法苑珠林 78.49

78.49

Zhu Zhen, Magistrate of Moling in the Liang, was imprisoned on charges of an offense. Yu Zhuan, an Assistant of the Court of Judicature and Revision, investigated the case and convicted him of a capital crime. Zhen sent a message to Zhuan, saying: 'My crime warrants death, and I dare not beg for mercy. However, I still hope the sovereign might, by some rare chance, grant a pardon. Tomorrow is the anniversary of my father's death; I beg that you delay submitting the memorial until this day has passed—would that be possible?' Zhuan replied: 'This is not unreasonable; why should it not be so? I have respectfully noted your request.' However, Zhu's case had already been placed in the bundle of memorials for the following day. Zhuan then met with guests, drank with them, and became drunk, completely forgetting to extract the document. Moreover, his servants tied up the bundle and placed it inside a clothing box, and Zhuan forgot about it again. When he arrived before the emperor, he bowed his feet on the fragrant stool and began unrolling the scrolls in order; only then did he see this case. The situation made it impossible to conceal, so he submitted it as it was. Emperor Wu was furious and said: 'Zhu Zhen deserves to die. Hand him over to the external authorities to carry out the sentence.' Hearing this, Zhen harboured deep resentment, saying: 'That knave Yu Zhuan has deceived a man about to die. If ghosts have no consciousness, then I shall merely be like dust and ash; but if they do possess awareness, I swear I shall take revenge on him!' Just as Zhen was about to breathe his last in the marketplace, Zhuan already saw him coming. From then on, Zhuan constantly saw Zhen coming, which caused him great distress. He also dreamed that he was riding in a carriage below a mountain, and Zhen was atop the mountain pushing boulders to crush him. More than a month later, Zhuan was appointed Magistrate of Qu'a. On the day after he paid his respects, he went to offer thanks at the palace gate. Meanwhile, his wife suddenly died at home without warning. Zhuan hurried back in confusion and entered the chamber to weep for his wife. Raising his head, he saw Zhen upon the roof beam. Zhuan said: 'Magistrate Zhu of Moling is here! How could my wife have avoided death?' Before his words were finished, the house suddenly collapsed without cause. Zhuan, along with more than ten men, women, and maidservants, all perished at once. Yu Zhi, Assistant Director of the Right, was his kinsman; he had been managing the funeral affairs, but upon seeing Zhuan return, he had stepped down from the hall for a moment to avoid him, and thus narrowly escaped disaster.