Before Wu Sangui launched his rebellion, he once declared to his troops: "Whoever can single-handedly capture a tiger shall receive great reward and be ennobled as a 'Tiger-Slaying General'." Among the soldiers was a man named Baozhu, agile as a monkey.

When the Prince’s mansion was building a tall tower, just as the beams were first set up, Baozhu scaled the corner of the structure, reaching the top in an instant.

He strode across the beams as swiftly as flight, running back and forth three or four times without changing his expression.

He then leaped down, landing firmly on his feet, standing perfectly upright.

The Prince of the West possessed a beloved concubine who was a master of the pipa.

The pipa she used had tuning pegs carved from warm jade, and simply holding it would infuse the entire room with a gentle heat.

The concubine treasured it as a divine object, refusing to show it to anyone without the Prince’s explicit command.

One evening, while various generals were feasting, one remarked, "We have long heard tell of the Prince's extraordinary pipa; could you grace us by letting us feast our eyes upon it?" The Prince replied, "I am disinclined to move at the moment; perhaps another day." Baozhu, waiting nearby, overheard this and spoke up, "There is no need for the Prince to command; this humble servant can steal it himself." The Prince immediately ordered riders to alert the entire mansion, tightening security both inside and out.

Baozhu scaled over ten layers of high walls to reach the concubine's courtyard.

Seeing the doors tightly locked and lights blazing from within, he could not gain entry.

Beneath the corridor sat a parrot on a wooden perch.

An idea sparked in Baozhu’s mind: first, he mimicked a cat’s meow, then he imitated the parrot speaking, "The cat is here!" While speaking, he mimicked the sound of a bird flapping its wings urgently, pupuing loudly.

The concubine indeed fell for the ruse, instructing her maid, "Lünu, hurry out and see if the parrot hasn't been snatched by the cat!" Baozhu melted into the shadows.

Soon, a woman emerged holding a lamp.

The moment she stepped clear of the doorway, Baozhu seized the opportunity and slipped inside the room.

He saw the pipa resting on a table, closely guarded by the concubine.

Baozhu snatched the instrument into his arms and strode away.

The concubine shrieked, "Thief!" Soldiers surrounding the area immediately closed in.

They saw Baozhu clutching the pipa and moving rapidly, unable to catch him.

Arrows rained down like a storm, but Baozhu leaped up into the branches of a tree.

Beneath the wall stood over thirty large locust trees; Baozhu darted through the treetops as if he were a swift bird—from tree to roof, from roof to loft.

He sprinted across the halls and pavilions with unbelievable speed; in the blink of an eye, he had vanished without a trace.

Inside the great hall, the guests were just lifting their cups to drink when Baozhu, holding the pipa, dropped silently into their midst.

The doors were sealed as before, and not a single dog barked or chicken crowed.