Empress dowager cixi

[xlwoo]

In Judicial Ministry, there were eight middle-rank officials, who were familiar with all sorts of laws. They were upright and acted by the book. So their colleagues called them the Eight Saints. This case was their responsibilities. When the minister told them what West Empress Dowager had instructed, one of them said, “If Empress Dowager want to execute them, Empress Dowager can directly execute them. Now it becomes a case in Judicial Ministry, we must judge it by the law.”
“What will be the verdict in your opinion?” The minister asked modestly.
“Not guilty.” was the answer. The minister was in a fix. How could he report to West Empress Dowager? Another of the Eight Saints said, “In this case, we must not only try the guards, but also try the eunuch.” Still another of the eight Saints told the minister a story from Han Dynasty. (Almost two thousand years ago.) Someone stole a jade ornament from the mausoleum of the emperor's ancestors. By the law of Han Dynasty, such a crime was the sentence of death, but the emperor was not contented and wanted to execute the whole household of the culprit. This was the severest punishment in every dynasty. So the supreme judge asked the emperor what punishment the emperor could inflict on a traitor since the severest penalty was imposed on a thief. So the emperor agreed with the supreme judge. The minister decided to tell West Empress Dowager the story when he saw West Empress Dowager next time. But next time when he was summoned to the presence of West Empress Dowager, she didn't let him speak and reproved him all the time till she felt tired and bade him to go. She had said that the offense of the guards was to resist the order of the empress dowagers and deserved the death sentence. It should be comprehended like that since young eunuch Li had been sent by the empress dowagers and the guards had refused to let him go out to carry out the order of the empress dowagers, the guards had acted against the order of the empress dowagers. But there was not such an article in any law. The minister had to sentence the guards to be banished out of the capital. But West Empress Dowager was not satisfied. The minister had to delay the judgment of the case.

[xlwoo]

When this case was not finally settled yet, another surprising event took place. A middle-aged outsider was found wandering near where West Empress Dowager lived. This was very serious. What if this stranger were an assassin? So the stranger was detained and put into the jail of Judicial Ministry. The stranger looked like a retard. So any torment or threat might not work if they wanted the truth how he could have been in the Forbidden City. An official of Judicial Ministry went to his cell and treated him as a guest and let him eat and drink, then asked him questions like they were having a chitchat. The retard said that a eunuch, who lived next door to him, had taken him into that big place and left him to roam all by himself. The minister reported it to Yixin first. Yixin ordered him to get to the bottom of it lest more serious things should happen later. So the eunuch was taken into custody and questioned. Under a little torture, he confessed everything. Young eunuch Li had persuaded him to bring in the retard to make believe that the gate guards always disregarded their duties. Therefore, young eunuch Li was hauled in. Now the verdict of Judicial Ministry was that the guards were expelled from the post, the eunuchs were exiled and the retard was hanged.

[xlwoo]

When the result was reported to West Empress Dowager, she insisted that the punishment of the guards should be more severe. So the Eight Saints found the relevant articles in the law book and copied them, handing in for West Empress Dowager to read. After that, West Empress Dowager loosened a bit, no longer persisting in death sentence. But she wanted the penalty stricter than that on the verdict. Then a new verdict was issued that the guards were exiled to the remote province in the cold north. When it was known publicly, many critique officials thought this was not fair. So quite a few reports came to the attention of West Empress Dowager. One of the reports reasoned, ?he case was not that the guards could not ask the eunuchs to show a note of being allowed to exit. It was that the guards should not behave improperly in the Forbidden City. Now it seemed that the guards should not ask to see such a note from the eunuchs. What? why a retarded stranger was brought in by a eunuch and no guards dared to say anything to it. If that? what the verdict manifested, what? the use to station the guards at the gates? To the eunuchs, it seems no guards at all, though guards do stand there on guard. Thus, how can the guards keep the Forbidden City safe? The eunuchs should be disciplined. A punishment of exile is often for a real crime. If guards got such a punishment just for doing their duties, what will people say when they read the verdict? This Critique Official think that it must be a mistake made by Judicial Ministry, not the intention of the empress dowagers. This Critique Official beg that the empress dowagers correct this mistake so that people know that the empress dowagers are always fair and just. The result was that the guards were only dismissed from the post.

