法苑珠林 73.44

73.44

唐隴西李義琰。貞觀年中為華州縣尉。此縣忽失一人莫知所在。其父兄疑一讎冤家所害。詣縣陳請。義琰案之不能得決。夜中執燭委細窮問。至乙夜義琰據案俛首不覺死人即至。猶帶被傷之狀云。某被傷姓名。被打殺置於某所井中。公可早撿。不然恐被移向他處。不可覓得。義琰即親往覓。果如所陳。尋而讎家云始具伏。當時聞見者。莫不驚歎。

In the Tang dynasty, Li Yiyan of Longxi served during the Zhenguan era as the County Defender of Huazhou. In this county, a man suddenly went missing, and no one knew where he was. His father and elder brother suspected he had been harmed by a mortal enemy, so they went to the county office to petition. Yiyan investigated the matter but could not reach a determination. At night, holding a candle, he interrogated [the suspect] in meticulous detail. Around the second watch, as Yiyan sat resting his head against the desk, he was unaware that the dead man had suddenly arrived, still bearing the marks of his injuries, and saying: 'I am [name], who was injured. I was beaten to death and dumped into a well at such-and-such a place. You, sir, may search for me early; otherwise, I fear I may be moved elsewhere and will not be found.' Yiyan immediately went in person to search, and found it was indeed as he had described. Soon afterward, the enemy confessed in full. At the time, among all who heard or saw this, there was none who did not marvel in sighing astonishment.