The Fated Death of a Hapless Maid and a Hapless; Man A Monastic Schemer Muddles a Murder Case

That day, Daiyu and her cousins went to pay their respects to Lady Wang, only to find her deep in discussion with stewards sent by her brother’s household over family affairs—and, as it happened, over a homicide case involving her sister’s family. Seeing that Lady Wang was occupied, the girls withdrew and went to sit in the chamber of their widowed sister-in-law, Li Wan.

Li Wan was the wife of Jia Zhu, who had died young but left a son, Jia Lan, now five years old and already at his books. The Lis were a distinguished official clan of Jinling; Li Wan’s father, Li Shouzhong, had once served as Imperial College Chancellor, and all in the family, male and female, were steeped in letters. Yet by Li Shouzhong’s generation, he held that “a woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent,” so he gave his daughter little formal instruction—only a few texts like The Four Books for Women, Biographies of Exemplary Women, and Stories of Virtuous Ladies, enough to recognize a few characters and remember some tales of ancient worthies. Her true duties were spinning and household chores; hence her given name, Li Wan, and her courtesy name, Gongcai (Lady of the Loom). Though still young and widowed, living amid splendor and silk, she was like dead wood or cold ashes—she troubled herself with nothing of the world, attending only to her parents-in-law and raising her son, and in her spare time keeping her young sisters-in-law company over needlework or reading. Now Daiyu, though a guest in this house, had the company of these girls each day and, apart from worrying about her father back home, had little else to fret over.

Now it happened that Jia Yucun, having been appointed prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, had barely taken office when a murder case was brought before him—a dispute over the purchase of a maidservant between two families, which had escalated into a fatal beating. Yucun summoned the plaintiff and heard his complaint: “The dead man was my master. He had bought a girl, not knowing she was a kidnapper’s victim. The kidnapper took our money, and my young master set a lucky day three days hence to bring her home. But the rascal then sold the girl secretly to the Xue family. When we found out and demanded the girl, the Xues—being bullies here in Jinling—set their hired thugs on my master and beat him to death. The murderers and their master have fled, leaving no trace. Only a few bystanders remain. I have petitioned for a year, but no one would seek justice for us. I beg Your Honor to arrest the culprits, rid us of this evil, and rescue the orphaned and widowed—the dead will thank you in the underworld!”

Yucun flew into a rage. “Such monstrous villainy! A man is beaten to death and the culprits simply vanish without being caught?” He ordered warrants issued at once, summoning the clansmen of the murderer for questioning to reveal his hiding place, while also issuing a general arrest bulletin. Just as he was about to sign the warrants, he noticed one of the bailiffs standing by the bench making frantic signals with his eyes—as if to stop him. Puzzled, Yucun suspended the order and withdrew to a private chamber, dismissing all attendants save that one bailiff. The bailiff stepped forward, bowed, and said with a smile, “Your Honor has risen high indeed—after eight or nine years, you have quite forgotten me!” Yucun said, “Your face is very familiar, but I cannot place it.” The bailiff chuckled, “Your Honor has a short memory for old friends—can you truly forget the days in the Temple of the Gourd?” At this, Yucun was thunderstruck, and memory flooded back. This bailiff had been a novice monk in that very temple; when the temple burned down, he had no place to go. He considered joining another monastery but could not bear the austere life, and found the post of bailiff both easy and lively, so he let his hair grow and took up service in the yamen. Never expecting to see him here, Yucun took his hand and laughed. “An old acquaintance indeed!” He offered him a seat. The bailiff demurred, but Yucun said, “One should never forget friends made in poverty. We are old companions, and this is a private room; since we have much to discuss, how can I not offer you a chair?” The bailiff then bowed and perched sideways on the edge of the seat.

