The Hundred Women's Records: The Punished Women, Part 2

Chapter

4 of "The Hundred Women's Chronicle" (Chapter
4: The Beautiful Young Woman's Ladies' Erotic Moans, A Peddler's Screams from Next Door, A Hole Piercing
Between East and West, the Adulterous Woman Busy at Both Ends.
She Comforts Her Husband at Night, Meets Her Lover by Day.
Her Pearly Lips Are Slick with Saliva, Her Lustful Vagina Is Filled with White Fluid.
Suddenly, a Miserable Cry Is Heard, and Bai Shun Is About to Suffer.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and reunion with a lover is like a passionate flame. Zhou crawled out of the cellar and threw herself into Xu Jin's arms. The two quickly rolled around together, kissing wildly. Then, without tacit agreement, they undressed. Zhou grasped Xu Jin's penis and began to suck and lick it, while Xu Jin parted Zhou's vulva and began to explore with a lewd grin. "Wow," Xu Jin's fingers dug and prodded inside Zhou's body for a while, then he habitually pulled them out and held his fingertips, covered in her juices, to his nose, sniffing with utter lewdness. "Still that smell."
"Hehe," Zhou replied, taking a small bite of Xu Jin's penis with her delicate teeth. "Hmph, still that cocky smell, salty, sour, and pungent..."
"Hehe," Xu Jin chuckled lewdly, shoving Zhou Shi down beneath him with a thud. Zhou Shi writhed wantonly, her overflowing vulva thrusting towards Xu Jin's crotch. The handsome young man watched, inwardly cursing: "What a little slut! I've only ever seen such lewd actions in brothels.
" "Come here," Xu Jin said, watching Zhou Shi as she pondered. The little slut grasped the handsome young man's manhood, actively taking it into her pink, glistening vulva, her slender waist twisting flexibly. It was clear that the little slut felt very happy and excited to be able to relive her past with Xu Jin; the torrent of vaginal fluid was the best proof.
The little slut's joyful writhing brought the handsome young man inexplicable pleasure. Xu Jin tried to calm himself down, leaning over Zhou Shi's silky body, savoring the little slut's writhing and contractions. A moment later, the little slut was finally exhausted from her busy work, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead: "Move! You're going to die!"
"I can't move," Xu Jin said, pressing down on Zhou Shi, his white little treasure deeply embedded in her honeyed cave. Having not been with his beloved for many days, the young scholar's old problem of premature ejaculation flared up again. Xu Jin, panting, muttered, "Sister, if you move any more, it'll leak out. I don't want this. I want to play with you a little longer!"
"Idiot!" Zhou Shi scolded, spreading her legs and pressing her arms firmly against Xu Jin's back, preparing for a final, frenzied attack on the handsome young man. But good things are always fraught with difficulties. From the other side of the wall outside the window, came the familiar footsteps of Bai Shun. Zhou Shi exclaimed in surprise, "Oh no, he's back!"
"Oh dear," Xu Jin was also quite surprised. His body trembled violently, and with a whoosh, he ejaculated a pool of thick semen into Zhou's body. Zhou hurriedly sat up, not bothering to clean her private parts, and quickly put on her outer clothes. As she crawled into the cellar, she instructed Xu Jin, "Darling, it's not that I'm afraid of him, but I'm worried that if he finds out about this, we won't be able to get along anymore. For the sake of our future happiness, we should keep it a secret. Make sure you put the cellar lid on properly so your father doesn't find out. I'll come again tomorrow. Please wait for me patiently. Goodbye!" "
Husband," Zhou hurriedly crawled back to her house. She saw Bai Shun put down his carrying pole and picked up scissors, tirelessly pruning the vegetable seedlings in the garden. Zhou couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking that she had really let down the honest and hardworking Bai Shun. So, Zhou changed out of her mud-stained clothes, put on a sexy and alluring nightgown, went to the kitchen, and personally cooked several dishes for Bai Shun. Then, she sweetly called Bai Shun over and invited him into her bedroom. After enjoying the delicious food, the couple lay down in each other's arms. At Zhou's prompting, Bai Shun, flattered, climbed onto his wife's body. His submachine gun, which had been idle for many days, finally entered his wife's wet vagina, which was filled with other men's semen. Zhou, just like when she entertained Xu Xiaoxiu, writhed her hips wantonly. Bai Shun, also frustrated for many days, surrendered obediently after a few rounds. However, Zhou was not satisfied. So, the couple rallied and vowed to fight three hundred rounds. Bai Shun did not disappoint Zhou's expectations. His submachine gun made Zhou scream loudly, and even Xu Jin next door could hear it clearly.
The couple worked until dawn, had a simple breakfast, and then Bai Shun picked up his goods and left home. Zhou, having nothing else to do, picked up a shovel and hoe and went back down into the cellar to expand the cave. To avoid getting muddy when she went back and forth, Zhou dismantled an eight-immortal table and laid the planks on the mud inside the cave. To make it easier to contact the young scholar Xu, Zhou tied a copper bell under the cellar cover. Whenever she wanted to sneak into the cellar to meet the young scholar at Xu's residence, she would pull the bell. Upon hearing the bell, Xu would immediately put down his books, lift the cover, and pull Zhou into the study. After a passionate lovemaking session, he would reluctantly leave. In this way, several months passed by unnoticed.
