A certain Prince, foolish and lecherous, frequently ventured into the common populace to scout for beautiful women. If one caught his eye, he would immediately seize her by force. One day, the Prince passed by Scholar Wang’s home and, upon seeing Scholar Wang’s wife, whose beauty was striking, instantly ordered his retainers to ride their horses into the courtyard and drag the wife away. The wife wept bitterly, refusing to comply, but the constables forcibly hauled her off, galloping away triumphantly.

Scholar Wang, learning of the incident, was consumed by righteous anger. He inquired about the route taken and discovered the procession would pass by the tomb of Nie Zheng. He promptly set an ambush near the tomb, intending to reclaim his wife. Before long, the wife did indeed arrive, and upon catching sight of Scholar Wang, she cried out in shock and grief. Scholar Wang, too, was overcome by sorrow and could not suppress his sobs. The constables, enraged, drew their swords and raised their clubs, stepping forward to threaten them.

Suddenly, a man emerged from the tomb. He was broad in stature, gripping a long, sharp blade, his bearing formidable. He roared, "I am Nie Zheng. How dare you villains molest a virtuous woman? Seeing as you are mere accessories acting under orders, compelled by duty, I shall spare you this once. Go back and tell your Prince: If he does not cease his wicked ways and turn toward righteousness, it will not be long before I strike off that foolish king's head." The constables were struck with terror and scattered in a panic. Nie Zheng then slipped back into the tomb and vanished.

The couple, moved to tears of gratitude, kowtowed their thanks before Nie Zheng's grave before returning home. They lived in fear that the Prince would seek revenge, but after more than ten days passed without any sign of reprisal, they finally felt a measure of peace.

From that day forward, the Prince curbed his evil deeds and stopped his depredations.

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