Hours during the Song Dynasty, there was a small vendor named He Wei in She County. His parents died early. Two years after getting married, his wife unfortunately died of illness. He could not forget his deceased wife for a while and refused to marry again. He was still a bachelor at the age of 30.
He Weixiao is doing a good business, but his family is barely idly because he is a righteous person and spends money. Whenever he gets together with friends, he will rush to pay the bill.
Tianxi On the evening of early autumn of the third year, several tables of guests were drinking in a tavern on the outskirts of the city. At this time, He Wei and his friend Deng Xi came into the store and chose a secluded place to sit down.
"Ye! It's you two, what wine do you want to eat today?" Before he finished speaking, a young and beautiful woman approached him and said, "The woman is the shopkeeper of the tavern. Her husband's surname is Wang, and her husband's surname is Wu. Her husband died of illness two years ago and lived alone with her two children. People call her Widow Wu or Wife Wang.
"It's still the same, but add two more dishes today. Lady Wang is considering it, you make the decision." He Wei said with a smile with a happy face. Not long after, the wine and food were served, and He Wei and Deng Xi started drinking.
He Wei is a good person, but he has a problem, which is that he loves bragging, especially after drinking, he brags even harder. Today is no exception. After two pots of wine, he started to blow again. Deng Xi has been with him for many years, but he is not surprised by this, knowing that he has drunk too much again.
At this time, a young man on the next table smiled and said, "Brother He is drunk again and he is talking nonsense. If it is true as you said, why are you still as poor as a bachelor now?"
The young man's words hurt He Wei. He said with red eyes, "What, you said I am as poor as a waste. It seems that you don't believe it if you don't let you see the real thing today." After saying that, he took out a cloth bag from his arms, and there were fifty or sixty taels of scattered silver inside.
Most of the people living here are ordinary families, and they usually spend copper coins. I have never seen so many silver coins. The young man just now said in surprise: "Wow! Brother He, you have done a robbery, how could there be so many white things?"
He Wei narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Haha, Erniu, you are right. Last night I killed a businessman in Liushugang. My head was cut down and threw it into the river. The body was thrown in the well next to him. The money belonged to the merchant."
"Hahahaha!" He Wei's words came to the ground, and everyone around him laughed.
Miss Wang walked out of the inner hall and said angrily: "You, it's bad in this mouth, there's not even a door-to-door. Sooner or later, it's a bad thing." He Wei said: "I know, I know..." He lay on the table before he finished speaking, and was drunk.
Deng Xi shook his head and smiled, "No wonder he talked nonsense, it turned out he was drunk again." After that, he paid for the wine, asked Erniu to send He Wei home together.
About the next morning, an old man named Sun grazed sheep in Liushugang. A little lamb fell into a dry well next to him. Old man Sun called his son to go down to the well to save the sheep, but he didn't expect to find a headless corpse at the bottom of the well.
The yamen received a report and immediately launched an investigation. After the coroner's autopsy was conducted, it was confirmed that the person should have died the night before yesterday. Erniu learned about this and believed that what He Wei said last night was not nonsense, but was actually killing people and robbing money. After drinking, he revealed his truth and went to the yamen to report it. He Wei was arrested in a daze.
In the court, He Wei shouted for injustice, saying that the money was borrowed by Mr. Hu in the west of the city. He just likes to brag and talk big. He drank too much last night and talked nonsense after drinking. He also said that he didn't go out the night before, so how could he go to Liushugang to kill people?
is so accurate, who is willing to believe it? However, County Magistrate Su was cautious in his work and temporarily imprisoned He Wei to prison, sent a service to investigate in detail, and posted notices to find out the identity of the deceased.
Two days later, a woman named Yu came to recognize the body and said that her husband Dong Kui went to another place to collect debts a few days ago. Logically speaking, she came back two days ago, but she still has nowhere to be seen.
The servant took Yu to recognize the body. When Yu saw the body, she cried loudly and begged Magistrate Su to find the murderer and seek justice for her husband. Magistrate Su comforted him and asked him to go back first, saying that the yamen would step up the investigation and also try to retrieve Dong Kui's head.
After Yu left, the servant came back to report that when they went to Hu Manwai's house to investigate, Hu Manwai happened to go to another place. According to his wife, He Wei saved her grandson a few days ago, and her husband took out a hundred taels to thank him, but He Wei insisted on not accepting it.
Mr. Hu was grateful and came to the door again to send him off. He Wei was not willing to refuse, so he collected sixty taels, but he wrote a loan note to Mr. Hu, saying that the sixty taels should be borrowed and would definitely be returned in half a year. If this were not the case, he would rather die than accept it. Mr. Hu had no choice but to agree.