Just as Zhou was happily shuttling between the two cellars, enjoying her blissful life with two husbands, one day, a muffled clap of thunder suddenly boomed across the gloomy sky. As Zhou was passionately pleasuring Xu Jin, a bolt of lightning, like a gleaming white sword, flashed and pierced her full breasts. Startled, Zhou collapsed onto the handsome young man, a sense of foreboding rising within her. "Darling," Zhou murmured tremulously, clinging to Xu Jin, "this is not a good sign. It seems someone has noticed our affair. Could it be your father?"
"No, my father knows nothing about it," Xu Jin reassured Zhou. "I'm certain he knows nothing about our affair."
"How do you know?" Zhou wasn't worried that Bai Shun had discovered the matter. That old, pedantic scholar was the most troublesome fellow for the beautiful young woman. He would be the biggest obstacle for Zhou if she wanted to enter the Xu family in the future. So, Zhou wrapped her arms around Xu Jin's neck, gazing at her beloved with a suspicious look: "How do you know my father doesn't know about us?"
"Recently, my father's attitude towards me has become much kinder. He praised my progress and said I would definitely achieve ideal results in the autumn examinations. Furthermore, my father also revealed this information to me!"
"What information?"
"Someone has proposed marriage to me. Yes, yes, it's the second daughter of the wealthy Jia family in the neighboring village, Miss Jia,"
"What?" Zhou interrupted Xu Jin angrily: "You can't agree to any marriage proposal. What oath did you make back then?" Zhou grabbed Xu Jin's ear, her gaze fixed intently on the handsome young man. Xu Jin remained silent. It was human nature for men to tire of the old and crave the new, especially for the dissolute young scholar Xu. He was growing somewhat weary of spending every day with Zhou Shi. The exceptionally clever Zhou Shi quickly guessed the handsome young man's thoughts, but stubbornly insisted, "Marry me! You can only marry me!"
"But," Xu Jin said, his face showing difficulty, "Sister, you already have a husband. How can I marry you? Which matchmaker would dare to propose such a marriage?"
"This," Zhou Shi was momentarily speechless: Yes, this was indeed a problem! Bai Shun was my rightful husband. As long as he stood at the door, which matchmaker would dare to propose marriage to the Xu family? But I couldn't live without young scholar Xu, and I longed for the Xu family's grand mansion! Hmph, cowardice isn't womanly, and ruthlessness isn't heroic. It seemed that to achieve my goal of a happy life, I had to sacrifice Bai Shun. So, Zhou grabbed Xu Jin's ears with both hands at the same time and said coldly and ruthlessly, word by word, "Kill him, you kill him for me!"
"Ah—," Zhou's words were like a steel needle suddenly piercing Xu Jin's buttocks. The handsome young man cried out in surprise and sat up abruptly: "What, kill—someone?" Xu Jin stared at Zhou in astonishment, too horrified to utter a word for a long time. Suddenly, a bloody and tragic scene appeared before the young scholar's eyes.
That must have happened the year before last. Xu Jin and a few other scholars from the village went to the county to take the annual imperial examination. After finishing their exams and leaving the examination hall, the boys sneaked off to a brothel called "Yingchunlou" to drink and seduce the prostitutes. Yingchunlou was located in a prime location in the county town. Xu Jin was having a great time drinking with the prostitutes when suddenly there was a commotion downstairs. Xu Jin and his friends looked down at the sound and saw idle locals crowding around two prison carts heading towards the market center. Two prison carts, each carrying a male and a female prisoner, arrived at the market center. The county magistrate sat upright on a large, pre-erected platform and solemnly read out the charges against the two condemned prisoners. He then made a few marks on the verdict with a ballpoint pen, before slamming the pen to the ground: "According to the laws of the Celestial Empire, adulterers shall be beheaded, their heads displayed on the city gate tower as a warning to the people against adultery and lawlessness; the adulterous woman who murdered her husband
shall be executed by slow slicing." With that, the burly executioner swung his large, cleaving blade. A sharp crack rang out, and the male prisoner, declared the "adulterer," was instantly decapitated, blood spurting from his neck. Xu Jin was so terrified he nearly spat out the wine he had just swallowed. The prostitutes were even more panicked, covering their faces.
However, the most horrifying scene was yet to come. After executing the adulterer, the executioners wiped the blood splattered on their faces, set aside their executioner's blades, and replaced them with small, yet incredibly sharp, short blades. One by one, they approached the female prisoner with hideous faces. The female prisoner was already trembling with fear, pitifully pleading, "Good sir, please have mercy! Grant me a quick death!"
“You little slut, die quickly? Dream on,” several executioners said in a scolding tone as they loosened the female prisoner’s shackles. “You want a quick death, but when you murdered your husband and poisoned his food, did you ever think about how painful his death would be? Heh heh.” As they spoke, the executioners not only loosened the female prisoner’s shackles but also stripped her of her upper garment. One of the executioners lewdly patted the female prisoner’s snow-white back: “Little whore, don’t be nervous, this flesh is quite plump.” "It's still far from the bone, so it won't hurt much to peel it off,"
he said. Before he could finish, another executioner, already impatient, swiftly swung his blade, slicing a piece of flesh off the female prisoner's back. The prisoner screamed in agony, but before she could utter a second scream, several executioners simultaneously swung their knives. Blades flashed, blood splattering everywhere. With each increasingly desperate scream, the prisoner was quickly disfigured, becoming a terrifying, blood-soaked gourd. Ah, thinking of this, Xu Jin sighed with lingering fear, "It's too terrifying, we can't do it!"
