法苑珠林 75.54

75.54

Wang Huan of Langye in the Qi served the Qi court, reaching the post of Left Servant of the Directorate of the Department of State Affairs. He had great faith in the Buddhist scriptures, yet his jealousy was profound, so that he forgot vast forgiveness. He was once in his studio having his beloved concubine groom his whiskers. Suddenly, a crow carrying a yellow plum flew over the courtyard and dropped it. Huan believed that the concubine had an illicit rendezvous and threw the fruit as a flirtation. He had a male slave go outside to spy. The slave happened to see a gentleman strolling in secret toward the fence. The slave immediately went to seize him, but this man cursed angrily and spoke foul obscenities, then quickly ran off. The slave returned and reported it. Huan believed there was real evidence and severely interrogated her. The concubine set forth her plea in full, but in the end was not believed. He immediately sent her down the steps and had her beaten to death. Undoing her clothes, the concubine swore, saying, 'My death today is truly an unjust wrong. If the way of men and gods exists, I shall cause the official to know!' Thereafter, she was seen several times coming to voice her grievance. Shortly afterward, Huan was sent out to serve as Regional Inspector of Yongzhou. His nature gradually grew mad and strange, as though he were possessed. For no reason, he beat to death an officer of his minor staff. His Chief Clerk, Liu Xingzu, falsely accused him of intending to rebel, and he was impeached by the Palace Attendant and Imperial Censor Kong Zhiwei. Emperor Shizu dispatched Palace Drafting Aide Lü Wenxian and General of the Imperial Bodyguard Cao Daogang to lead Qi guardsmen to arrest Huan. Huan's son Biao was known for being fierce and violent; he and Huan's son-in-law Yin Rui then urged Huan, saying, 'Cao and Lü have come today without showing an authentic imperial decree. We fear it is treason. The proper course is to seize them and gallop to report it to the throne.' Huan adopted their advice, assembled over a thousand men, and closed the gates to hold the defense with weapons. Biao then directly engaged the government army in battle. Biao was defeated and fled. Pei Shuye, Chief Clerk of Pacifying the Barbarians, raised troops within the city, attacked Huan, and decapitated him. People at the time considered this the retribution of the concubine. (These two verifications are from the Mingxiang ji.)