法苑珠林 91.72

91.72

周杜國之伯名曰常。為周大夫。宣王之妾曰女鳩。欲通之。杜伯不可。女鳩訴之。宣王曰。常竊與妾交。宣王信之。囚杜伯于焦。使薛甫與司工錡殺杜伯其友左儒九諫。而王不聽。左儒死之。杜伯既死。即為人見王曰。常之罪何哉。王召祝而以杜伯語告之。祝曰。始殺杜伯誰與王謀之。王曰。司工錡也祝曰。何不殺錡以謝之。宣王乃殺錡。使祝以謝之杜伯。杜伯猶為人而至。言其無罪。司工錡又為人而至曰。臣何罪之有。宣王告皇甫曰。祝也與我謀而殺人。吾所殺者又皆為人而見。當奈何乎。皇甫曰殺祝以謝之。宣王乃殺祝以兼謝焉。又無益也。皆為人而至。祝亦曰。我焉知之。奈何以此為罪。而殺臣也。後三年游於圃田。從人滿野。日中杜伯乘白馬素衣。司工錡為左。祝為右。朱衣朱冠。起於道左。執朱弓朱矢射宣王。中心折脊。伏于弓衣而死。

The Earl of the state of Du under the Zhou was named Chang, and was a Grand Master of the Zhou. King Xuan's concubine was named Nüjiu; she wished to have illicit relations with him, but the Earl of Du refused. Nüjiu accused him, saying to King Xuan: 'Chang has secretly had relations with me.' King Xuan believed her, imprisoned the Earl of Du in Jiao, and sent Xue Fu and Director of Works Qi to kill the Earl of Du. His friend Zuo Ru remonstrated nine times, but the King would not listen; Zuo Ru died for him. After the Earl of Du died, he manifested in human form and appeared to the King, saying: 'What was Chang's crime?' The King summoned the ritual invocator and told him the Earl of Du's words. The invocator asked: 'When the Earl of Du was first put to death, who plotted it with the King?' The King said: 'The Director of Works Qi.' The invocator said: 'Why not kill Qi to appease him?' King Xuan thereupon killed Qi and sent the invocator to appease the Earl of Du with him. The Earl of Du still came in human form, declaring his innocence. The Director of Works Qi also came in human form, saying: 'What crime did your subject commit?' King Xuan told Huangfu: 'The invocator plotted with me to kill someone, and those I killed have both appeared in human form. What should be done?' Huangfu said: 'Kill the invocator to appease them.' King Xuan thereupon killed the invocator to appease both of them, yet this was also of no avail; they all came in human form. The invocator also said: 'How could I have known this? How can you hold this as a crime and kill your subject?' Three years later, [the King] went hunting in Putian, with attendants filling the fields. At midday, the Earl of Du rode a white horse in white clothing, with the Director of Works Qi on his left and the invocator on his right, wearing red robes and red caps. Arising from the left of the road, he drew a red bow and a red arrow, and shot King Xuan, striking his heart and breaking his spine. [The King] fell prostrate upon the bow-case and died.