[xlwoo]

Chapter 32

Zaizhen, son of Yixin, was really a dandy. Before the demise of Emperor Tongzhi, he had had to go into the Forbidden City to study together with the emperor. Now Emperor Tongzhi was gone, he didn't need to go there any more. He began to fool away his time everyday in the teahouse, in the restaurant, in the theater, or even in the whorehouse. He had a few concubines, but they lived separately, away from his main residence, which was his father's, not really his. In old China, many generations lived together. But he didn't dare to bring his concubines into his father's residence, because he got all these concubines without Yixin's assent. So he either bought or rented a house for each of his concubines. Some concubines had children with him, but Yixin disowned them as his grandchildren, because it would make things complicated. If Yixin owned that they were his grandchildren, the male children should be conferred some honorary titles plus other things due to their legal status. If otherwise, they could get nothing legally. One of his concubines was the wife of a duke. She was known as Lady Kui.
Duke Kui was a good-for-nothing. Lady Kui was the boss in the family. She controlled everything. She dealt with everything that happened. Duke Kui lived an idle life and was afraid of his wife. Lady Kui liked to go to public places, mixing with the throngs and letting other young men admire her beauty. (She was still young.) One market day, there was a gathering in the square before a temple. Lady Kui went there with her maid. After she worshiped the Buddha in the temple, she loitered among the vendors to look at their things displayed on the ground. Vendors at that time didn't have booths or carts. They carried their goods in baskets or boxes. Some vendors would spread a piece of cloth on the ground and put their merchandise on the cloth for a better show. When Lady Kui felt weary at noon, she went into a teahouse on the roadside. Teahouses sold snacks too. While she sat there, sipping tea, a young man came in, ensued by some servants. The young man was handsome, and for the good guess, in early twenties, and looked like born with a silver spoon in the mouth. He sat at a table, sweeping his eyes across all the female faces till he froze his gaze on the visage of Lady Kui, who turned away to avoid his stare. “Your Ladyship.' Suddenly she heard herself accosted. She turned about and saw a servant smiling and bowing to her. “His Esquire (Denoting his master, the young man.) invite Your Ladyship to that table.” Lady Kui was surprised and resented the brass boldness. “I don't know His Esquire.” She said with a scorn and turned away once more.

[xlwoo]

Chapter 32

Zaizhen, son of Yixin, was really a dandy. Before the demise of Emperor Tongzhi, he had had to go into the Forbidden City to study together with the emperor. Now Emperor Tongzhi was gone, he didn't need to go there any more. He began to fool away his time everyday in the teahouse, in the restaurant, in the theater, or even in the whorehouse. He had a few concubines, but they lived separately, away from his main residence, which was his father's, not really his. In old China, many generations lived together. But he didn't dare to bring his concubines into his father's residence, because he got all these concubines without Yixin's assent. So he either bought or rented a house for each of his concubines. Some concubines had children with him, but Yixin disowned them as his grandchildren, because it would make things complicated. If Yixin owned that they were his grandchildren, the male children should be conferred some honorary titles plus other things due to their legal status. If otherwise, they could get nothing legally. One of his concubines was the wife of a duke. She was known as Lady Kui.
Duke Kui was a good-for-nothing. Lady Kui was the boss in the family. She controlled everything. She dealt with everything that happened. Duke Kui lived an idle life and was afraid of his wife. Lady Kui liked to go to public places, mixing with the throngs and letting other young men admire her beauty. (She was still young.) One market day, there was a gathering in the square before a temple. Lady Kui went there with her maid. After she worshiped the Buddha in the temple, she loitered among the vendors to look at their things displayed on the ground. Vendors at that time didn't have booths or carts. They carried their goods in baskets or boxes. Some vendors would spread a piece of cloth on the ground and put their merchandise on the cloth for a better show. When Lady Kui felt weary at noon, she went into a teahouse on the roadside. Teahouses sold snacks too. While she sat there, sipping tea, a young man came in, ensued by some servants. The young man was handsome, and for the good guess, in early twenties, and looked like born with a silver spoon in the mouth. He sat at a table, sweeping his eyes across all the female faces till he froze his gaze on the visage of Lady Kui, who turned away to avoid his stare. “Your Ladyship.' Suddenly she heard herself accosted. She turned about and saw a servant smiling and bowing to her. “His Esquire (Denoting his master, the young man.) invite Your Ladyship to that table.” Lady Kui was surprised and resented the brass boldness. “I don't know His Esquire.” She said with a scorn and turned away once more.

