[Cases of Bao Gong: The Case Files of the Famous Judge Bao - The Thirteenth Execution: Stealing the Shoe]
It is said that in the Shui-ning Temple east of Jiangzhou City, there was a monk whose secular surname was Wu and given name was Yuancheng, a man of lecherous nature.
Now, in the Shui-ning Temple east of Jiangzhou City, there was a monk whose secular surname was Wu and given name was Yuancheng, a lecherous and unscrupulous man.
Zhang Dehua, a patron of Shui-ning Temple, had taken Lan-ying, the daughter of Han Yingsu from the South Village, as his wife. However, he was deeply troubled by the fact that they had been childless for many years and prayed earnestly to be blessed with an heir. During the Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan festivals, he would set up altars for prayers, and on the days of the new and full moon each month, he would specifically invite Wu Yuancheng to his home to chant scriptures.
However, Wu Yuancheng, seeing that Han Lan-ying was beautiful, constantly harbored evil intentions and plotted to have an illicit affair with her.
One night, upon returning to the temple, a scheme formed in his mind.
The next day, taking advantage of Zhang Dehua's absence, he visited the Zhang household under the pretext of begging for alms. He bribed the maid, Xiao Mei, to steal one of Lady Han's sleeping shoes (slippers used when sleeping).
Once Wu Yuancheng obtained the shoe, he was overjoyed. Upon returning to the temple, he would play with the shoe every day, lost in thought and consumed by uncontrollable desires.
The next day, when the patron Zhang came to the temple to discuss a ritual, Yuancheng deliberately dropped the sleeping shoe at the temple gate. Dehua picked it up, feeling greatly shocked and suspicious.
Coincidentally, the next day, when Zhang Dehua came to the temple to discuss an exorcism ritual, Wu Yuancheng deliberately dropped one of the sleeping shoes at the temple gate. Unaware of the truth, Zhang Dehua picked it up and was filled with deep suspicion.
As soon as he finished talking with Wu Yuancheng, he returned home in a rage, strictly interrogated the origin of the sleeping shoe, and finally sent Lady Han back to her parents' home, officially divorcing her through government procedures.
When Wu Yuancheng learned that his scheme had succeeded, he fled to Taipingyuan in the West Village, changed his name to Feng Ren, and grew out his hair for two years.
When Han Yingsu was about to remarry his daughter, Lan-ying, Feng Ren bribed a neighbor named Wang Qin to ask him to propose the marriage to the Han family on his behalf.
Since Han Yingsu was already close with Wang Qin, he finally agreed to the proposal.
When Wang Qin gave the reply to Feng Ren, they immediately exchanged betrothal gifts, welcomed her, and they became a happily married couple.
Time passed like lightning. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival; the moonlight was brilliant, and the sound of music was vibrant.
The Feng couple were drinking wine facing each other in the pavilion, their affection was intimate, and Feng Ren, enjoying the wine and deeply intoxicated, took his wife's hand and said with a laugh,
"If it weren't for Xiao Mei's contribution back then, we wouldn't have had this pleasant night today."
Lady Han found these words suspicious and asked for the reason. Feng Ren then told her the entire story from beginning to end.
Upon hearing this, Lady Han burned with anger but dared not speak out.
Although her body had become Feng Ren's through his scheme, in her heart, she hated him to the marrow.
After the banquet ended and Feng Ren fell asleep, it was the third watch, and Lady Han hanged herself.
The next day, Han Yingsu learned of this and, wanting to clear her name, was about to file a complaint with the county when, by chance, Bao Gong was inspecting Jiangzhou, and Han Yingsu immediately wrote and submitted a petition.
"A petition regarding the defilement of chastity and the taking of a life.
Painfully, my daughter Lan-ying became the wife of my son-in-law Zhang Dehua, and for a long time, they were harmonious, with nothing to be ashamed of in the way of husband and wife.
Unfortunately, the evil monk Wu Yuancheng, now known as Feng Ren, saw my daughter's beauty, bribed a maid to steal her shoe, trapped her, and caused her to be divorced.
Sensing that there was nothing suspicious in my daughter's conduct and that she had originally maintained her chastity, and also because there was no evidence of infidelity, I temporarily harbored doubts but took her back to raise her.
However, to my surprise, that villain grew his hair, changed his name, and entrusted a neighbor to seek a marriage proposal. I did not know the truth and mistakenly fell into his treacherous trap.
Last night, suddenly, due to Feng Ren's coercion, my daughter took her own life. Her grievance remains unredressed. I humbly pray that with the majesty of the law, you will not let him escape the net of heaven and will punish the villain with ten thousand deaths so that my heart may finally be at peace.
I submit this petition with pity."
At that time, Feng Ren also fabricated false circumstances to argue his case, but Bao Gong immediately threw both of them into prison.
That night, as Bao Gong sat in the back hall, a sudden gust of black wind blew in.
Bao Gong asked,
"What kind of grievance is this?"
Soon, a woman appeared below the hall and knelt.
Bao Gong asked the woman,
"Who are you? What do you have to say? Tell me the truth."
The woman recounted the entire story, then suddenly vanished.
The next day, Bao Gong presided over the court, sent Zhang Long and Xue Ba to bring Han and Feng from prison for interrogation, and immediately had Feng Ren bound and beaten to press him about the sleeping shoe.
Feng Ren was shocked, his face changed color, and he remained silent with his head bowed, finally confessing the truth. Bao Gong confiscated Feng Ren's property for the national treasury and sentenced him to death to pay for the life he had taken.
With this, Lady Han's grievance was redressed, and people far and near were all pleased by this.