"What do you mean we can't do it?" Zhou Shi said dismissively, "Quickly help me think of a way to kill him without anyone noticing, then everything will be fine!"
"We can't do it," Xu Jin warned Zhou Shi, "Most officials are the elite among scholars, they are like gods descended from heaven. No matter how hard you rack your brains, you can't escape their watchful eyes. Sooner or later, they will bring you to justice. This is called, this is called: the net of justice is vast,
and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it!" "Coward," Zhou Shi still didn't believe it, "I just don't believe it. If officials are really that powerful, why are there still so many murder cases that can't be solved? Why are so many notorious bandits still at large? Are we really that unlucky, so unfortunate, that we'll be caught by the officials just for killing one person?"
"No, sister, absolutely not!" The handsome young man shook his head violently, staring at Zhou Shi with utter terror: What a vicious woman! I thought it was just a game, but she took it seriously, even contemplating murder. This is no joke; murder is punishable by death, and debts must be repaid! Besides, my sister, my great-aunt, you're thinking too simply. Even if you remove Bai Shun, this stumbling block, do you think you can walk into my house? No, you can't! Don't you even consider your own family background and social status? Even if I, Xu, am down on my luck, I still come from a noble family and have an official background! My father would never agree to this marriage.
"Give me a straight answer!" Seeing that Xu Jin was hesitant to help with the murder, Zhou pressed him repeatedly. Xu Jin shook his head and refused repeatedly: "This is absolutely not a joke, it's a matter of life and death." Although young, Xu Jin was well-read and knew very well the danger and consequences of this: adultery was nothing more than a crime, and the magistrate would throw a few slaps on the wrist and give him a good beating. But murder was a completely different matter. It was unacceptable! Xu Jin muttered involuntarily, "Sister, you absolutely mustn't!" "
Hmph, coward, good-for-nothing," Zhou cursed, put on her clothes, and left angrily, ignoring Xu Jin for several days. Xu Jin thought Zhou was just saying it casually, but from the third day onwards, the copper bell under the bed rang frequently. Xu Jin knew that it was Zhou's secret signal before she left. Zhou had said, "Coward, listen carefully. I've made up my mind. I'll make my move in the next few days. When the time comes, I'll use the copper bell to notify you. When you hear the bell, come immediately and help me finish off Bai Shun, understand?"
"I can't," Xu Jin dared not agree, mechanically muttering, "I can't!"
Ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling...
The sound of the copper bell grew more urgent. Xu Jin paced anxiously in the study, wanting to go and help Zhou, but lacking the courage. He didn't want to go, but worried that he would offend the beautiful young woman and never be able to enjoy her exquisite body again.
"Ah—," just as the young scholar Xu was in a dilemma, a miserable scream suddenly came from the next room. It was clear that Bai Shun was desperately screaming, "Ah—,"
to find out what happened next door, stay tuned for the next chapter. The Fifth Chapter of "The Hundred Women's Chronicle" (The Criminal Wife) Chapter

Five : The young widow sternly expelled the doctor; the officials, armed with warrants , arrested the adulterous woman. A misfortune may be a blessing in disguise; Bai Shun gained a wife, but who knows what joy she might bring? A slender waist, like a precious treasure; incomparably alluring, but with more danger than good. She had other desires, her soul almost leaving her body; like a cat crying over a mouse, burning incense and holding a ritual. Adultery hidden in the brothel, dressed in mourning; swearing to never confess, causing a commotion in the courtroom. Now, let's talk about how Zhou ordered Xu Jin to help her kill Bai Shun. Intimidated by the majesty of the law, the young scholar Xu said he would rather die than help. Zhou, furious, left the study in a huff. Not long after, she rang the copper bell again, but Xu Jin remained unmoved. Finally losing her patience, Zhou decided to take matters into her own hands. Xu Jin, who had been hiding in his study, refusing to help, didn't know what method the harlot had used. He only heard Bai Shun scream "Agh!" from next door before collapsing onto the bed or the floor with a thud. Immediately afterward, he heard Zhou's familiar, yet feigned, desperate cries from next door: "Husband, what's wrong? Waaah—," Xu Jin, though in the next room, heard it clearly and tried to guess what was happening: Zhou was probably kneeling on the bed, slapping her thighs repeatedly: "Someone's dead…someone's dead…" "What—?" Then came the mother-in-law's scream and the frantic sound of pushing open the door: "Ah, my son, what happened to you? Oh, sob sob sob," Xu Jin listened closely. The mother-in-law had collapsed on the floor, her hands pounding the floor tiles in despair: "Losing my son in my old age, I am so miserable, who will take care of me in my final days! Sob sob sob," Zhou's house quickly became noisy. Upon hearing the news of the death, Bai Shun's relatives and neighbors rushed over. At the same time, the village head also came to fulfill his duty and asked Zhou about the cause of Bai Shun's death. Zhou sobbed and stammered: "I don't know. After he came back from selling goods, he drank half a bowl of wine and suddenly complained of a headache. I panicked and was about to find him some medicine, but he collapsed on the floor with a thud, constantly crying out in pain, pain... and after a while, he, he, he died. Oh, my husband, you died so tragically, you died without knowing why!"