[xlwoo]

After a while the young man left with his servants. But his cute image still lingered in the mind's eye of Lady Kui. When the waiter came to replenish her teapot with boiled water, she asked him who that young man was. “Your Ladyship mean His Esquire?” said the waiter, “Everyone know Esquire Zaizhen.”
“You mean the son of Prince Yixin?” Lady Kui wanted to make sure.
“None the other.” The waiter smiled his reply. Lady Kui thought that was the man a woman should marry. She always looked down upon her husband because he was a useless man in every sense of the word. Although he was a duke, he didn't have power and didn't have a lot of wealth as other dukes, nor even as marquises, earls, viscounts and barons. In her opinion, wealth should be in correspondence with titles. Lady Kui was vain as many women were.
When she stepped out of the teahouse, the servant, who had addressed her inside the teahouse, came forth, saying, 'His Esquire leave the coach here to take Your Ladyship home.” When she refused, the servant slung himself down on his knees and kowtowed before her, blocking her way to go further. The servant begged, “Have mercy on me, Your Ladyship. If Your Ladyship won't ride home in the coach, His Esquire will think I'm useless and will fire me. I have a family of five to feed. So have pity on me, Your Ladyship.” He kept kowtowing until she conceded. Lady Kui had a heart of gold and didn't want his family to starve. But she asked, “Do you know where I live?”
“Sure.” The servant replied, “Your Ladyship live in Duke Kui's residence.”
So they knew everything about me, she thought. The coachman was holding the door of the coach open for her. The servant crawled on the ground before the coach door, serving as a step stone. Lady Kui stepped on his back and into the coach, helped by her maid, who followed in. The coachman shut the door. The servant rode with the coachman in the front. The coach rumbled forward. Lady Kui sat back comfortably and closed her eyes. The maid sat at her side with only half of her buttocks on the seat. Generally a maid could not sit with her mistress, but she could not stand in the coach, either. So this was a posture adopted by the inferiors before their superiors when they were asked to sit or had to sit on certain occasions.
When Lady Kui felt the coach halted, she opened her eyes, but it was not her home. The servant came to open the door. Lady Kui asked, “Where is this?” The servant replied, “Your Ladyship will know when Your Ladyship go in.” Lady Kui was curious to know and went in, followed by her maid. Esquire Zaizhen was there to welcome her. She couldn't reject his courtship and they slept together that night. Thus, Lady Kui became a concubine of Esquire Zaizhen.

[xlwoo]

After a while the young man left with his servants. But his cute image still lingered in the mind's eye of Lady Kui. When the waiter came to replenish her teapot with boiled water, she asked him who that young man was. “Your Ladyship mean His Esquire?” said the waiter, “Everyone know Esquire Zaizhen.”
“You mean the son of Prince Yixin?” Lady Kui wanted to make sure.
“None the other.” The waiter smiled his reply. Lady Kui thought that was the man a woman should marry. She always looked down upon her husband because he was a useless man in every sense of the word. Although he was a duke, he didn't have power and didn't have a lot of wealth as other dukes, nor even as marquises, earls, viscounts and barons. In her opinion, wealth should be in correspondence with titles. Lady Kui was vain as many women were.
When she stepped out of the teahouse, the servant, who had addressed her inside the teahouse, came forth, saying, 'His Esquire leave the coach here to take Your Ladyship home.” When she refused, the servant slung himself down on his knees and kowtowed before her, blocking her way to go further. The servant begged, “Have mercy on me, Your Ladyship. If Your Ladyship won't ride home in the coach, His Esquire will think I'm useless and will fire me. I have a family of five to feed. So have pity on me, Your Ladyship.” He kept kowtowing until she conceded. Lady Kui had a heart of gold and didn't want his family to starve. But she asked, “Do you know where I live?”
“Sure.” The servant replied, “Your Ladyship live in Duke Kui's residence.”
So they knew everything about me, she thought. The coachman was holding the door of the coach open for her. The servant crawled on the ground before the coach door, serving as a step stone. Lady Kui stepped on his back and into the coach, helped by her maid, who followed in. The coachman shut the door. The servant rode with the coachman in the front. The coach rumbled forward. Lady Kui sat back comfortably and closed her eyes. The maid sat at her side with only half of her buttocks on the seat. Generally a maid could not sit with her mistress, but she could not stand in the coach, either. So this was a posture adopted by the inferiors before their superiors when they were asked to sit or had to sit on certain occasions.
When Lady Kui felt the coach halted, she opened her eyes, but it was not her home. The servant came to open the door. Lady Kui asked, “Where is this?” The servant replied, “Your Ladyship will know when Your Ladyship go in.” Lady Kui was curious to know and went in, followed by her maid. Esquire Zaizhen was there to welcome her. She couldn't reject his courtship and they slept together that night. Thus, Lady Kui became a concubine of Esquire Zaizhen.

