Fan Xiaoshan, a resident of Qingzhou who made a living selling pens and was frequently away from home, had his wife, Madam He, murdered by a thief while she was alone one night in April. That night, a continuous drizzle fell, and when the yamen runners arrived to investigate, they found a folding fan in the mud. Inscribed upon it was a poem, signed: "Bestowed upon a dear friend, Wu Feiqing, by Wang Sheng."

Wu Feiqing was the son of a prominent family, known for his frivolous conduct, and was a fellow townsman of Fan Xiaoshan. After the murder, the county magistrate arrested him and pressed him for a confession. Wu Feiqing vehemently proclaimed his innocence, but the magistrate ignored him, ordering torture. Unable to endure the torment, Wu Feiqing falsely confessed and was sentenced to death.

Knowing his end was near, Wu Feiqing dispersed his entire fortune, performing countless acts of charity. He bought large quantities of padded trousers and jackets for the beggars in the county seat, asking them to recite Buddhist scriptures to pray for him. Yet, this proved to be of no avail, unable to alter his fate. As the date for his execution after the autumn assizes drew closer, Wu Feiqing, unwilling to become a headless ghost, secretly bribed the guards, preparing to commit suicide by drinking poison. That night, as he slept, he dreamt of an immortal who told him, "Do not die yet; your savior is arriving soon."

Wu Feiqing asked, "Who is my savior?" The divine being replied, "Lǐbiān Jí." With those words, the vision vanished. Wu Feiqing frowned in thought, muttering to himself, "Lǐbiān Jí—isn't that the character Zhou? It seems my savior's surname is Zhou."

Not long after, Mr. Zhou Yuanliang was transferred to Qingzhou to take up his post. Reviewing the docket of imprisoned criminals, he paused upon Wu Feiqing’s case, feeling a deep suspicion. He immediately summoned the plaintiff and inquired, "What evidence supports the accusation that Wu murdered someone?" Fan Xiaoshan replied, "The fan is the proof." Zhou Yuanliang examined the fan, then asked, "And who is Wang Sheng?" Fan Xiaoshan shook his head, saying, "I do not know."

Zhou Yuanliang thought to himself, This is clearly a frame-up. In the cold, rainy weather of April, who would be so foolish as to carry a fan on their person? He immediately ordered the yamen runners to remove Wu’s cangue and transfer him to the common cells.

Fan Xiaoshan was indignant and argued vehemently. Zhou Yuanliang smiled, "Are you simply trying to falsely convict and execute one man to close the case, or do you wish to find the true culprit?" Fan Xiaoshan replied, "Naturally, I wish to find the true culprit. What did Your Honor mean by that question?"

Zhou Yuanliang stated, "I recall seeing the inscription on this fan on the wall of a certain inn. If we simply summon the innkeeper, we will know who composed this poem." Soon after, the innkeeper arrived at the county office and reported, "During last year's provincial examinations, two scholars from Rizhao stayed at my humble establishment. One of them was surnamed Li, and the verses on the wall were his masterpiece."

Zhou Yuanliang nodded, then commanded his officers to travel to Rizhao and apprehend Scholar Li. He demanded angrily, "Why did you commit murder?" The scholar looked utterly bewildered and replied, "That is absolutely untrue." Zhou Yuanliang tossed the fan to the ground and asked, "Is the poem inscribed on this fan your work?" The scholar admitted, "The poem is indeed my composition, but I never transcribed it onto a fan. Furthermore, this is not my handwriting."

Zhou Yuanliang pondered, "The owner of the fan must have known you, since he possessed a poem of yours. In your estimation, who is the most suspect?" The scholar replied, "Judging by the style, it seems to be the work of Wang Zuo from Yizhou." Zhou Yuanliang exclaimed, "Excellent. Officers! Proceed swiftly to Yizhou and capture Wang Zuo."

Before long, Wang Zuo was brought in. He confessed, "The poem is indeed mine, but I wrote it on behalf of another. The person who asked me to compose the poem was named Zhang Cheng, a blacksmith. Wang Sheng is his cousin." Zhou Yuanliang laughed, "There is no need to say more; the murderer must be Wang Cheng." He immediately released Wang Zuo, dispatching men to arrest Wang Cheng instead. After interrogation, Wang Cheng fully confessed to the crime.

It turned out that Wang Cheng had met Wu Feiqing through his cousin. Later, Wang Cheng traveled to Qingzhou and happened to see Fan Xiaoshan’s wife, Madam He. Captivated by her beauty, he disguised himself as Wu Feiqing and went to flirt with her, deliberately carrying the folding fan inscribed with Wu’s name. In the middle of the night, Wang Cheng scaled the wall and forced his way into the house to assault Madam He. Alone and attempting to defend herself, she kept a pair of scissors under her pillow. Sensing Wang Cheng's malicious intent, she immediately drew the blade to defend herself and cried out for help. In his panic, Wang Cheng snatched the scissors from her hand and killed Madam He, tossing the fan into the mud outside the wall before fleeing into the night.

Zhou Yuanliang having thoroughly investigated the case, sentenced Wang Cheng to death and confined him to prison. As for Wu Feiqing, he was proven completely innocent and released without charge.