The Zhou family's courtyard quickly became lively. Xu Jin knew that Bai Shun must have died a violent death. Having had an affair with the Zhou family, he dared not go to pay his respects. Out of curiosity, Xu Jin moved a chair, placed it against the wall, jumped onto it, and, gripping the top of the wall, quietly peered into the Zhou family's courtyard. In the center of the courtyard, a cheap coffin was conspicuously placed. Bai Shun's body lay sprawled on a door panel. A local constable squatted beside Bai Shun's corpse, carefully examining it. Finally, the village head shook his head: "Strange, there are no external injuries, nor any internal injuries. How did he die?" Unable to determine the cause of Bai Shun's death, the village head waved his hand, ordering Bai Shun's relatives and neighbors to prepare him for burial. After everyone hurriedly placed Bai Shun in the coffin, Zhou Shi, dressed in mourning clothes with her hair disheveled, rushed out of the house, weeping bitterly. She threw herself onto the coffin, pounding on the lid and wailing even more loudly. Xu Jin watched this and couldn't help but chuckle to himself: "Little slut, she's putting on quite a show! Heh, I never knew your acting was so good!"
After burying Bai Shun, at the banquet that evening, Zhou Shi solemnly declared that she would remain chaste for Bai Shun for the rest of her life! Upon hearing this, a chorus of praise erupted from the assembly. Everyone gave Zhou a thumbs-up, exclaiming, "Well done! So young, yet she vowed to remain chaste. Such a virtuous woman, such a martyr! She will surely receive imperial commendation, a title, and a memorial arch, thus leaving a lasting legacy!
" "Ah, look at her! A woman of humble origins, yet she has accomplished such a feat! It truly puts us aristocratic families to shame!" Returning from Zhou's residence, the old scholar, reeking of alcohol, rambled on, praising Zhou. Xu Jin, of course, understood the unspoken meaning better than anyone: his father hoped his son would take Zhou as a role model, persevere, work hard, and achieve great things. Xu Jin, the young scholar, couldn't help but chuckle, covering his face. "Heh heh, my old and feeble father! If I had truly followed Zhou's example, how could I be sitting in my study reading right now?" He was already kneeling in the main hall of the yamen, ready to be interrogated by the magistrate!
Ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling, ding-ding-ling...
Xu Jin was laughing while holding the ancient book when the rapid sound of the copper bell under the bed rang out again. Xu Jin was startled and broke out in a cold sweat. He turned around and saw that his father, whether he had finished nagging or was drunk, had walked out of the study and returned to his own bedroom. Xu Jin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He cautiously walked to the door, but even though his father was already seven-tenths drunk, he hadn't forgotten to lock the door. Xu Jin circled back from the door, squatted down by the bed, and was about to lift the cellar lid when, to his surprise, the lid opened by itself. Zhou Shi's snow-white arm slammed the lid aside, and her alluring body nimbly climbed out of the cellar, staring at Xu Jin with a serious expression: "What, are you ignoring me?"
"No, no," the little harlot dared to say and do, and Xu Jin truly dared not offend Zhou Shi at this moment. He very obsequiously helped Zhou Shi to the bed: "How could I dare to neglect you, sister! Sister," Xu Jin, holding Zhou Shi's arm, asked the harlot with a mysterious look, "How did you kill Bai Shun?"
"Get out!" Zhou shoved Xu Jin away. "Don't you dare make false accusations! Who killed him? He died of his own accord, Xu Jin!" For the first time, Zhou addressed the young scholar by his full name, and she abruptly stood up. "Let me tell you, I solemnly tell you, this is a matter of life and death! A few days ago, I was just joking with you. How could a mere woman like me have the courage and strength to commit murder? Bai Shun died of his own accord! If you dare to spout nonsense again, I will sue you for slander..."
"Sister," Xu Jin knelt at Zhou's feet for the second time. "I dare not, I dare not speak nonsense again. Let's pretend we never said anything before, okay? Hehe," seeing that Zhou remained silent, Xu Jin stood up and became flirtatious again. "Hehe, hehe..."
"Go away," Zhou pushed Xu Jin again, "Be serious. Don't start touching me the moment you see me. I'm not here to mess around with you. Xu Jin, I have a question for you: When are you going to marry me?"
"This, this," Xu Jin couldn't answer Zhou's question. Yes, how could he answer her? Marry her? That was impossible; if he bluntly said he wouldn't marry her, how could that little harlot let the young scholar off so easily?
"Xu Jin, you'd better think this over carefully," Zhou Shi said, her tone now threatening. "We're now in this together, like grasshoppers tied to a noose. If something happens to me, you won't escape the consequences. Don't think you're clean just because you didn't kill anyone for me. Once things are exposed, I'll say you ordered me to kill Bai Shun!"
"What?" Xu Jin was shocked. He realized what it meant for joy to turn to sorrow. After a moment of pleasure came endless trouble and terror. It seemed he couldn't shake off Zhou Shi. As for his future life, Xu Jin dared not imagine it anymore.
"After the three-year mourning period is over," Zhou Shi and Xu Jin spent another night together in the locked study. The next morning, before leaving, Zhou Shi said in a commanding tone, "After I take off my mourning clothes, you must find a matchmaker to propose marriage, understand?"