Another officer reported that according to neighbor Huo San, He Wei was definitely not at home that night, because at the third update that night, his ewe gave birth to a baby. He knew that He Wei knew how to deliver the baby, so he ran over for help. Unexpectedly, after knocking on the door for a long time, no one answered. When dawn approached, he saw He Wei coming back from outside.
The investigation of this servant showed that when He Wei was in court that day, he told a lie, and County Magistrate Su immediately interrogated the trial. He Wei admitted that he was not at home that night and was going to meet friends.
County Magistrate Su asked his friend who was and where he lived. He Wei stammered and couldn't say it. County Magistrate Su ordered someone to be punished. He Wei was so stubborn that he refused to admit the murder, and he refused to tell him where he went on the night of the incident.
Although the money comes from the right place, I would rather die and conceal the whereabouts of that night than suspicious. Magistrate Su was furious and prepared to use a big punishment. At this moment, two people came to the yamen to testify for He Wei, one was Mr. Hu, and the other was Mrs. Wang, the shopkeeper of the tavern.
Just Hu just came back from another place. When he heard about He Wei's incident, he hurried over. He believed that He Wei was chivalrous and helped his grandson regardless of his life, and did not seek rewards in the future. How could he do evil in such good character? Why is he willing to be a sage?
is different from Mr. Hu’s insurance. Mrs. Wang directly gave the certificate. She said that on the night of the incident, He Wei spent all night in his room and left before the fifth hour. How could he kill someone? As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked, and He Wei's face was anxious. It could be seen that he did not want Mrs. Wang to say it.
Su Magistrate Su asked for details. Madam Wang's face turned slightly red and said, "My husband died two years ago. He left two children under six years old. My family worked hard, but He Wei couldn't bear it, so he secretly helped me and married me and raised the child for me. I also have feelings for him, but in order to keep the dead husband for three years, I will let him wait for another year."
Speaking of this, Madam Wang was already in tears. She calmed down and continued, "We have feelings for each other, and we can't control it for a while and did something transcendent. The little woman was willing to be punished for this, but on the night of the incident, He Wei was indeed with me. I am a widow, willing to destroy my reputation and come to testify. How could there be a false ceremony?" As soon as this was said, Madam Su actually felt a little respect for her.
号本司生号 wiping his tears and continued, "Sir, how could he brag after drinking that day? There were more than 20 people in the tavern at that time. Maybe the real murderer was among these people, or the murderer happened to pass by the tavern. After hearing He Wei's drinking, he threw the body into the dry well. Everyone was happy if he didn't find it. If he found out, wouldn't he just be blamed on He Wei?"
these words woke up Su Magistrate Su and made plans in an instant. He suddenly shouted loudly. He said, "Good you, a foolish woman. You are adulterer first. After extorting the adulterer, you will be fabricated. I will detain you for the time being. After the He Wei murder case is sentenced, I will punish you. But don't worry, I will send someone to take care of your two children."
Everyone was surprised. Unexpectedly, County Magistrate Su would make such a decision. It would be useless for Mr. Hu to kneel down and beg for the sake of Mr. Wang. After Magistrate Wang was imprisoned, County Magistrate Su strictly tried He Wei. Although his head was not recovered, he also made a decision, and He Wei was sentenced to beheading for the crime of murdering others' lives.
The next morning, the yamen posted a notice that He Wei was sentenced to beheading, Wang Madam committed adultery with him, and also made false certificates. She was sentenced to two years in prison and sent to the post station twenty miles away to serve her sentence.
Family people only realized that Wang Niangzi’s tavern was not open, and people were talking about this matter, and most of them condemned He Wei and Wang Niangzi.
Six or seven days have passed in a blink of an eye. Just as people were still discussing privately, the yamen suddenly opened trial and allowed the people to listen. People did not know what case they were being tried, and out of curiosity, they went to wait and see.
Everyone unexpectedly thought that the case of Dong Kui being killed was still being tried, and the prisoner kneeling in the hall was Dong Kui's wife Yu and the woodcutter Niu Gui. These two people could not withstand the rigorous trial and quickly confessed their crimes, and the truth was revealed.
Dong Kui often goes out in business, so he asked Niu Gui to deliver bundles of firewood to his house some days to facilitate his wife to cook. Unexpectedly, Yu was unfaithful and had an affair with Niu Gui. As long as Dong Kui went out, the two of them would secretly have a private meeting.
On the night of the incident, Dong Kui successfully returned home early after collecting debts. When they happened to encounter the affair between the two, Niu Gui killed Dong Kui and buried his body in the suburbs.
He Wei brags that night, Niu Gui was also in the tavern. He just heard it all over. He ran to discuss with Yu: "Dong Kui is missing. Someone is asking about it sooner or later. It is not a solution to cover it up. It is better to throw the body in that well. Two days later I pretended to find it and then report the case. He Wei said that he killed someone and made money. More than 20 people present could testify. He is the scapegoat. Only by finding the scapegoat can we both truly feel at ease." Yu thought it was reasonable and agreed to this method.
