法苑珠林 67.61

67.61

Yuan Hui, Prince of Chengyang in the Wei, originally devised daytime plans for Emperor Xiaozhuang to kill Erzhu Rong. When Erzhu Zhao entered Luoyang and murdered Xiaozhuang, Hui was terrified and fled to Kou Zuren, the Magistrate of Luoyang. Zuren's father, uncle, and brothers—three persons—becoming Regional Inspectors was all due to Hui's efforts. Soon after, Erzhu Zhao offered a reward of a ten-thousand-household marquisate for Hui. Zuren thereupon severed Hui's head and delivered it, while also concealing his one hundred jin of gold and fifty horses. When Zhao obtained Hui's head, he did not reward him with the marquisate. Zhao then dreamt of Hui, who said, 'My two hundred jin of gold and one hundred horses are at Zuren's home; you may take them.' Zhao awoke and said, 'The Chengyang household was originally exceedingly wealthy. Yesterday, when I ordered the seizure, there was no gold or silver at all; this dream may be true.' At dawn he immediately ordered Zuren's arrest. When Zuren entered, he saw Hui, who said, 'Now I have fully repaid you!' Zuren confessed to having obtained one hundred jin of gold and fifty horses; Zhao did not believe him. Zuren privately collected from his relatives and obtained thirty jin of gold and thirty horses to deliver to Zhao, but it still did not make up the count. Zhao then flew into a rage, hung his head from a tree, weighed down his feet with stones, and whipped and beat him to death with boots and lashes. (These seven evidential accounts above are from the Yuanhun zhi.)