"Understood," Xu Jin replied blankly, muttering helplessly. Zhou Shi suddenly smiled gently, "My dear, don't get upset, study hard. I hope you pass the imperial examination and become an official's wife, hehe. Alright, I won't bother you anymore, study hard!"
Zhou Shi crawled back to her house. She had just crawled out of the cellar and was brushing the dirt off her body when she suddenly heard the voices of strangers at the courtyard gate. Zhou Shi looked up and saw her mother-in-law and a strange middle-aged man had entered the courtyard at some point. Zhou's face immediately darkened with displeasure. She flung open the window with a bang, and at that moment, the middle-aged man's gaze swept over her, their faces meeting. As their eyes locked, Zhou carefully examined the newcomer. He wore
a loose, gray robe, the air of a wandering herbalist. His
thick, dark eyebrows and ruddy cheeks
exuded an air of otherworldly elegance, his gait steady and powerful.
His discerning eyes, sharp and clear, made the lewd woman's heart pound with unease.
"Hmph, I thought it was someone important, but it's just a quack doctor," Zhou Shi said, avoiding the middle-aged man's aggressive gaze, and then grumbled at her mother-in-law, "You old hag, you're getting more and more shameless! There's an old saying: 'A widow's door is always a source of gossip,' and we already have two widows in our family, one old and one young. How dare you bring a strange man home like this! Do you want to keep our house quiet? Are you deliberately giving the neighbors something to talk about? Do you want
them to gossip about us?" "Sigh, daughter-in-law," the mother-in-law sighed, gesturing for the middle-aged man to retreat to the gate. She then went to the window and explained bitterly, "It's like this... ever since my son, Bai Shun, died, my heart has been aching like it's being stabbed with a knife. Whenever it flares up, the pain is unbearable. So, I happened to meet a doctor on the street and told him about my symptoms. He said he had an ancestral remedy for my heartache, so I brought him home..."
"Hmph," Zhou interrupted her mother-in-law angrily, saying coldly, "You old hag, you're getting more and more confused! You actually believe the words of a quack doctor? He talks a good game, but he'll just concoct some fake medicine for you and then disappear. Your heartache won't get better after taking his medicine; it might even get worse! Who will you complain to then? Who will you seek compensation from?"
"Oh, right," the mother-in-law slapped her forehead as if waking from a dream, "Yes, what you say makes a lot of sense." She immediately changed her mind: "Daughter-in-law, if it's inconvenient for you, I'll make him leave! Hey," she said, turning towards the courtyard gate, "Sir, I'm so sorry, my wife won't let me see, I, I..."
“It’s alright,” the middle-aged man said politely, bowing to the old woman. “I have inadvertently entered the widow’s house. Please forgive me.” As he bowed, he withdrew from the courtyard, saying, “I’m sorry, goodbye!”
After chasing away the quack doctor, Zhou scolded her mother-in-law, smashing pots and bowls, until she was hoarse from muttering. Only then did she retreat to her bedroom, lock the door tightly, draw the curtains, and ring the copper bell. Xu Jin, hearing the bell, dared not disobey. He crawled out from the hole in the floor, grinning, and climbed onto Zhou's bed, truly sleeping like husband and wife.
"Open the door! Open the door! Open the door quickly!"
In the hazy morning light, Zhou was sleeping soundly with the handsome young man in her arms when a hurried shout came from outside the courtyard gate: "Open the door! Open the door! Open the door quickly!"
"Ah," Zhou was quite surprised. Who was knocking so early in the morning? What important matter could it be? Xu Jin was also awakened. Without even saying hello to Zhou, he threw on his clothes and, like a mouse, scurried into the cellar, fleeing back to his study. Zhou put on her coat and quietly lifted a corner of the curtain.
"Coming, coming, stop knocking!"
The mother-in-law muttered as she opened the courtyard gate, and several constables immediately barged into the courtyard, shouting and yelling.
"Oh no!" Zhou's head buzzed, and she broke out in a cold sweat. "What? Who reported this to the authorities?"
While hurriedly tidying the bedding, Zhou anxiously looked out the window. She saw an official holding a document, his expression stern as he asked his mother-in-law, "Hey, old lady, where is your daughter-in-law, Zhou?"
"Ah," the mother-in-law, who had never seen anything like it before, was utterly terrified upon seeing the official. "What do you want with my daughter-in-law?" "We
have something to discuss," the official roared sternly. "Get her out here! We have official warrants here!"
"Official warrants?" The mother-in-law tried her best to protect her daughter-in-law. "My daughter-in-law is a widow, living at home all day, never leaving the house. I don't know why she's alarmed the authorities? Why are you knocking on my door so early in the morning?"
"Old lady," the officials grumbled, "Do you think we want to get up so early? We have no choice; we're on the government payroll, we have to make a living. Who doesn't want to sleep in early? Who wants to run around like this for no reason? It's just that our magistrate issued a summons, ordering us to arrest Zhou. Old lady, quickly call your daughter-in-law out so we can go to the city hall immediately to speak with you. What? Women can't show their faces in public? Old lady, don't be unreasonable, or we'll sue you for obstructing official business..."