Niu Gui dug out the corpse, cut off his head and threw it into the river. The body was thrown into the well. He originally planned to go to the yamen to report the case in two days, but he said that the corpse was found. Unexpectedly, the body was discovered by the old man Sun who was herding sheep.
Things were as expected by Niu Gui. He Wei was arrested and then sentenced to beheading. He and Yu were happy, especially when the notice was posted, Wang Niangzi's Tavern was closed again, and the two of them were completely relieved.
That day, County Magistrate Su did not imprison Wang Niangzi in prison, but instead locked her in the backyard of the yamen. He also ordered someone to bring Wang Niangzi's child and post a notice, just to paralyze the real murderer.
In fact, Yu came to recognize the body that day, and took a look and determined that the body was Dong Kui. It aroused suspicion from County Magistrate Su at that time. It was only because He Wei did not tell the truth that he led the focus over.
County Magistrate Su ordered the officer to change into casual clothes and began to investigate Yu and Dong Kui's neighbors. He instructed the officers to do this matter in secret to prevent alarming the enemy.
Through understanding, I learned that when Dong Kui went out, except for the people from Yu's mother's house, Niu Gui often went to deliver firewood. County Magistrate Su was responsible for keeping a close eye on the two of them. Sure enough, he discovered the affair, and brought them and interrogated them strictly. The case finally became clear. Niu Gui and Yu were sentenced to beheading. The files were sorted out and sent to the capital immediately.
County Magistrate Su was in trouble for the punishment of He Wei and Wang Niangzi. Although they were affectionate, they were traitors. According to the law, both of them were sentenced to one and a half years in prison. He Wei was fine. Wang Niangzi had two children, how could this be done?
County Magistrate Su was determined to help the two, but he did not punish them, but the law was ruthless and could not be ignored. He specially found the magistrate Wang to explain the situation, and specially praised He Wei and Wang's character, hoping that Lord Wang would be kind and pardon the two of them for their guilt.
Lord Wang saw the thoughts of Su County and the beauty of adulthood, and saved He Wei and Wang's wife from the crime. He only blamed the two of them for being punished ten times and warned them. During the execution, Su County gave Zaoli a look, and Zaoli understood it. Although the board was hit, it did not hurt the muscles and bones of the two.
In the past six months, under the auspices of the Magistrate Su, He Wei married the Wang Madam as his wife. Before that, he returned the sixty taels of silver to Mr. Hu. Mr. Hu will repay his kindness when he got married. When He Wei got married, he gave him a generous gift. The weight of the gift was surprising.
(Finished story)
[Written at the end]
He is so powerful and loyal to his deceased wife, and the same is true for the Wang Lady. He has not married his deceased wife for many years and for the reputation of his deceased wife, he will not break even if he is tortured.
He Wei is righteous and upright and kind-hearted, and sacrifices his life to save Sun Yuanwai's grandson. He does not seek rewards in the future. Even if he can't refuse, he will use the method of borrowing to relieve it for the time being.
The so-called kindness will eventually be rewarded, and friendship will not be given in vain. Madam Wang is also a person who values friendship and friendship. For He Wei, he will not hesitate to abandon his reputation. Mr. Sun is also the same. He came forward to repay his kindness and gave him a big gift when he got married.
County Magistrate Su is definitely a good official. He is not reckless, not stubborn, and does not act arbitrary. If He Wei had not concealed his whereabouts on the night of the incident, I think County Magistrate Su would not have given him a heavy punishment.Not only that, Magistrate Su is not pedantic. For example, he is very open-minded in his personal affair between He Wei and Wang Madam.
Some people say that He Wei had an affair with Wang Niangzi was morally corrupt. This statement needs to be considered. One of the two lost his wife and the other lost her husband. Is it wrong to get together? If Wang Niangzi had not insisted on filial piety for his husband for three years, they might have been married long ago. In ancient times, it was very common for the people to remarry, and the court also encouraged them for the people's livelihood.
Niu Gui's private relationship with Yu is completely different from He Wei and Wang's wife. Yu is a married woman, and having an affair is a defeat. Niu Gui knows that Yu is a married woman, but he still has an affair with him. This is a bad character. These two people are murdering their lives for personal relationships and marring others to escape from crime. In the end, they have different bodies and heads, which is worthy of the crime.
You can eat something randomly, and you can't talk nonsense. Eating something randomly will hurt your body at most; and speaking nonsense may hurt others, cause disputes, and cause disasters. This is what the meaning is.
He Wei's shortcomings are that, and they are also fatal. If it weren't for the honest and honest county magistrate Su, and the kind-hearted Mr. Sun, and the wife of Wang, who values love and righteousness, he would probably have lost his life. This is also the warning to us by this story.
Folk story: The sky does not hide the traitor
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