by Shi Nai-An
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"That I agree to," said Sung Chiang.
"The second," said Yen Po-hsi, "is that all the jewelry and clothes and other things that you have presented to me shall belong to me, and you will also put that down in writing."
"That also I will do," said Sung Chiang.
"But I am afraid that you will not agree to the third condition," said Yen Po-hsi.
"I have already agreed to two, so why not the third also?" asked Sung Chiang.
"You must also give me the hundred ounces of gold that you received from Ch'ao Kai at Liang Shan Po, and I will then return to you the letter which is an extremely important piece of evidence should there be a very big court case."
"I will do the first two things you require," said Sung Chiang, "but I am afraid that I cannot do the third, because although they sent one hundred ounces of gold yet I refused to accept it. Had I received it I would certainly present it to you with both hands."
Yen Po-hsi said, "You perhaps remember the common saying, 'If an official sees money he grabs it as a fly sees blood.' Do you expect me to believe that you sent the money back? What you say is nonsense. Officials are like cats, and who ever heard of a cat refusing to eat stinking food? When a man reaches hell will Satan let him off ? Go and tell that to the marines! You must give me the money at once. If you are afraid that people will discern it as booty from the bandits you had better get it melted down at once."
"You ought to know that I am an honest man and not given to telling lies," said Sung Chiang. "If you however do not believe what I say then give me three days so that I shall have time to sell my household goods, and then I will give you a hundred ounces of gold. Now give me my purse.
Yen Po-hsi sneered at him and said, "How artful you are! You treat me as if I was a child. If I gave you the purse and the letter now it would be like a dirge singer at a funeral asking for payment after the burial. It would be better if you came again with money in your hand, and I will then exchange the letter for the money."
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"But I have not got the money," said Sung Chiang.
"Then we shall have to go to the court where you can say that you have not got it," said Yen Po-hsi,
When Sung Chiang heard the word "court" he could not restrain his anger any more. He glared at her and said, "Are you not going to hand me that letter?"
The girl replied. "As you are so terrible I won't give it to you."
"So you really mean not to give it to me?" said Sung Chiang.
"I won't," said Yen Po-hsi, "and I can assure you a hundred times more that I would not give it to you. I will only give it to you in the yamen court."
Sung Chiang pulled the quilt off her. Yen Po-hsi took the purse, and held it to her breast with both hands. Sung Chiang saw the purse in her hands when he pulled the quilt off, and said, "So you have it!" so saying he reached forward with both hands. But Yen Po-hsi would not let go. Sung Chiang was now determined to get it at all costs, whereas the girl was equally determined to die rather than give it up. Sung Chiang caught hold of the dagger and with a wrench got it away. When the girl saw that he had got the dagger she called out, "Hei San, murder!" This suggested to Sung Chiang the idea for the first time and when she called out "murder" a second time he seized her and cut her throat with the dagger. As Sung Chiang was afraid that she might not be dead, he took his dagger, and cut off her head, which rolled to one side on the pillow. He then took the letter from the purse, and holding it above the lamp burnt it to ashes. He put on his belt, and went downstairs.
Mrs. Yen down below was not asleep, but although she heard the two talking upstairs in rather loud voices she paid no attention to it. But when she heard her daughter call out "Murder," she hastily got up, put on her clothes and was going up the ladder when she met Sung Chiang coming down. "What are you two quarreling about?" she asked. "As your daughter had no manners I killed her," he said. "Why do you talk like that?" she asked. "Only your eyes look wild and you are always so bad-tempered when drunk as to be fond of killing someone. Please do not joke with me."
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"If you do not believe," he said, "then go upstairs and look in the room. I certainly have killed her."
"I do not believe that," said Mrs. Yen. But when she pushed the door open she saw the head lying in a pool of blood. She then said, "How awful! What shall I do?"
"I am a hero, and will not try to escape," said Sung Chiang, "and I will do whatever you require."