"Oh dear!" Hearing that the magistrate had issued a summons, Zhou secretly groaned. At the same time, she knew very well that there was no way to avoid this. So, Zhou steeled herself and calmly pushed open the bedroom door: "Hmph, you want to arrest Zhou? I'm right here!" Seeing this, the officials swarmed forward. Zhou, head held high, defended herself, saying, "My mother-in-law and I have stayed at home all day and have never done anything to break the law. As the saying goes, 'Even the sharpest knife will not cut down an innocent person!' Although the county magistrate is a local official, he must also be reasonable. When the emperor learns of a chaste woman in the countryside, he will issue an inscription to commend her and order the government to hold spring and autumn sacrifices. There has never been a case where two generations of widows have come to cause trouble for the local officials. If the county magistrate wants to arrest me, he can, but please explain the reasons for arresting me clearly so that I can understand what law I have broken…"
"Ha ha," the officials exclaimed, "What a clever and quick-witted young woman! Come here," the officials grabbed Zhou and said all at once, "You can't reason with us officials about these things. If you have any grievances, go to the court and reason with the county magistrate!"
After saying this, the officials took Zhou away. Around noon, the officials and Zhou arrived at the county government office, where a yamen runner immediately reported to the county magistrate. The county magistrate, dressed in his official robes, immediately ascended the hall. He saw clerks lined up on both sides. After a shout of "Majesty!", the officials forced Zhou to kneel in the hall.
"Who is below?" the magistrate asked sternly. Without even raising her head, Zhou replied, "This lowly concubine, Zhou!" Then, Zhou, trembling with fear, began to defend herself: "This humble woman, Zhou, kowtows to Your Excellency. I wonder what Your Excellency's instructions are for ordering the officers to arrest me at my home. Please explain to this humble woman that I am a young widow, frail and unable to kneel in court for long."
"Hmph," a cold laugh came from the court: "You little harlot, raise your head. Do you recognize this magistrate?"
"Oh?" Hearing this, Zhou blankly raised her head and glanced at the court. Upon seeing it, she was immediately stunned: "What, it's—you?" The magistrate chuckled: "Yes, it is me, a traveling physician who sells fake medicine, a demoted official of the court, and the magistrate of this county—Di Renjie."
To find out how the famous Di Renjie tried this case of murdering her husband, please read the next chapter.

Chapter 6

of "The Hundred Women's Chronicle" (Chapter 6: The Punished Woman) Chapter
6: Zhou Shi, eloquent and persuasive in the courtroom, finds nothing
when the magistrate opens the coffin. No matter how much you whip and torture me, I am witty and quick-witted .
Even without reason, I can still argue my way out of things, speaking eloquently and persuasively.
When I run out of arguments, I pretend to be deaf and dumb. I am
unyielding, even the renowned detective is out of commission.
Di Renjie, a high-ranking official, angered the emperor by strongly advising Empress Wu to abdicate in favor of the crown prince and restore the Tang dynasty. Empress Wu secretly instructed her trusted advisor, Lai Junchen, to fabricate a charge against Di Renjie to eliminate him. Fabricating stories out of thin air was Lai Junchen's specialty. Di Renjie was quickly and inexplicably thrown into prison. Lai Junchen, this smiling tiger, in an attempt to intimidate Di Renjie, personally led him on a tour of the prison, pointing to thirty-six forms of torture and ordering him to choose one. However, Di Renjie, a shrewd man who knew better than to suffer a loss, didn't choose any of the tortures, but readily accepted all the charges Lai Junchen had imposed on him.
When Di Renjie was brought before Empress Wu Zetian unharmed to await his judgment, she asked him why he hadn't uttered a single word of explanation before confessing everything. Di Renjie was equally frank: Lai Junchen's tortures were too harsh; this criminal feared he couldn't endure them. Rather than suffer torture and death, it was better to confess everything and spare his body the pain. Empress Wu laughed upon hearing this, secretly sighing at Di Renjie's cleverness. She had no intention of taking his life, but issued a decree banishing him from the court to a lowly seventh-rank official post in the provinces.
Despite his demotion, Di Renjie's ambition remained undiminished. Upon taking office, he personally investigated every case, determined to get to the bottom of everything. A few days ago, to investigate a headless dismemberment case, Di Renjie disguised himself as a traveling doctor and followed the clues to an unnamed town. However, while he didn't find any answers to the headless case, he inadvertently learned that a peddler had died under mysterious circumstances, and that Bai Shun's mother, devastated by the loss of her son, was wandering the streets, rambling incoherently. Di Renjie struck up a conversation with her, offering to buy her medicine to investigate. However, as soon as he entered the courtyard, he was coldly and rudely driven away by Zhou Shi. Back at the yamen, Judge Di's suspicions grew stronger. Although he had no evidence, he was convinced that Zhou was no good. Her figure, swaying and twisting, resembled a venomous snake, or perhaps a demon reincarnated; her face exuded a lewd aura that permeated the entire courtyard. Judge Di further investigated Zhou's background with the clerk, which solidified his belief: this little vixen must have harbored ulterior motives and used cruel methods to kill the peddler!
With this in mind, Judge Di hastily issued a summons: arrest Zhou and bring her to court for questioning! The yamen runners obeyed, bringing Zhou to court early in the morning and forcibly kneeling her below. Looking at Zhou below, in her prime, though dressed in loose and simple mourning clothes, she could not conceal her alluring figure, captivating charm, and intoxicatingly seductive nature. Magistrate Di cursed inwardly, "You little vixen, I'll teach you a lesson!" Even he himself couldn't explain why he hated Zhou so much, to the point of grinding his teeth with rage. Perhaps it was the pent-up frustration he felt at court that he couldn't vent? Without much thought, Di Renjie cut to the chase, sternly demanding, "You little slut, how did your husband die? You must tell the truth. If there's even a half-truth," Di Renjie winked at the bailiffs around him, "the bailiffs of this county aren't just sitting idly by!"
