Shi Zongyu, the Magistrate of Xinzheng County, a scholar who had passed the Changshan imperial examination, was a man of sharp capability. Coincidentally, a traveling merchant named Zhang, weary from his business journey and homesick due to illness, found himself unable to ride a horse. He hired a rickshaw, carrying five thousand tongqian (copper coins), and employed two porters to escort him back to his hometown. Passing through Xinzheng, the two porters stopped at an inn for refreshment, leaving Zhang alone on the carriage to guard his property.

A certain man, known only as A, happened upon this scene. Seeing Zhang possessed of great wealth and noting the absence of others nearby, he stepped forward and snatched the copper coins. Unable to resist physically, Zhang leaped up with effort and pursued A, tailing him all the way to a village where he saw the thief enter a specific doorway. Zhang dared not storm the house, so he crouched behind a low wall, intently watching for movement.

A set the coins down, and in that moment of turning, he caught sight of Zhang. He roared, "Thief!" He bound Zhang’s hands and feet and dragged him to the yamen, falsely accusing him of theft. Shi Zongyu presided over the interrogation. A narrated his version of events point by point. When Zhang was questioned, he vehemently cried foul. Lacking concrete evidence, Shi Zongyu hesitated to pass a rash judgment and dismissed both men for the time being.

As they left the courtroom, both men muttered, "The Magistrate cannot distinguish right from wrong; he is truly muddled." Hearing this, Shi Zongyu offered a slight smile, unconcerned. However, observing A's cunning expression, which clearly denoted a scoundrel, and remembering that A was long overdue on his taxes, the magistrate dispatched a yamen runner to demand payment. The very next day, A voluntarily presented three liang (ounces) of silver. Shi Zongyu asked him, "Where did this silver come from?" A replied, "Your Honor's insistence was pressing, so I had no choice but to sell or pawn my clothes." Shi Zongyu pressed further, "Who was the buyer?" A lied casually, naming names with an air of certainty.

Shi Zongyu nodded slowly, then ordered his subordinate to check the tax register. It turned out that one taxpayer listed was A’s neighbor in the same village. This neighbor was summoned to the court and questioned: "Since you are A’s neighbor, you must know where the silver came from." The neighbor answered, "I do not know." Shi Zongyu declared, "If even a neighbor does not know, the source of the silver is clearly dubious." A became terrified, glanced at the neighbor, blinking rapidly, and stated, "Yesterday I sold my clothes to that person; you witnessed it yourself, how could you not know?" The neighbor understood the signal and quickly affirmed, "Yes, yes, that is indeed what happened."

Shi Zongyu thundered, "Bold neighbor! You are clearly A’s accomplice, otherwise why would you spin a lie for him? Guards, bring the instruments of torture!" The neighbor's face paled. "Stop, stop, please do not use the implements. I shall tell the truth: the silver was plundered by A from Zhang. Because I am his neighbor, I dared not offend him, so I helped him lie. But now that it implicates me, neighborly affection can no longer be considered."

Shi Zongyu ascertained the full sequence of events, then ordered A to be severely beaten and commanded him to return the wrongfully seized gold. Thus, the case was concluded.