Yucun asked why he had stopped him from issuing the warrants. The bailiff replied, “Your Honor has just taken office in this province—have you not yet obtained a copy of the local ‘Protective Charms’ list?” Yucun asked what that was. “Heavens!” said the bailiff. “If you don’t know that, how can you hope to last long in office? Every local official nowadays keeps a private list of the most powerful and wealthy gentry families in his province—it’s the same everywhere. If you unknowingly offend one of them, not only your post but even your life may be lost. That’s why it’s called the ‘Protective Charms’ list. The Xue family I just mentioned—how could Your Honor dare provoke them? This case is not hard to decide, but everyone has been dragging their feet out of respect for their connections.” He then took from his pouch a transcribed copy of the list and handed it to Yucun. On it were popular rhymed sayings about the great clans of the locality, clearly arranged, with annotations of their hereditary titles and branches. The Stone itself had copied one such list, and it ran as follows:

The Jia are no common clan—
White jade for halls, gold for horses.
(Descendants of the Duke of Ningguo and Duke of Rongguo; twenty branches in all, with eight direct branches in the capital and twelve in the ancestral home.)

The E-pang Palace stretched three hundred li,
Yet could not hold the Shi of Jinling.
(Descendants of the Marquis Baoling and President of the Censorate, Mr. Shi; eighteen branches, ten in the capital and eight in the ancestral home.)

The Eastern Sea lacks a white-jade bed—
The Dragon King sends for the Wang of Jinling.
(Descendants of the Grand Commandant and County Earl, Mr. Wang; twelve branches, two in the capital, the rest in the ancestral home.)

A plenteous year brings heavy snow—
Pearls like earth, gold like iron.
(Descendants of the Purple Robe Attendant, Mr. Xue, now in charge of imperial treasury funds as royal merchants; eight branches in all.)

Before Yucun could finish reading, a summons arrived: “Mr. Wang has come to call.” Yucun hastily dressed and went out to receive him. About the time it takes to eat a meal, he returned and pressed for more details. The bailiff said, “These four families are all connected by marriage—loss to one is loss to all, glory to one is glory to all. They shield and support each other. The Xue family in this suit is the ‘Snow’ of the ‘plenteous year’ line. And they have many other relatives and friends outside the province. Whom would Your Honor think to arrest?” Yucun smiled and asked, “Then how is this case to be settled? You probably know where the murderer is hiding, don’t you?”

The bailiff laughed. “To be frank, I know not only the murderer’s whereabouts, but also the kidnapper and the dead buyer. Let me tell Your Honor in detail: The dead man was Feng Yuan, son of a minor local squire. Orphaned young, with no brothers, he lived on a modest inheritance. At eighteen or nineteen, he was fond of male companions and cared nothing for women. But fate had its reckoning—he chanced upon the girl offered by the kidnapper, fell for her at once, and resolved to buy her as a concubine, swearing he would never again keep male company nor take another wife. He fixed a lucky day three days hence for her arrival. But the kidnapper then secretly sold her to the Xue household, intending to pocket both payments and flee. He was caught, however, and beaten half to death by the two families—neither would take back their money, both demanded the girl. Now the young Xue master was not one to yield; he ordered his servants to beat Feng Yuan mercilessly, so badly that he was carried home and died three days later. This same Xue master had already chosen his date to leave for the capital; two days before his departure, he happened to see the girl and decided to buy her and take her along, never expecting this trouble. After thrashing Feng and seizing the girl, he went on his way with his household as if nothing had happened. His clansmen and servants here are handling the aftermath—it was not worth his fleeing over such a trifle. But that is not all—does Your Honor know who the girl is?” Yucun said he did not. The bailiff sneered, “She is actually a great benefactor of Your Honor! She is the daughter of Mr. Zhen, who lived next to the Temple of the Gourd—her name is Yinglian.” Yucun started. “So it is her! I heard she was stolen away at age five—why is she only now being sold?”