[xlwoo]

Duke Kui waited eagerly for the return of his wife the whole day and the whole night, but to no avail. It had never happened like this before. He knew that something was wrong with his wife. Next day, he reported to the yamen that his wife was missing. The wife of a duke was not like a wife of an ordinary person. So the yamen made it a missing-person case. But for three months no trace of his wife's whereabouts was detected. It seemed as if his wife just evaporated like a wisp of steam.
Just as Duke Kui was about to give her up as dead, she was seen in a theater together with Esquire Zaizhen. They were seen by a patrol officer, who knew both Lady Kui and Esquire Zaizhen. The patrol officer didn't dare to report to the yamen. He didn't want to make such an enemy like Esquire Zaizhen. But it was not good to the yamen if the missing-person case could not be closed. So next day he went to see Esquire Zaizhen. Of course, he couldn't see Esquire Zaizhen himself. The head servant received him. He discussed with the head servant how to close the case without making a ripple into a billow.
Now Esquire Zaizhen was afraid that he would get into a big trouble if his father learned it. He suggested to Lady Kui that she should go home to settle it with her husband and then come back.
“You want to get rid of me?” She flared up. “Not so easy.”
“No. I need you. You know that.” Zaizhen reassured her. Lady Kui thought that she could not always hide like a criminal wanted. They made a plan. Esquire Zaizhen promised to get her husband a good position as a condition to the settlement. He gave her a thousand taels in a silver note. So Lady Kui returned to her former home next day to the surprise of everyone in Duke Kui's residence. To them she seemed suddenly descended from Heaven like a fairy god-mother. Lady Kui went to the bedroom and Duke Kui followed in and shut the door behind him.

[xlwoo]

Duke Kui waited eagerly for the return of his wife the whole day and the whole night, but to no avail. It had never happened like this before. He knew that something was wrong with his wife. Next day, he reported to the yamen that his wife was missing. The wife of a duke was not like a wife of an ordinary person. So the yamen made it a missing-person case. But for three months no trace of his wife's whereabouts was detected. It seemed as if his wife just evaporated like a wisp of steam.
Just as Duke Kui was about to give her up as dead, she was seen in a theater together with Esquire Zaizhen. They were seen by a patrol officer, who knew both Lady Kui and Esquire Zaizhen. The patrol officer didn't dare to report to the yamen. He didn't want to make such an enemy like Esquire Zaizhen. But it was not good to the yamen if the missing-person case could not be closed. So next day he went to see Esquire Zaizhen. Of course, he couldn't see Esquire Zaizhen himself. The head servant received him. He discussed with the head servant how to close the case without making a ripple into a billow.
Now Esquire Zaizhen was afraid that he would get into a big trouble if his father learned it. He suggested to Lady Kui that she should go home to settle it with her husband and then come back.
“You want to get rid of me?” She flared up. “Not so easy.”
“No. I need you. You know that.” Zaizhen reassured her. Lady Kui thought that she could not always hide like a criminal wanted. They made a plan. Esquire Zaizhen promised to get her husband a good position as a condition to the settlement. He gave her a thousand taels in a silver note. So Lady Kui returned to her former home next day to the surprise of everyone in Duke Kui's residence. To them she seemed suddenly descended from Heaven like a fairy god-mother. Lady Kui went to the bedroom and Duke Kui followed in and shut the door behind him.

[xlwoo]

