[The Complete Story of Five Beauties] [64] [Author: Parasite]

Chapter Sixty-Four: Lord Lin Releases Xu Chenglong; Military Commissioner Executes Sang Bopi. Lord Lin sat in the main hall and ordered the case of Xu Chenglong to be brought in for trial. A servant announced the arrival of a young man who knelt on the steps. Lord Lin looked down and saw a young man in shackles, no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome appearance. He also saw three or five women kneeling beside him with a man. Lord Lin called to one of the older men and asked, "What is your name?" The man replied, "My name is Pang Yuan. The deceased is my son, Pang Qifeng, sixteen years old. He went to school with my nephew Xu Chenglong every day, leaving early and returning late. He suddenly disappeared more than ten days ago, and we don't know if he's alive or dead. How can I not be worried? This is my only son; will my line end? I beg Your Honor to make a decision." Lord Lin said, "I personally saw these women holding ingots and stabbing him. Xu Chenglong is your nephew; you shouldn't have treated him so cruelly." Pang Yuan replied, "My wife was just bluffing..." He demanded that he tell the truth. "Lord Lin: 'What did you get from Shanyang County?' Pang Yuan replied: 'The magistrate, hearing it was a matter of life and death, imprisoned Xu Chenglong and then summoned the Grand Master. He hasn't been interrogated yet.' Lord Lin: 'Go down now. I'll question Xu Chenglong's statement.' The magistrate said: 'Xu Chenglong, I see you're so young, and you go to school with your cousin, always together. Why haven't you seen him? You must know something. Tell me slowly. If there's even a single falsehood, you'll know the severity of my court's punishments. Is anyone there?' He ordered his men to prepare the torture instruments." Xu Chenglong, trembling with fear, cried out, "My lord, I am truly innocent! That day, my cousin and I were halfway there when I had business in the city, so I told my cousin to go back first. That evening, my uncle asked about my cousin, and I told him he had already gone back. We searched for lanterns and torches all night, but they are still missing. I beg you, my lord, to do me justice!" Lin Gong said, "Summon Pang Yuan." Pang Yuan came forward. Lin Gong said to him, "Your son is missing, but it wasn't your nephew who harmed him. Let him go, and I will return your son to you." While they were questioning him, the two constables who had gone to arrest Feng earlier knelt down and reported, "By order of Your Excellency, we followed Feng to arrest him. But Your Excellency's vermilion brush was blown away by the wind and fell into a deep pond in the city. We rushed back to report." They presented their warrants. Lin Gong said, "Pang Yuan and Xu Chenglong, take them to the pond to wait. I will personally inspect it." The servants agreed and immediately carried out eight sedan chairs, accompanied by three cannon shots, out of the gate. The people in the street flocked to watch. They arrived in no time and alighted from the sedan chairs. There was a clear pond, more than ten feet deep. Lin Gong ordered, "Send some water ghosts down to retrieve something." The water ghosts took off their clothes and went down together.
Soon, two sailors pulled something to the pond's edge. They saw it was a dead body. It was bound with ropes, with a stone tied to its back, about forty feet in diameter, and a grain of rice growing from its eye. Lin Gong thought, "When I stayed at the temple, I dreamt of a grain of rice; this is it." Before he finished speaking, the water ghosts by the pond shouted, "Another corpse!" They pushed it to the bank. Lin Gong looked at it; it was a young man, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, with white teeth and red lips. The people crowded around to see. Pang Yuan burst into tears, embracing the corpse and weeping uncontrollably. Magistrate Lin asked, "Who are you to me?" Pang Yuan replied, "This is my son, Pang Qifeng. Xu Chenglong must have pushed him into the water and drowned him. I beg you, sir, to avenge my son." Magistrate Lin said, "Collect the body now, and I will return the wronged party to the yamen." He released Xu Chenglong, collected the silver, and first prepared the body for burial. He ordered
a path cleared for them to return to the yamen. Magistrate Lin, in his sedan chair, pondered his dream, "I dreamt of two ox heads—I'll issue a warrant to arrest Niu Er, and then I'll know the truth. Also, a rice stalk grew from the corpse, just like in the night. I'll issue a warrant to arrest Yi Daoqing." Suddenly, three cannon shots rang out, and musicians played on both sides as they entered the yamen. The court ascended the main hall, and a warrant was displayed: "Your Excellency, take the warrant to arrest the prisoners Niu Er and Yi Daoqing. Report back to court immediately. Bring them back within three days. Failure to do so will result in forty strokes of the cane." The officer took the warrant without a head, thinking, "Where are we supposed to get those people?" Just as Judge Lin was about to adjourn the court, the guerrilla commander Fei Quanzhong knelt down and reported, "The guerrilla commander is here at the gate on your warrant for the arrest of Sang Bopi. Please proceed, Your Excellency." Judge Lin, upon hearing this, ordered him brought in. A report was made, and he was brought to the steps and knelt. Judge Lin said, "Sang Bopi, raise your head and recognize me." Sang Bopi looked up and was terrified. It was the same person who had been pushed off the muddy beach the other day during the crossing. He cried out, "I was blind and didn't recognize you! I deserve to die! I beg Your Excellency for mercy!" He knelt below, kowtowing repeatedly. The magistrate said, "Where has your heroism from the other day gone? Think of all the money you extorted from merchants at the Yellow River ferry, how many people you harmed! Your name is Sang Bopi, and today I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!" He ordered the guerrilla to take this villain out, skin him, stuff him with straw, and display him at the Yellow River ferry. Fei Quanzhong agreed. The magistrate adjourned the court.
Meanwhile, the guerrilla took Sang Bopi outside, tore off his clothes, dug a deep pit, about twelve feet deep, piled some firewood, started a fire, and fanned the embers until they were red-hot, making the pit scorching hot. They pulled out the embers, untied Sang Bopi, and pushed him down. Sang Bopi cried out, "I'm doomed!" He rolled around in the hot pit, unable to get up. After jumping for a while, his body was charred, but still had a trace of cold. They opened a jar of vinegar, poured it over his head, and with a fragrant aroma, he died. It is said: Tender grass fears frost, frost fears the sun; wicked men will be punished by wicked men.
Then, the mulberry bark was dragged from the pond, cleaved in two along its back with a sharp knife, and peeled off with a hook. It was stuffed inside with grass and displayed at the Yellow River ferry. Its skin was left to be eaten by dogs and wolves in the wilderness—but that's another story.
Now, let's talk about the four constables of the magistrate, who were sent by his decree to arrest Hua Youlian. The four discussed, "Hua Youlian is currently hiding in the Prime Minister's residence. How can we arrest him? We dare not enter the residence to arrest him. What should we do?" One of them said, "This magistrate is not easy to talk to. Let's go to the Prime Minister's residence together and see what happens. If he sends someone out, fine; if he refuses, we'll go back and report to the magistrate, and let him decide." Having made their decision, the four headed towards the Prime Minister's residence to arrest Hua Youlian. Whether they could succeed remains to be seen; let's find out in the next chapter.

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[The Complete Story of Five Beauties] [64] [Author: Parasite]

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