法苑珠林 74.30

74.30

In the Han era, when He Chang served as Regional Inspector of Jiaozhi, he made an inspection tour and reached Gaoyao County in Cangwu Commandery. At dusk, he lodged at Queben Pavilion. Before midnight, a woman came out from beneath the watchtower. She identified herself: ‘My surname is Su, my given name is E, and my courtesy name is Yishu. Originally a person of Xiu Lane in Guangxin County, I lost my parents early and had no brothers; my husband also died long ago. I had one hundred and twenty bolts of assorted silk and one bondmaid named Zhifu. Orphaned, poor, emaciated, and weak, I could not sustain myself and wished to travel to an adjacent county to sell the silk. From Wang Bo, a man of my county, I rented a cart and an ox, worth twelve thousand cash, to carry me along with the silk, and had Zhifu hold the reins. Then, on the tenth day of the fourth month of the year before last, we reached the outside of this pavilion. At the time, the sun had set and travelers had vanished; not daring to proceed forward, we remained and stayed there. Zhifu suddenly developed abdominal pain, and I went to the pavilion director’s quarters to beg for hot water and fetch fire. The pavilion director Gong Shou, wielding a knife and holding a halberd, came to the side of the cart. He asked me: “Where does the lady come from? What is loaded on the cart? Where is your husband? Why do you travel alone?” I answered him: “Why do you ask this?” Shou then seized my arm and said: “A tender beauty with fine looks—might we take pleasure together?” At that time I was terrified and would not consent. Shou then stabbed my flank with his knife; with one wound I died on the spot. He also killed Zhifu. Shou dug under the watchtower and buried me together with the maid, took our goods and property, slaughtered the ox, and burned the cart. He stored the metal hubs of the cart and the ox’s bones in an empty well east of the pavilion. The agony of my death is excruciating and I had nowhere to lodge my complaint, so I have come on my own to submit to your wise honor.’ Chang said: ‘If I now wish to uncover your remains, what will serve as proof?’ The woman said: ‘Above and below I was dressed in white clothing; my shoes of blue silk have not yet decayed.’ When they dug, it was indeed as she said. Chang then sent officials to arrest Shou; under interrogation and torture, he fully confessed. They referred the matter to Guangxin County to verify and interrogate, and the details matched E’s words. They arrested Shou’s parents and brothers, and all were imprisoned. Chang submitted a memorial stating that although Shou's murder would not, under regular statutes, warrant the extermination of his clan, Shou had concealed his evil for years, escaping the king’s law; and since complaints by ghosts and spirits do not occur once in a thousand years, he requested that they all be beheaded to aid the retribution of the unseen realm. The emperor granted his request in a reply.