Sun Wuli maintained three servants on his estate: Guo An, Li Lu, and one whose name remains unrecorded.

Among the three, Li Lu harbored a long-standing grudge against the unnamed servant, harboring malicious intent for revenge.

That night, the nameless servant slept alone.

In a state of confused trance, his body was seized and borne away to a grand palace.

There, Yama sat enthroned high above, addressing the ghost bailiffs: "You have made a mistake; this is not the one." He commanded the bailiffs to return the man.

Upon returning to his chambers, the nameless servant was overcome with terror and dared not remain.

He promptly relocated to another residence for his rest.

Guo An seized the opportunity, taking possession of the nameless servant's vacated bed and settling in to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, Li Lu crept stealthily into the room, a cleaver in his hand.

In the gloom, he mistook Guo An for the nameless servant and struck him down with a single blow.

Guo An's father, burning with resentment, immediately went to the county yamen to file a complaint, weeping: "I have only this only son beneath my knees, and now he has been murdered by Li Lu! What will become of me now? Who will see to my final rites?" The magistrate, whose surname was Chen and given name Qishan, was a foolish simpleton.

Hearing the tale, he chuckled: "This matter is easily settled.

You desire a son to attend your funeral rites? Very well, Li Lu shall serve as your son." With these words, he dismissed the court and departed.

………… ………… ………… In a certain county west of Jinan Prefecture, there resided a young married couple.

The husband was slain by a wicked villain, and the wife proceeded to the county yamen to plead her case.

The magistrate ordered the capture of the murderer, slamming his desk and cursing: "They were a perfectly good couple! Why murder her husband and leave her a widow! From this moment forth, you shall serve as her husband, that you and your wife may both taste the bitterness of widowhood."