"Wei—," the bailiffs immediately shouted, understanding the unspoken message, "Wu—!"
Magistrate Di's words, one by one, were like buckets of cold water being poured over Zhou Shi's head. Zhou Shi sighed inwardly: It's over. It seems that everything has been exposed. My life is over! No, Zhou Shi thought again: Magistrate Di was on an incognito visit. Perhaps he heard about my affair with Bai Shun by chance. He doesn't have any real evidence. The reason he brought me to court is entirely to settle personal scores and vent his anger over my offense to him yesterday. So, Zhou, hands on the ground, respectfully kowtowed three times to Magistrate Di: "This lowly concubine was blind and did not recognize Your Excellency yesterday. I have offended you greatly, please forgive me, Your Excellency. This lowly concubine is very polite!"
"You little slut," Magistrate Di said, "Don't try to change the subject. I am investigating incognito, so of course I can't let anyone see through my disguise. As for the so-called offense, there is no need to mention it. Please answer my question, how did your husband die?" "
This, this servant cannot say for sure," Zhou stammered, "That night, my husband came back from selling goods. He drank half a bowl of white wine at dinner and suddenly complained of a headache. I was about to find him some medicine when he cried out and fell to the ground. Not long after, he died. As for the cause of death, I'm sorry, I am not a doctor, I really cannot say!"
"What a clever and cunning woman," Magistrate Di roared, "Drinking wine, it must have been you who mixed the poison?"
“My lord,” upon hearing this, Zhou’s previously anxious heart calmed down: What a corrupt official! It seems he truly has no evidence; he’s deliberately trying to deceive me. Let me respond calmly: “Your Excellency is the father and mother of the people. I truly had no intention of offending you yesterday. Ignorance is no excuse. Why would Your Excellency fabricate such a terrifying charge to frame me for such a trivial matter? This is a matter of life and death! Please, Your Excellency, have mercy! You must not wrong me so easily!”
“Hmph,” Di Gong snorted, “I know you, you little harlot, are quick-witted. It seems I won’t give you the truth without some serious interrogation. Guards,”
“Yes,” the two rows of clerks responded in unison. Di Gong pointed at Zhou and cursed, “You little harlot, if you don’t confess the truth, I will have to torture you!”
“My lord,” Zhou Shi was unwilling to confess so easily. Seeing the bailiffs gradually closing in, she mustered her courage and raised her head, making a desperate stand like a cornered beast: “My lord, this is a matter of life and death! This whole mess has been stirred up for no reason. How can I, a mere woman, possibly explain this baseless accusation? Even if I die from torture, I cannot confess so easily!”
“Fine!” Judge Di roared, “You audacious harlot! How dare you defy the court! Seize her! Forty lashes on the back, and see if you confess!”
“Yes, sir!” The bailiffs, receiving the order, pounced on her like wolves. They could not tolerate Zhou Shi’s continued defense, and with a flurry of hands, they pinned her to the ground and ripped off her clothes. In front of everyone, Zhou was stripped of her upper garment. Overwhelmed with shame, she desperately covered her breasts with her arms and cried out, "The county magistrate is the father and mother of this county! How can you subject me to torture without any evidence? What kind of government is this! I'd rather die here today than let you use torture to make me confess! 'Even the sharpest blade will not kill the innocent.' You say my husband's death is unknown, but who will testify? Where is the complaint? Oh dear!" Suddenly… The whip lashed down mercilessly, and Zhou screamed in agony, unable to hold back her curses: "You corrupt official, do you know that there are always people above you, and heavens beyond heavens? Today, to vent your personal grievances, you've made baseless accusations. How could you know that the higher authorities haven't closed their doors? I, a mere woman, will surely sue you. Even if officials protect each other, the accusation will still be denied. I've suffered your humiliation in the mortal world, and I'll sue you in the underworld. Even falsely accusing an innocent person of theft carries a charge of retribution, let alone me, a young widow. I'll risk my life; you can forget about keeping your official hat."
"Hmph," facing Zhou's insults, Di Gong didn't mince words: "Even if it costs me my official hat, I will definitely investigate the truth behind the victim's injustice."
"You dog of an official," Zhou, lying on the floor, her back already bruised and bleeding from the beatings, still cursed incessantly: "You childless bastard, you abuse your power and tyranny! Even if you beat me to death, I will not confess! After I die, even as a vengeful ghost, I will be the first to come and take you to the underworld for trial!"
"Damn it," Di Gong roared: "You little slut, you are not only lewd, but also seem to be a shrew. Today, without severe torture, you will definitely not confess! Guards, bring the cangue!"
“Sir,” upon hearing that the magistrate intended to use severe torture, Di Renjie’s two trusted aides, Ma Rong and Qiao Tai, quietly approached him. “I wonder how you, sir, obtained this information while traveling incognito? We have been observing her for a long time, and this little harlot is no ordinary person. If we use such torture, and she still doesn’t confess, what will you do? If we use other instruments of torture and she is tortured to death, without solid evidence, sir, this is no joke!”