The bailiff explained: “Such kidnappers steal children of five or six, hide them away, and raise them until eleven or twelve; if the girl grows pretty, they take her to a distant place to sell. This Yinglian—we used to play with her daily. Though eight years have passed, she is now about twelve or thirteen, and though her looks have matured, her features are still recognizable to one who knew her. Moreover, she has a tiny mole like a grain of rice between her brows—a birthmark I remember well. By chance, the kidnapper rented a room in my house. One day when he was out, I questioned her. She had been so beaten by the kidnapper that she dared not speak, only said he was her father and was selling her for debt. I coaxed her, but she wept and said, ‘I remember nothing of my childhood!’ So there was no doubt. On the day Feng Yuan paid the silver, the kidnapper was drunk, and she sighed to herself, ‘My sins are at last at an end.’ Later, when she learned Feng Yuan would not take her for three days, she grew sad again. I could not bear it, so when the kidnapper was out, I had my wife comfort her: ‘This Mr. Feng insists on a lucky day, which shows he will not treat you as a common maid. Besides, he is handsome and genteel, and his family is decent; he always disliked women, yet he has paid a good price for you—you can guess his intentions. Just bear two or three days, why fret?’ At that, she brightened a little, thinking she had found a safe haven. But fortune is perverse—the very next day she was sold again to the Xues. Had it been anyone else, it might have been bearable, but this Xue master’s nickname is ‘Oaf King’—the most willful and violent man under heaven, and he throws money about like dirt. He had Feng’s people beaten to a pulp and dragged Yinglian away by force; I do not know if she is alive or dead. And poor Feng Yuan—his vain hopes dashed, his silver lost, his life forfeited—how pitiable!”

Yucun sighed, “This was their fate, not chance. Why else would Feng Yuan have fallen for Yinglian? And she, after years of torment, had just found a loving match—if they had married, it would have been a happy ending—only to have this disaster. The Xues may be richer than the Fengs, but that Xue Pan is surely given to many concubines and debauchery, hardly the devoted husband Feng would have been. Truly a dreamlike love, meeting a pair of ill-starred souls. But let us set aside such musings—how is this lawsuit to be decided?” The bailiff smiled, “Your Honor was so astute in years past—why now so hesitant? I hear you owe this promotion to the support of the Jia and Wang families. This Xue Pan is a close relative of the Jias. Why not let the current flow and do them a favor, settle the case, and so secure your standing with the Jia and Wang houses?” Yucun said, “What you say is not without reason. But this is a matter of human life; I have been graciously restored to office by His Majesty’s favor—this is a rebirth for me, and I should devote myself to serving the court. How can I pervert the law for private gain? I truly cannot do that.” The bailiff sneered, “Your Honor’s words are all high principles, but they won’t work in today’s world. Haven’t you heard the old saying, ‘A great man acts according to the times’? And ‘He who avoids danger and seeks good fortune is the wise man’? If you insist on this course, you will not only fail to serve the court but will also put yourself in peril. I beg you to think again.”

Yucun pondered for a long while, then asked, “What do you propose?” The bailiff said, “I have a perfect plan: Tomorrow in court, Your Honor should make a great show of issuing warrants and ordering arrests. The murderer will not be caught, of course, and the plaintiff will insist on having the Xue clansmen and servants tortured. I shall secretly arrange for them to report a sudden death by illness, and have the clan and local authorities submit a joint guarantee. Your Honor will then announce that you are skilled in planchette divination; set up a spirit-writing altar in the court and let the people watch. You will say: ‘The immortal’s oracle declares that the dead Feng Yuan and Xue Pan were fated to meet in this life to settle a past grievance; now they have met, and the debt is paid. Xue Pan has already contracted a nameless illness and is being haunted by Feng’s spirit to death. The whole trouble originated with the kidnapper, who is of such-and-such a village and surname; he shall be punished according to law, and the rest are not to be prosecuted.’ I shall secretly coach the kidnapper to confess accordingly. When the people see that the oracle matches the confession, they will believe the rest. The Xues are wealthy—let them pay a thousand or five hundred taels for burial expenses to the Fengs. The Fengs have no one of importance—they only want money; once they see the silver, they will raise no objections. What does Your Honor think of this plan?” Yucun smiled, “Not good, not good—let me ponder further; perhaps I can silence the public.” The two talked until nightfall and parted.