"She was not a good girl," &aid Mrs. Yen, "and you were quite right in killing her. But who will support this old woman now?"
"That does not matter," he said. "As you look at it in that way there is no need for grief. I am wealthy, and I will see that you are well provided for for, the rest of your life."'
"It is very good of you to talk like that," she said, "and I wish to thank you very much. But as my daughter's corpse is here how shall we get rid of it?"
"That will be easy," he said. "I will go to Chen San-lang and get a coffin for you. I will also send the coroner here to I arrange matters without any inquiry being held. I have here ten ounces of gold which you can have to cover any small immediate expenses."
She thanked him again and said, "You had better get the coffin sent at once before daybreak so that the neighbors may not know what has happened."
"All right," said Sung Chiang. "Let me have pen and ink, and I will write a note for you to take to Mr. Chen and get the coffin."
"Instead of writing a letter it would be much better if you go yourself and get the coffin sent here without delay."
"Let it be so, then," he said. They both went downstairs, and Mrs. Yen locked the street door. They then both went to get the coffin.
It was very early and not yet twilight, but as they were passing the yamen a man was just opening the door. There Mrs. Yen took hold of Sung Chiang, and called out, "Here is the murderer!" Sung Chiang was startled upon hearing this, but putting his hand over her mouth, said, "Do not call out!"
Many men in the yamen had heard the cry however, and came out to see what was the matter. Upon recognizing it was Sung Chiang, they told the woman to desist as Sung
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Chiang was not that kind of man, and that if she had anything to say she need not shout.
Mrs. Yen however called out, He certainly is a murderer, and I want you to arrest him, and take him into the yamen."
But Sung Chiang had always had an excellent reputation, and was generally liked, so that now there was not a single man there who would come forward to lay hands on him, and they did not believe what she said. Just then T'ang Niu-erh happened to pass that spot carrying it tray of preserved ginger for sale, and he saw Mrs. Yen holding Sung Chiang, and calling out in an offended tone. Now remembering how she had assaulted him during the night he placed his tray on Wang's stall, and making his way through the crowd he shouted: "You old bug! Why are you holding this clerk?"
"T'ang," she said, "do not attempt to get this man away from me, or you will have to answer for it with your life."
But T'ang Niu-erh took hold of her hand, and wrenched her loose of Sung Chiang, and then gave her a sounding smack on the face which made her see stars. Before she recovered from her faintness, Sung Chiang had escaped through the crowd.
Mrs. Yen, however, having taken hold of T'ang Niu-erh, called out, "Sung Chiang has killed my daughter, and this man has helped him to escape."
"How could I know that?" asked, T'ang Niu-erh hurriedly.
Mrs. Yen appealed to the crowd. "Will some of you assist me in arresting the murderer? If you do not do so you will be charged for allowing him to escape."
As none of the yamen runners were afraid of T'ang Niu-erh so they arrested him and also Mrs. Yen and took them into the yamen.
Fortune has no fixed tendency
It comes as one invites it;
To put out fire in a hempen coat,
One brings the flame on his body.
We will now rel
ate how T'ang Niu-erh escaped.
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CHAPTER 21
MRS. YEN MAKES A SCENE IN THE MAGISTRATE'S
COURT; CHU TUNG RIGHTEOUSLY ALLOWS
SUNG CHIANG TO ESCAPE
THE police having arrested T'ang Niu-erh took him into the yamen, and as soon as the magistrate heard that there was a murder case to be heard he immediately took his seat on the bench. The magistrate saw the prisoner kneeling on the right, and a woman kneeling on his left. He inquired what the case was about, and the woman replied "My name is Yen. I had a daughter Po-hsi who was kept by Sung Chiang. Last night my daughter and Sung Chiang were drinking wine together when this man T'ang Niu-erh came and made trouble. When he left the house, he was cursing so that the neighbors all heard him. Early this morning Sung Chiang went out but came back and murdered my daughter. I took hold of Sung Chiang, but when we were in front of your yamen this man T'ang Niu-erh interfered and so Sung Chiang got away."