“Hmm,” the aides’ words reminded the magistrate, and Di Renjie hesitated, feeling as if he were caught in a dilemma. Seeing this, Ma Rong suggested to his master, "In my humble opinion, it would be better to exhume the body and examine it first, then interrogate her after obtaining evidence!"
"Well said!" Di Gong nodded, stroking his beard, and said to Zhou Shi, "You unreasonable shrew, it seems that you won't confess and accept punishment unless I produce solid evidence. Guards, take her away, we'll exhume the body and examine it tomorrow!"
"You dog official," Zhou Shi cursed again upon hearing that the coffin was to be exhumed, "You arrested a widowed woman from a respectable family based on hearsay and tortured her at will. Now that you've found nothing, you're making baseless accusations to exhume the body and examine it. You dog official, do you know what your punishment will be if you exhume the body and find no injuries or the evidence you want?"
"Hmph," Judge Di snorted, "You little wretch, if you truly cannot find any injuries, according to the law, I am willing to be punished by being dismissed from my post and reduced to commoner status! Rest assured of that."
After escorting Zhou Shi away from the main hall, Judge Di ordered his men to summon the local baojia (local constable) and thoroughly questioned him about Zhou Shi's situation
. Finally, to be on the safe side, Judge Di repeatedly asked the baojia, "Before Bai Shun was buried, did you examine the body?" "Reporting to you, sir," the baojia repeatedly emphasized, using this to prove his diligence, "Although my position is lowly, I would never dare to be negligent in matters of life and death. Before Bai Shun was placed in the coffin, I examined the body countless times, fearing that I might have made a mistake and committed the crime of dereliction of duty!"
"Hmph," Judge Di did not take the baojia's words to heart: a mere baojia, no matter how diligently he worked, had no tools or practical experience; what could he possibly find out? So, Judge Di waved his hand, signaling him to step back: "Alright, you can go now. Be waiting for us at the cemetery tomorrow morning. The magistrate is going to open the coffin and examine the body!"
The next morning, when Judge Di arrived at the mass grave in his official sedan chair, it was already packed with people. Hearing that the magistrate wanted to open the coffin and examine the body, the curious people spread the word and flocked to the mass grave to see what was going on. Their anxiety was even greater than that of Judge Di himself. Ma Rong and Qiao Tai, who were leading the way, cleared a path for Lord Di. As Lord Di alighted from his sedan chair, the village headman, as expected, was waiting by the mass grave. Upon seeing Lord Di arrive, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowing deeply. Then, he led the magistrate to a newly mound of earth. Lord Di glanced at it casually and asked, "Village headman, is this truly Bai Shun's grave?"
"Indeed," the village headman and the village elder replied simultaneously, "Reporting to Your Honor, this is indeed Bai Shun's grave. We personally determined the location on the day of his burial; there's absolutely no mistake!"
“Since that’s the case,” Judge Di pointed to the new mound of earth and ordered the constables, “then begin digging here. I, the magistrate, will personally inspect it!”
With many hands making light work, the constables quickly moved the new earth from Bai Shun’s coffin to another location. To prove themselves, the village headmen and neighborhood watchmen also rushed forward to help the constables lift Bai Shun’s cheap, thin coffin out of the grave. The coroner, responsible for the actual inspection, walked to the coffin and pried open the lid with a snap.
The coroner and Judge Di simultaneously looked into the coffin. They saw the deceased, Bai Shun, lying horizontally inside, his face contorted in inexplicable pain, especially his wide-open eyes and his tightly clenched lips. Judge Di concluded: this man’s death was definitely not natural!
“My lord,” the coroner humbly advised Judge Di, “please step back for now. I will begin the examination.”
Not wanting to interfere with the coroner's work, Judge Di silently stepped aside. Ma Tai, trying to ingratiate himself, brought over a bamboo chair: "Please rest here for a moment, sir!"
As he spoke, the coroner ordered his men to remove Bai Shun's body from the coffin and place it under the shade of a tree. He then ordered them to set up a makeshift stove, boil a pot of water, and, after removing the body's outer clothing, wipe it clean from head to toe. Judge Di examined the body closely, but found no injuries. Puzzled, he concluded that Bai Shun had died from poisoning. However, when the coroner inserted the silver rod used for testing poison into the deceased's mouth, the gleaming rod showed no change in color. The coroner fussed over the corpse for a long time before finally approaching Magistrate Di with a sullen expression: "Your Honor, the examination of the body is complete. No abnormalities were found, meaning the deceased died of natural causes!"
"What? What did you say? A natural death?" The coroner's words struck Magistrate Di like a thunderbolt. The usually eloquent Di Renjie suddenly stammered, unable to utter a single word for a long while. Magistrate Di looked around at the dense crowd, which seemed to be mocking him. He sighed inwardly, gazing at those stubborn, dull, cunning, and numb eyes. He felt that at this moment, he had done the most embarrassing thing in his life, thus becoming the most pathetic person in the world.
“You corrupt official,” Zhou, who had been kneeling beside the grave, raised her face arrogantly and asked Magistrate Di with a cold and gloating tone, “The body has been examined. What else do you have to say?”
Magistrate Di glanced at Zhou. As for how to clean up the mess, we’ll have to wait for the next chapter.

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