The next day, Yucun took his seat in court, summoned all parties, and examined them thoroughly. True enough, the Fengs were few and only sought more burial money, while the Xues, relying on their power and connections, refused to yield—hence the delay. Yucun then twisted the law and muddled through the case. The Fengs received a handsome sum for burial and said no more. Having concluded the affair, Yucun hurriedly wrote two letters—one to Jia Zheng and one to Prince Teng, the Imperial Commissioner—saying, “Your nephew’s matter is settled; do not worry.” All this was the bailiff’s scheme, but Yucun, fearing the man might one day speak of his humble past, grew uneasy and later found a pretext to banish him to a distant post.

But let us leave Yucun. Now turn to the young Xue who bought Yinglian and killed Feng Yuan. He too was a Jinling native, of a family of scholars and officials. But his father died early, and his widowed mother, doting on her only son, spoiled him excessively, so he grew up useless. The family had wealth beyond measure and held the imperial commission for supplying goods. His name was Xue Pan, courtesy name Wenqi. From the age of five he was extravagant and arrogant; though he attended school, he barely learned to read, spending his days on cockfights, horse-racing, and pleasure trips. Though a royal merchant, he understood nothing of business; his grandfather’s old connections kept his name on the board of the Ministry of Revenue, while his stewards and old retainers handled everything. His mother, née Wang, was a younger sister of Prince Teng, the Imperial Commissioner, and a full blood-sister of Lady Wang, wife of Jia Zheng of the Rongguo Mansion. She was now about forty, with only Xue Pan as a son. She had a daughter, two years younger than Xue Pan, whose childhood name was Baochai—a girl of creamy skin and graceful deportment. Her father, while alive, had doted on her and taught her to read and write, so that she far outshone her brother. After her father’s death, seeing her brother unable to care for their mother, she gave up book-learning and turned her mind to needlework and household management, to share her mother’s burdens. Lately, the Emperor, in his esteem for poetry and propriety, had decreed an extraordinary grace: besides selecting imperial consorts, daughters of all official and notable families might be registered as candidates for companions to princesses and royal consorts, or for posts of literary ladies-in-waiting. Moreover, since Xue Pan’s father died, the managers and clerks of the family’s trading houses in various provinces, seeing the young master’s inexperience, had begun to cheat them, and several businesses in the capital were running at a loss. Xue Pan had long heard that the capital was the most splendid place under heaven and wished to see it; so he seized this opportunity—ostensibly to escort his sister for her candidacy, to visit relatives, and to settle old accounts and draw new funds from the ministry—but in truth merely for pleasure. He had packed his belongings and prepared gifts for friends, and was choosing his departure date when he encountered the kidnapper’s resale of Yinglian. Struck by her beauty, he resolved to buy her; when the Fengs contested it, he used his power and ordered his servants to beat Feng Yuan to death. He left all domestic affairs to his clansmen and old servants, and set off with his mother and sister, treating the murder as a trifle, sure that money could buy him out of any trouble.