Addressing the prisoner the magistrate asked, "How dare you assist a murderer to escape?"
T'ang Niu-erh replied, "I did not know what had happened. Last night I went to find Sung Chiang and ask him for a drink of wine, and this old woman took hold of me and turned me out of the house. Early this morning I set out to sell some preserved ginger, and in front of your yamen I saw this woman take hold of Sung Chiang. I went to try and stop the trouble and Sung Chiang got away. I do not know any reason why he should have killed the girl."
"Nonsense!" said the magistrate, "Sung Chiang was a very honest man, so how could he recklessly kill anyone? You must have done this yourself. Where is the clerk of the court?"
The clerk of the court (Chang Wen-yuan) came forward. He knew that it referred to the death of his sweetheart and took a record of the evidence. He also wrote out an
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accusation for Mrs. Yen. The coroner was then sent together with the Tipao and the neighbors and upon arriving at the house opened the door. Taking the corpse outside he closely examined it and found the dagger near the body, and after a careful investigation came to the conclusion that the knife had been used to murder the girl. He then allowed the people to place the body in a coffin, and deposit it in the courtyard of a temple. They then all returned to the yamen.
Now the magistrate had a good opinion of Sung Chiang, and wanted to prove him to be innocent so he cross-examined T'ang Niuerh with many questions. But T'ang Niu-erh said that he did not know what had preceded or followed the murder.
"But why did you go last night to the house and create a disturbance?" asked the magistrate. "You certainly are implicated."
"I just happened to go there for a glass of wine," replied T'ang Niu-erh.
"Nonsense!" said the magistrate. "Beat him!"
The police seized the prisoner, bound him with a rope, and gave him about fifty blows with the bamboo. But the prisoner still made the same statement as before. The magistrate was apparently aware that the prisoner really did not know anything about the murder, but as he wanted to rescue Sung Chiang, he could not set Tang Niu-erh free, so he gave an order that he was to have a cangue fixed round his neck, and be sent to the prison for further detention.
Chang Wen-yuan, the clerk of the court, then spoke to the magistrate. "But the knife found belonged to Sung Chiang, and he used it to keep down his loose gown. If we brought him here we might get some information from him."
The magistrate wished to screen Sung Chiang, but after Chang Wen-yuan's frequent pleading he at last agreed to send a man to arrest Sung Chiang. Upon reaching Sung Chiang's home the police found that he had escaped so they arrested a number of the neighbors. But on arrival at the yamen the neighbors all protested that they did not know where the murderer Sung Chiang had gone to.
Chang Wen-yuan now urged that the father and brother of Sung Chiang should be arrested, and cross-examined
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under torture as to where Sung Chiang was. But the magistrate was averse to taking such extreme measures, and preferred to throw all the blame on T'ang Niu-erh. He considered that by and by he could set Tang Niu-erh free.
So Chang Wen-yuan then went to Mrs. Yen and advised her to go to the yamen and repeat her accusation. She did this, and the magistrate saw that he could not hush the case up any further so he at last issued a warrant for the arrest of the father and brother of Sung Chiang. Upon reaching the Sung Family Village the police were received by Sung Chiang's father and taken by him into a room. They then handed him the warrant, and when he had read it he said, "Please be seated, and listen to what I have to say. For many generations my ancestors have cultivated the soil here, and have been models of propriety. But Sung Chiang has been disobedient, and although we urged him also to take up agriculture yet he would always insist on becoming an official. When he at last went to the yamen as a clerk I complained to the magistrate about his disobedience and disowned him, and he has nothing to do with me now. He lives in the town, and his brother Sung Ching stays with me here cultivating the fields for a living. We have lived quite independently of each other so that I now know nothing whatever of his affairs. I was afraid that he would do some bad thing so I did not care to have anything to do with him, and so informed the magistrate a long time ago. The magistrate gave me an official document confirming that arrangement, and I will go to get it, and show it to you."
