Yanzhi's Ordeal: A Story of Love and Redemption
BackIn Dongchang Prefecture, there lived a humble veterinarian named Bian who had a beautiful and intelligent daughter named Yanzhi. Bian cherished his daughter and hoped to marry her into a prestigious scholarly family. However, those families looked down on Bian's lowly status and refused to consider a marriage alliance. As a result, Yanzhi grew into adulthood without being betrothed.
Living across from the Bian family was the Gong family, whose wife, Wang, was a playful and light-hearted woman. She often visited Yanzhi for idle chats in her boudoir. One day, as Yanzhi was seeing Wang off at the door, she noticed a young man walking by, dressed in white clothes and a white hat, looking very distinguished. Yanzhi was captivated by him, her beautiful eyes following him as he hurried past with his head lowered. Even after he had walked away, Yanzhi continued to gaze at his departing figure.
Wang noticed Yanzhi's interest and teased her, saying, "With your intelligence and beauty, you would make a perfect match with that young man." Yanzhi blushed deeply and remained silent. Wang asked, "Do you know who that young man is?" Yanzhi replied, "No, I don't." Wang then said, "He is a scholar from the southern alley named E Qiushun. His father was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations but has since passed away. I used to be neighbors with his family, so I know him well. He is currently in mourning for his late wife, which is why he is dressed in white. If you are interested, I can send a message to him and suggest he find a matchmaker to propose marriage." Yanzhi remained silent, and Wang left with a smile.
Days passed without any news from Wang. Yanzhi grew increasingly anxious, suspecting that Wang either hadn't had the chance to contact E Qiushun or that E Qiushun, being from a prestigious family, wouldn't be interested in someone of her lower status. Her thoughts were consumed by him, leading to deep distress. She lost her appetite and eventually fell ill, bedridden and listless.
Wang visited Yanzhi and was alarmed to see her in such a state. She asked Yanzhi about the cause of her illness. Yanzhi replied, "I don't know myself. Ever since that day we parted, I have felt increasingly unhappy, leading to this illness. I fear I won't survive much longer." Wang whispered, "My husband has been away on business, so I haven't been able to send a message to E Qiushun. Is your illness not due to this matter?" Yanzhi blushed and remained silent for a long time. Wang teased, "If this is indeed the reason, and you are already so ill, what is there to be ashamed of? Why not arrange for him to visit you at night? Surely, he wouldn't refuse." Yanzhi sighed and said, "Things have reached this point; I can't afford to care about shame. If he doesn't mind my family's low status and sends a matchmaker, my illness will naturally be cured. But a secret meeting is out of the question." Wang nodded and left.
In her youth, Wang had an affair with a neighboring scholar named Su Jie. After her marriage, Su Jie would visit whenever her husband was away. That night, Su Jie came to visit, and Wang told him about Yanzhi's feelings as a joke, even suggesting he pass the message to E Qiushun. Su Jie, knowing Yanzhi's beauty, was delighted and saw an opportunity. He pretended to be casual and asked Wang for details about Yanzhi's home.
The next night, Su Jie climbed over the wall into the Bian household and reached Yanzhi's bedroom window, tapping on it with his fingers. Yanzhi asked, "Who is it?" Su Jie replied, "I am E Qiushun." Yanzhi said, "I think of you for a lifetime, not just a night. If you truly love me, you should send a matchmaker to my home. If you suggest an improper secret meeting, I cannot agree." Su Jie pretended to agree but insisted on holding her hand as a token of their engagement. Yanzhi, unable to refuse, reluctantly got up and opened the door. Su Jie rushed in and embraced her, demanding affection. Yanzhi, too weak to resist, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Su Jie helped her up, but Yanzhi said, "You must be an imposter. If you were E Qiushun, a gentle and considerate person, you would be compassionate knowing I am ill. You wouldn't be so rough. If you continue, I will scream, and it will ruin both our reputations." Fearing his deception would be exposed, Su Jie stopped and asked to set a date for their next meeting. Yanzhi agreed to meet on their wedding day. Su Jie said that was too far off and asked for an earlier date. Annoyed by his persistence, Yanzhi promised to meet after she recovered. Su Jie asked for a token, but Yanzhi refused. Su Jie then grabbed her foot, took off one of her embroidered shoes, and left.
Yanzhi called him back and said, "I have already given myself to you; what else do I have to lose? I only fear things will go wrong and people will gossip. Since you have my shoe, I doubt you will return it. If you change your mind, I will have no choice but to die." Su Jie left the Bian household and went to Wang's home. After spending the night with Wang, he realized the shoe was missing from his sleeve. He searched frantically and asked Wang if she had taken it. Wang, seeing his distress, teased him until he confessed everything. Su Jie then searched the streets with a lantern but couldn't find the shoe.
Earlier, a local idler named Mao Da, who had unsuccessfully tried to seduce Wang, knew about her affair with Su Jie. He had been looking for an opportunity to blackmail her. That night, Mao Da found the shoe wrapped in a handkerchief outside Wang's door and overheard Su Jie's story. Delighted, he left quietly. A few nights later, Mao Da climbed into the Bian household, but unfamiliar with the layout, he entered Bian's room by mistake. Bian, seeing a man at the window, realized he was there for Yanzhi and angrily chased him with a knife. Mao Da, panicking, fled but was cornered and killed Bian in self-defense.
Yanzhi, hearing the commotion, got up despite her illness. She and her mother found Bian dead with his head split open and Yanzhi's shoe nearby. Her mother demanded an explanation, and Yanzhi tearfully confessed but didn't implicate Wang, claiming E Qiushun had come himself.
The next morning, they reported the incident to the county magistrate, who arrested E Qiushun. A shy and reserved nineteen-year-old, E Qiushun was terrified and couldn't defend himself, leading to a forced confession under torture. The case was reviewed multiple times, each time confirming the initial judgment.
The case eventually reached Jinan Prefecture, where Governor Wu Nandai found E Qiushun's demeanor inconsistent with that of a murderer. He secretly investigated and believed E Qiushun was innocent. During the trial, Wu questioned Yanzhi, who claimed no one knew about her agreement with E Qiushun. Wu then called E Qiushun, who stated he had only seen Wang and another girl when passing by Yanzhi's house. Wu confronted Yanzhi about this discrepancy, and she admitted Wang's presence but insisted she was uninvolved.
Wu ordered Wang's arrest. When questioned, Wang initially denied knowledge but eventually confessed to joking about matchmaking. Wu then interrogated Yanzhi again, who admitted her father's death was due to her own actions and didn't want to implicate others. Wu asked Wang if she had told anyone else about the joke, and under torture, she revealed her conversation with Su Jie.
Wu ordered Su Jie's arrest. Under severe torture, Su Jie confessed to impersonating E Qiushun but denied involvement in the murder. Wu, suspecting Mao Da, used a clever trick involving soot and ash to identify him as the murderer. Mao Da, under torture, confessed to the killing.
Wu's judgment was praised for its fairness. Su Jie was spared severe punishment but demoted, while Mao Da was sentenced to death. Yanzhi, now aware of her mistake, felt deep remorse and gratitude towards E Qiushun. Despite initial hesitation due to her family's low status, E Qiushun, moved by her sincerity, agreed to marry her. The local magistrate arranged their marriage with great celebration, and Yanzhi was finally united with the man she loved.
(Adapted from Pu Songling's Short Story Yanzhi)
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