They traveled for some days, and as they neared the capital, news came that his uncle Prince Teng had been promoted to Grand Coordinator of Nine Provinces and ordered out of the capital on a tour of border defense. Xue Pan secretly rejoiced: “I feared that once in the capital, my uncle would curb my spending, but now he is leaving—truly heaven favors me.” He said to his mother, “We have several houses in the capital, but they have been empty for ten years; the caretakers may have rented them out. We should send someone ahead to clean and prepare.” His mother replied, “Why make such a show? When we enter the capital, we should first call on our relatives—either stay at your uncle’s or your aunt’s. Both have ample space; we can lodge there temporarily and later send people to tidy our own place—that is more considerate.” Xue Pan said, “Now that Uncle has been promoted to another province, his household must be in chaos preparing to move; it would be tactless to descend upon them.” His mother said, “Even if your uncle’s house is busy, there is still your aunt’s. Besides, both have often sent letters inviting us. Now that we have come, even if your uncle is leaving, your Aunt Jia will surely press us to stay. If we rush to our own house, it will seem ungrateful. But I know your mind—you fear that staying with your uncle or aunt will cramp your style, and you prefer to be on your own to do as you please. Very well, you may choose a house for yourself, while I take your sister to your aunt’s, to spend a few days with her and the girls—we have not seen them for years. What do you say?” Seeing his mother’s resolve, Xue Pan gave in and ordered the party to head for the Rongguo Mansion.

By then, Lady Wang had already learned of the lawsuit and was relieved that Jia Yucun had settled it. She was also feeling a little lonely, as her brother had been posted away and family visits were fewer. A few days later, a servant announced, “Madam Xue, with her son and daughter, has arrived with all their household and is alighting at the gate.” Overjoyed, Lady Wang led her daughters-in-law and maids to greet them at the main hall and escorted Aunt Xue inside. The reunion of the two sisters in their later years brought tears of joy and sorrow, long talk of their separation, and much embracing. They then presented Aunt Xue to the Dowager, offered gifts of local produce, and met the whole family. A feast was quickly prepared.

Xue Pan had already paid respects to Jia Zheng, and Jia Lian took him to greet Jia She and Jia Zhen. Jia Zheng then sent word to Lady Wang: “Aunt Xue is advanced in years, and our young cousin is inexperienced in the world; living outside might lead to trouble. The Pear Fragrance Court in the northeast corner has a dozen empty rooms—have them cleaned and invite Aunt and the young lady and gentleman to stay there.” Lady Wang had not yet pressed them to stay when the Dowager also sent a message: “Ask Aunt to stay here—we shall be closer.” Aunt Xue herself wished to share a roof so she could keep an eye on her son; if they lived apart, she feared he would run wild. She quickly thanked them and agreed. Privately she told Lady Wang, “Let us cover all our own expenses, from daily supplies to everything else—that is the only way to live together long.” Lady Wang, knowing her sister could well afford it, consented. And so the Xue family took up residence in the Pear Fragrance Court.

This court had been the Duke of Rongguo’s retreat in his later years—compact and elegant, with a dozen rooms and complete front and back quarters. It had a separate gate opening onto the street, through which Xue Pan’s servants came and went. A small corner door on the southwest led through a passage to the east side of Lady Wang’s main quarters. Each day after meals or in the evening, Aunt Xue would come over to chat with the Dowager or with Lady Wang. Baochai spent her days with Daiyu, Yingchun, and the other girls, reading, playing chess, or doing needlework—quite contentedly.

As for Xue Pan, he had never wanted to stay at the Jias, fearing his uncle’s discipline and expecting to feel constrained. But his mother insisted, and the Jias were so hospitable that he agreed to stay temporarily, while sending men to prepare his own house for a later move. Yet within a month, he had become familiar with half the young men of the Jia clan—all the spoiled, dissolute ones who delighted in his company. One day they gathered for drinking, the next for flower-viewing, soon for gambling and whoring, and they led Xue Pan into far worse debauchery than ever before. Though Jia Zheng was a strict disciplinarian and managed his household well, the clan was large and he could not watch everyone; besides, the clan head was Jia Zhen, who held the hereditary title and managed clan affairs. Moreover, Jia Zheng was busy with official duties and by nature a man of leisure, caring little for mundane matters; in his spare time he read or played chess, and paid no heed to such goings-on. And since the Pear Fragrance Court was set apart with its own street gate, the young ruffians could come and go freely—so Xue Pan gradually dropped his plan to move out.