The policemen were all on good terms with Sung Chiang and were well aware that such a document had been issued in anticipation of such a situation in order to prevent Mr. Sung, the father, being made to suffer for his son's misdemeanor. They did not wish to offend Mr. Sung so they asked him to let them, make a copy of the document which they could then produce at the yamen.
Mr. Sung agreed to this, and gave them the document to copy. While this was being done he ordered a meal with chicken, and duck, and wine for them, and also presented them with more than ten ounces of silver.
When the policemen got back to the yamen they reported
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to the magistrate that they had not arrested Mr. Sung because of the document he held, of which they presented a copy. To this the magistrate replied, "As there is such a document, and as Sung Chiang has no other relatives, the only thing I can do is to offer a reward for his arrest."
Chang Wen-yuan however went to Mrs. Yen and told her of this, and advised her to go again to the court with disheveled hair, and state that Sung Chiang was really hidden at home by his brother Sung Ching. She was also to ask why the magistrate had not had Sung Chiang arrested for her. She did this.
The magistrate replied that three years ago, Sung Chiang had been officially disowned by his father so that it was not possible to hold them as in any way responsible for what had happened.
Mrs. Yen stated, "But does not everybody know that he was called the 'Filial and Just Son'? The document must be false, and I request that you have them arrested."
"Nonsense" said the magistrate, "The document was duly issued by my predecessor so how can it be false?"
Mrs. Yen sobbed, and cried for being wronged. She exclaimed, "Murder is a crime as high as the heaven! If you will not administer justice then I must appeal to the higher court. I am in great sorrow through the murder of my daughter."
At this point the clerk of the court, Chang San, spoke to the magistrate, "If you do not issue the warrants Mrs. Yen may appeal to the higher court, and if she does so it will be awkward .When the higher officials seriously into the matter I do not know what replies I can give to their questions."
The magistrate was aware of the reasonableness of this argument, and at once ordered a warrant to be issued for the arrest of Sung Chiang. He summoned the two inspectors Chu Tung and Lei Heng, and spoke to them, "I want you to take many men to the Sung Family Village, and arrest Sung Chiang there."
The two inspectors took more than forty policemen, and soon reached the tillage. They were received by Mr. Sung who invited them inside. The two inspectors said they
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hoped that he would not be offended at their arrival. It was not their own intention, and they were only obeying orders. They asked where his son Sung Chiang was.
"You inspectors, please listen to me," said Mr. Sung, "I have disowned my rebellious son, Sung Chiang, and this was duly registered by the former magistrate. During the last three years we have lived separately, and he never came here."
Inspector Chu Tung said, "Notwithstanding what you say, our order is quite definite, and we cannot go back before we have carefully searched everywhere." He then ordered the policemen to conduct a close search for the accused. He said, "I will stand at the front door and guard it You, inspector Lei Heng, go inside with a search party."
Inspector Lei Heng went inside and after searching in all directions came back and said to inspector Chu Tung, "He is certainly not here."
"I do not believe that," said inspector Chu Tung. "You, stay here while I go and have a very careful search."
"As you know," said Mr.Sung, "I am familiar with the laws of the court, so how dare I hide any criminal?"
"You need not be offended with our search," said inspector Chu Tung, "because it is a serious murder case."
"You may do as you wish," said Mr. Sung. "Please go and make a careful search."
"Inspector Lei Heng will look after Mr. Sung, and see that he does not leave here," said inspector Chu Tung.
Inspector Chu Tung then placed his sword on one side and after entering the house fastened the door behind him. Then going into a worshiping hall he took the altar to one side. In the ground under the altar he found a loose board which he raised. Underneath was the entrance to a cellar and hanging there was the end of a rope which Chu Tung pulled and heard a bell ring down below. Presently he saw Sung Chiang emerge from the celler who was startled when he saw the inspector.
