold, hard man would be frightened out of his wits here.

This dangerous forest was called Wild Boar Forest. It was the most perilous place on the road from the Eastern Capital to Cangzhou. In the Song dynasty, when someone had a grudge and bribed the guards, they brought the prisoner here, and no one knew how many good men had been killed. Today the two guards brought Lin Chong into this forest. Dong Chao said, “We have walked all night and have not even gone ten li. At this rate, when will we reach Cangzhou?” Xue Ba said, “I am tired too. Let us rest a while in the forest.”

The three entered the forest, put down their luggage and bundles by the roots of a large tree. Lin Chong gave a long sigh and leaned against a big tree, lying down. Dong Chao said, “You stop at every step and tire us out. Let us sleep a while before going on.” He put down his guard staff and lay by the tree. He had just closed his eyes when he suddenly cried out. Lin Chong asked, “What is wrong, guards?” Dong Chao and Xue Ba said, “We want to sleep, but there is no door or lock here. We fear you will escape. We cannot rest easy and cannot sleep.” Lin Chong answered, “I am a true man. I have already confessed to the case. I will never run away.” Dong Chao said, “Your word cannot be trusted. If you want us to rest easy, we must tie you up.” Lin Chong said, “Tie me up if you must. I have no objection.” Xue Ba took a rope from his waist and bound Lin Chong’s hands and feet, along with the cangue, tightly to the large tree. The two stood up, turned around, picked up their guard staffs, looked at Lin Chong, and said, “It is not that we want to kill you. A few days ago Inspector Lu relayed Marshal Gao’s order. He told us to finish your life here and wait to take the tattooed skin from your face back as proof. Even if we walked a few more days, you would still die. Today we will end it here, and we can go back early. Do not hate us two brothers. It is only our superior’s order. We cannot help ourselves. Remember this well: today next year will be your death anniversary. We have a deadline and must go back early to report.” When Lin Chong heard this, tears flowed without stop. He said, “You two guards! You and I have no old grudge and no recent hatred. If you can spare my life, I will never forget your kindness until death.” Dong Chao said, “Say no more nonsense! We cannot save you.” Xue Ba raised his guard staff and brought it down hard toward Lin Chong’s head. Pitiful indeed was this hero, walking toward the gate of ghosts; lamentable was this true man, his beautiful dream shattered here. On the Yellow Springs road there are no inns; tonight his soul knew not where to return. Could Lin Chong’s life be saved? Listen to the next chapter for the answer.