Zhu Shusheng, a native of Yanggu County, was frivolous in his youth and spoke without restraint. Living alone after his wife passed away, the solitude became unbearable. He thus employed a matchmaker to find him a new spouse. Upon meeting a young married woman at the matchmaker’s house, whose beauty struck him instantly, he learned she was the matchmaker’s neighbor. He immediately pleaded with the matchmaker, saying, “Please, Mother, intercede for me; I wish to wed the young lady next door.” The matchmaker laughed, “She is already a married woman; how can she marry you? Unless, of course, you kill her husband.”

“A fine idea,” the scholar replied, “Let it be so.” A month later, the young woman’s husband went out collecting a debt, was murdered, and his body left abandoned in the wilderness. The County Magistrate apprehended Shusheng for questioning. Shusheng fiercely denied being the murderer and cried out his innocence. The Magistrate refused to listen, suspecting Shusheng and the young woman were lovers who conspired to kill the deceased. The young woman was then dragged to the court, tortured severely, and finally forced into a confession, rambling through false admissions.

The Magistrate presented the confession to Shusheng, demanding he quickly admit his guilt. Shusheng sighed mournfully, “The neighbor’s wife is innocent. It was I who coveted her beauty and caused the death of her husband; I am the true killer, and she has nothing to do with it.” The Magistrate asked, “What evidence do you have?” Shusheng replied, “There is blood-stained clothing at my home as proof.”

The Magistrate dispatched his subordinates to search Shusheng’s house, but they found no bloodied garment. Furious and resentful, the Magistrate turned his rage upon Shusheng and beat him again mercilessly. Shusheng cried out, “The evidence is indeed at home, but my mother cannot bear to see me executed, so she refuses to produce it. Allow me to return home myself to retrieve it.”

The bailiffs escorted Shusheng back to his house. Shusheng told his mother, “Whether the bloody clothes are found or not, my death is certain. It is better to present the clothes now and find release sooner.” His mother burst into bitter tears, entered her son’s bedroom, retrieved an outer garment, sliced her arm with a dagger, allowed the blood to drip and saturate the fabric until it was entirely crimson, and handed it over to the bailiffs to report back.

When the Magistrate received the blood-soaked garment, possessing physical evidence, he immediately sentenced Shusheng to death, to be executed in the autumn. On that very day, as the Magistrate sat presiding in the yamen hall, a man suddenly burst in, glaring at the Magistrate with furious eyes and shouting, “Such a muddle-headed official, fit to govern the common people?!” The Magistrate flew into a rage and immediately ordered his men to seize the intruder. The bailiffs swarmed him, locking him down tightly, but the man let out a slight cold laugh. He gave a sudden shake of his arm, a surge of immense strength erupted, throwing all the bailiffs to the ground. The Magistrate’s face drained of color in horror, and he turned to flee, but the man roared, “I am General Zhou Cang, serving under Lord Guan Di. Muddle-headed official, if you take one more step, I will take your wretched life instantly. Listen closely, everyone: the real murderer is someone else, named Gong Biao, and Shusheng has not the slightest connection to this matter.” As soon as the words were spoken, the man collapsed to the ground.

After a long while, the man slowly awoke, his face ashen, and he exclaimed in astonishment, “How did I end up at the county yamen? Has the news leaked? Is the affair exposed?” The Magistrate was utterly perplexed and immediately detained the man for interrogation. It turned out this man was none other than Gong Biao.

Previously, upon learning that the young woman's husband was out collecting debts, Gong Biao had intercepted him halfway and killed him, intending to seize money. Alas, the victim’s pockets were empty; not a single coin was obtained, and Gong Biao was left with only a murder charge. Later, hearing that Shusheng had been arrested and imprisoned, Gong Biao felt a surge of relief. Today, while working at home, he suddenly felt an irresistible urge, rushing straight to the county yamen, still unaware of the reason even now.

Once the Magistrate understood the full sequence of events, the case was closed. Gong Biao was sentenced to death for intentional homicide. As for Shusheng, he was released without guilt. Because of his incompetence in handling the case, the Magistrate was ultimately stripped of his office and imprisoned, where he soon died.

After his release from prison, Shusheng could not forget the young woman. He called upon her again to formally propose marriage. The young woman, grateful for his life-saving kindness, consented to become his wife.