“Where were you all the time? I am so worried.” said the husband.
“It's all your fault. I was confined by someone.” The wife complained.
“Who is that someone” ?Duke Kui wanted to know who was so bold to kidnap a duke's wife.
“Someone powerful. We are no match for him.”
“You can at least tell me who he is. I'm not to sue him or what.”
“He's Esquire Zaizhen.” That was their plan to tell the husband the truth.
“Son of Prince Yixin?” The husband couldn't believe his ears and desired to make double sure.
“Who else would be so bold to confine me?”
“Why did he do that to you?” That was the reasonable question.
”Now tell me, you want to go to jail or you want to be a high-rank official.”
“What all that means?” The husband was not so dumb as he seemed to be. Only he was chicken-hearted.
“He's known all you did, the two illegal things, I mean. He has all the evidence gathered.”
“So, what he want? Blackmailing always has a purpose.”
“He wants me. If you let him have me, he'll get a position for you. And here'd a thousand taels.” She took out the silver note and handed it to her husband. “If you don't, he'll give the evidence to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management.” Duke Kui knew that his wife never loved him and that during the three months she had lived with Esquire Zaizhen, they had had adultery for sure. He couldn't really take back a wife that had had sex with another man, whoever he was. So the best way to settle it was to let her go and get the money and the position for the exchange. Lady Kui knew her husband so well that the result was predictable. She didn't really tell Esquire Zaizhen the illegal things her husband had done. She just used them as a trick. Duke Kui sent a report to the yamen to withdraw his case for the reason that his wife was back.
Duke Kui had a younger brother (referred to as Brother Kui hereafter), who was a gambler and a villain, capable of anything. A gambler always needs money. So Brother Kui often went to see Duke Kui for money. When Duke Kui didn't have any cash to give him, he would take whatever he could lay hands on in Duke Kui's house and sold them for money. He was really a headache to Duke Kui.

[xlwoo]

“Where were you all the time? I am so worried.” said the husband.
“It's all your fault. I was confined by someone.” The wife complained.
“Who is that someone” ?Duke Kui wanted to know who was so bold to kidnap a duke's wife.
“Someone powerful. We are no match for him.”
“You can at least tell me who he is. I'm not to sue him or what.”
“He's Esquire Zaizhen.” That was their plan to tell the husband the truth.
“Son of Prince Yixin?” The husband couldn't believe his ears and desired to make double sure.
“Who else would be so bold to confine me?”
“Why did he do that to you?” That was the reasonable question.
”Now tell me, you want to go to jail or you want to be a high-rank official.”
“What all that means?” The husband was not so dumb as he seemed to be. Only he was chicken-hearted.
“He's known all you did, the two illegal things, I mean. He has all the evidence gathered.”
“So, what he want? Blackmailing always has a purpose.”
“He wants me. If you let him have me, he'll get a position for you. And here'd a thousand taels.” She took out the silver note and handed it to her husband. “If you don't, he'll give the evidence to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management.” Duke Kui knew that his wife never loved him and that during the three months she had lived with Esquire Zaizhen, they had had adultery for sure. He couldn't really take back a wife that had had sex with another man, whoever he was. So the best way to settle it was to let her go and get the money and the position for the exchange. Lady Kui knew her husband so well that the result was predictable. She didn't really tell Esquire Zaizhen the illegal things her husband had done. She just used them as a trick. Duke Kui sent a report to the yamen to withdraw his case for the reason that his wife was back.
Duke Kui had a younger brother (referred to as Brother Kui hereafter), who was a gambler and a villain, capable of anything. A gambler always needs money. So Brother Kui often went to see Duke Kui for money. When Duke Kui didn't have any cash to give him, he would take whatever he could lay hands on in Duke Kui's house and sold them for money. He was really a headache to Duke Kui.

[xlwoo]

Brother Kui thought it as an insult. He wanted to revenge and to get more money out of the event. First he went to see a doctor and asked the doctor to write him a certificate about his wounds for the possible future use when needed. Then he asked someone to write a statement for him about everything that occurred so far, including what had happened to Lady Kui. He took the statement to the residence of Yixin. The butler received him and accepted his statement. When Brother Kui left, the butler read the statement and was frightened. He didn't dare to report to Yixin. He sent it to Esquire Zaizhen, who just put it aside and forgot about it.
Brother Kui waited for half a month. When he realized that no one would come to settle things with him, he had another statement written and took it to the head of the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management. The head gave the statement to Yixin, who got furious and told the butler to find his son. Esquire Zaizhen had to come to see his father. He knelt before his father, who enumerated his wrong-doings. Then Yixin told the butler to take his son to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management. It meant that he wanted to punish his son by law. This was very serious. There would be a bad record about the son's behavior. So the butler begged Yixin to spare his son this time. But Yixin insisted. All the household came to beseech on their knees, even the wife of Esquire Zaizhen, the daughter-in-law of Yixin. She should have been jealous and let her husband be punished. But she was a kind woman and a nice wife. So Yixin softened a little. The butler, who had worked in the family when Yixin had been young, seized the opportunity and said that if his son was taken to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management, West Empress Dowager would surely know it and would be angry, which was not good to her health. She was not completely recovered yet. Then he suggested that the son could be confined in his study till he mended his ways in his behavior. Yixin agreed to his measure, but added that the windows secured from outside and the door locked from outside too.

