法苑珠林 78.50

78.50

When Prince of Luling of the Liang was in Jingzhou, he once dispatched an attendant clerk to survey and register the people's lands. Le Gaiqing of Nanyang was also sent on this mission. At that time, Wei Polu, a director of the princely mansion, issued the admonitions and instructions, but deviated from the prince's original intent. When Gaiqing returned, he was accused of an offense due to the discrepancies and errors. Terrified, Polu did not dare acknowledge his blame; he merely deceived Gaiqing, saying, 'I will clear your name myself; there is no need for you to appeal.' Within a few days, [Gaiqing] was beheaded in the marketplace. Gaiqing wailed and cried out, having no way to plead his case, and instructed his family to bury paper and ink-brush with him in the shroud. A few days after his death, Polu was at the livestock trough looking at the cattle when he suddenly saw Gaiqing enter carrying his own head, holding out a bowl of pickled garlic greens to Polu. Polu ran about shouting in fright, but having no choice, he ingested it. Because of this he fell ill, and died before long. Furthermore, Du Yi was the second son of Du Huaiyao, Regional Inspector of Liangzhou, and served as Regional Inspector of Western Jingzhou. By nature, he was extremely arrogant and suspicious. He had newly taken a concubine who possessed both youth and beauty, and he doted on her with extraordinary fondness. The concubine received a letter from her father saying, 'Lately I am in destitution and wish to make a request of you.' She was leaning against the curtain reading it when Yi returned from outside. Feeling ashamed to let Yi know about this matter since she was newly arrived, she chewed and swallowed it. Yi thought it had been sent by a lover, and thereupon ordered her belly cut open to retrieve the letter. Before the concubine had breathed her last, the letter was already pulled out. After reading it, Yi sighed, saying, 'I never imagined I would be so rash! Having damaged the cosmic harmony of the world, how could I long endure?' That night, he saw the concubine pleading her case [against him], and Yi died within ten days. To this day, the people of Xiangyang speak of this.