[xlwoo]

Brother Kui thought it as an insult. He wanted to revenge and to get more money out of the event. First he went to see a doctor and asked the doctor to write him a certificate about his wounds for the possible future use when needed. Then he asked someone to write a statement for him about everything that occurred so far, including what had happened to Lady Kui. He took the statement to the residence of Yixin. The butler received him and accepted his statement. When Brother Kui left, the butler read the statement and was frightened. He didn't dare to report to Yixin. He sent it to Esquire Zaizhen, who just put it aside and forgot about it.
Brother Kui waited for half a month. When he realized that no one would come to settle things with him, he had another statement written and took it to the head of the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management. The head gave the statement to Yixin, who got furious and told the butler to find his son. Esquire Zaizhen had to come to see his father. He knelt before his father, who enumerated his wrong-doings. Then Yixin told the butler to take his son to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management. It meant that he wanted to punish his son by law. This was very serious. There would be a bad record about the son's behavior. So the butler begged Yixin to spare his son this time. But Yixin insisted. All the household came to beseech on their knees, even the wife of Esquire Zaizhen, the daughter-in-law of Yixin. She should have been jealous and let her husband be punished. But she was a kind woman and a nice wife. So Yixin softened a little. The butler, who had worked in the family when Yixin had been young, seized the opportunity and said that if his son was taken to the Mandarin Clan Affairs Management, West Empress Dowager would surely know it and would be angry, which was not good to her health. She was not completely recovered yet. Then he suggested that the son could be confined in his study till he mended his ways in his behavior. Yixin agreed to his measure, but added that the windows secured from outside and the door locked from outside too.

[xlwoo]

The butler often went to see the son, who wanted the butler to let him out. The butler wouldn't comply for fear that Yixin would take stricter measures. He advised the son that if he could send Lady Kui back home to her husband, his father might go easy on him. The son was eager to get out. He wrote a letter to Lady Kui without a second thought. The letter said that it was better for both of them that she should return home to her husband for the time being and when he got out she could come back to him and that they could find some place secluded to live together, forever and ever. The butler took the letter to Lady Kui and advised her to follow what Esquire Zaizhen had said in the letter, adding that Prince Yixin would never agree to their relationship since it involved Duke Kui.
Now Lady Kui found herself between the devil and the deep sea. How could she go back to her husband since they had the settlement? She could never do that. She had nowhere to go except to the god of Hell. Next day when the maid entered her bedroom, she gave out a loud shriek. The guards and servants rushed in to see what the matter was. Lady Kui hanged herself. They reported to the butler, who didn't dare to let Yixin know. The butler wanted to settle it secretly. He went to see Duke Kui and told him that his wife had hanged herself. Duke Kui was stunned by the unexpected sad news, but a while later he said, “It's the best way for everybody.” They negotiated. The butler promised to take care of everything about Lady Kui's funeral and burial. Then he gave the husband ten thousand taels of silver as hush money. Some close friend who knew it joked with him that he sold his wife's body, which was worth ten thousand taels.

[xlwoo]

The butler often went to see the son, who wanted the butler to let him out. The butler wouldn't comply for fear that Yixin would take stricter measures. He advised the son that if he could send Lady Kui back home to her husband, his father might go easy on him. The son was eager to get out. He wrote a letter to Lady Kui without a second thought. The letter said that it was better for both of them that she should return home to her husband for the time being and when he got out she could come back to him and that they could find some place secluded to live together, forever and ever. The butler took the letter to Lady Kui and advised her to follow what Esquire Zaizhen had said in the letter, adding that Prince Yixin would never agree to their relationship since it involved Duke Kui.
Now Lady Kui found herself between the devil and the deep sea. How could she go back to her husband since they had the settlement? She could never do that. She had nowhere to go except to the god of Hell. Next day when the maid entered her bedroom, she gave out a loud shriek. The guards and servants rushed in to see what the matter was. Lady Kui hanged herself. They reported to the butler, who didn't dare to let Yixin know. The butler wanted to settle it secretly. He went to see Duke Kui and told him that his wife had hanged herself. Duke Kui was stunned by the unexpected sad news, but a while later he said, “It's the best way for everybody.” They negotiated. The butler promised to take care of everything about Lady Kui's funeral and burial. Then he gave the husband ten thousand taels of silver as hush money. Some close friend who knew it joked with him that he sold his wife's body, which was worth ten thousand taels.