Original Text
In ancient times, there lived in the city of Zhuge a man named Shang Shiyu, a scholar. One day, after drinking too much wine, he made some jesting remarks that angered a local tyrant, who ordered his servants to beat him severely. He was carried home and soon died. Shang Shiyu had two sons, the elder named Shang Chen and the younger Shang Li, and a daughter named Shang Sanguan, only sixteen years old. Her wedding day had long been set, but due to her father's sudden death, the marriage was delayed. Her two brothers pursued the case in court, but after a year, it remained unresolved. The family of Sanguan's betrothed sent someone to discuss with her mother, suggesting that in light of the circumstances, they should adapt and proceed with the wedding first. Her mother was inclined to agree. However, Sanguan stepped forward and said to her mother, "Is there any principle in the world where a daughter holds her wedding while her father's corpse is still warm? Does that family have no parents of their own?" Hearing this, the betrothed's family felt deeply ashamed and abandoned their plan. Soon after, Sanguan's two brothers lost their lawsuit and returned home full of grievance, plunging the whole family into grief and indignation. The brothers proposed to keep their father's body unburied as evidence for a renewed appeal to the authorities. Sanguan said, "If a murder goes unpunished, one can well imagine the state of the world. Will Heaven produce a Judge Bao just for you brothers? To leave our father's bones exposed is unbearable to our hearts!" The brothers found her words reasonable and thus buried their father. Shortly after the funeral, Sanguan disappeared one night, and no one knew where she had gone. Her mother was both anxious and ashamed, fearing that the betrothed's family would learn of this, so she dared not tell the clan or relatives, only secretly instructing her two sons to search for Sanguan's whereabouts.
After about half a year had passed, Sanguan remained without any trace or news. One day, it happened to be the birthday of the wealthy bully who had caused the death of Sanguan's father. To celebrate his longevity, the bully invited many performers to provide entertainment. The actor Sun Chun arrived with his two disciples. One disciple, named Wang Cheng, though ordinary in appearance, sang with perfect enunciation and tone, winning thunderous applause from the audience. The other disciple, named Li Yu, was exceptionally handsome, as beautiful as a maiden. When the guests asked him to perform, he declined, claiming he was not familiar with the plays. When pressed to sing, his songs were mixed with many vulgar ditties of young boys and girls, causing the guests to clap and laugh in delight. His master, Sun Chun, was deeply ashamed and explained to the host, "This disciple of mine has not studied acting for long; he has only learned a few toasting rituals. Please do not blame him." So the bully ordered Li Yu to serve wine to the guests. Li Yu moved among the guests, holding a cup and urging them to drink, adept at reading the host's expressions, which greatly pleased the bully. After the feast ended and the guests dispersed, the bully kept Li Yu behind to share his bed. Li Yu attentively made the bed, spread the covers, loosened the bully's clothes, and removed his shoes, serving him with exceptional care. The bully, drunk and lewd, spoke dirty words to tease him, but Li Yu only smiled gently and showed no anger. The bully grew increasingly fond of Li Yu, completely captivated by him. So he dismissed all the servants, leaving only Li Yu to accompany him. When Li Yu saw that the servants had all left, he closed the door and bolted it from the inside. The servants, having left their master, went to another room to drink and chat.
After a short while, a grating sound came from the master's chamber. A servant hurried over to investigate, finding the room pitch black and utterly silent. As he turned to leave, a sudden loud crash rang out, like the snapping of a rope bearing a heavy weight. The servant called out loudly, but received no answer. He quickly summoned the others, who broke down the door and rushed in, only to find the master already decapitated, his head severed from his body. Li Yu had hanged himself, but the rope had broken, and he lay fallen on the ground, with a fragment of the noose still dangling from the beam around his neck. The crowd was horrified and immediately reported the matter to the master's inner household. The entire family, masters and servants alike, gathered at the scene, utterly baffled as to what had transpired. When they carried Li Yu's corpse into the courtyard, they noticed his shoes and socks felt hollow and empty, as if there were no feet inside. Upon removing them, they discovered a pair of three-inch golden lotuses clad in white mourning shoes—Li Yu was actually a woman! The crowd was even more astounded. They hastily summoned Li Yu's master, Sun Chun, and interrogated him sternly. Sun Chun, terrified by the events unfolding before him, could not answer the barrage of questions and could only say, "Li Yu came to me as a disciple a month ago, willing to follow me to offer birthday felicitations to the master. I truly do not know where she came from." Because she wore mourning garments, suspicions arose that she was an assassin sent by the Shang Shiyu family. The wealthy household temporarily assigned two servants to guard her corpse. These two men saw that Li Yu's face still bore a lifelike vitality, and when they touched her body, it was warm and soft. They secretly plotted to violate the corpse. One of them first embraced the body, turning it over, and was about to unfasten her clothes when suddenly his head was struck by something with great force. Blood gushed from his mouth in torrents, and within moments he breathed his last. The other, terrified by the sight, quickly informed the others, and from then on, the people regarded Li Yu with reverence as a deity. The next day, the wealthy household reported the matter to the authorities. The local magistrate summoned Shang Chen and Shang Li for a detailed interrogation. The two brothers both said, "We know nothing of this. It is only that our younger sister, Shang Sanguan, left home half a year ago and has not been seen since." The magistrate ordered Shang Chen and Shang Li to examine Li Yu's corpse, and indeed, Li Yu was none other than Sanguan. The magistrate, deeply moved by Sanguan's righteous act and filled with sympathy, ruled leniently, ordering the Shang brothers to take Sanguan's body back for a proper burial, and commanding the wealthy household to let the matter rest, not to harbor enmity against the Shang family or seek revenge.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: When there are heroes like the ancient Yu Rang within one's own household yet they remain unrecognized, the character of the Shang brothers as men can well be imagined. Looking upon the conduct of Shang Sanguan, even the chilling waters of the Yi River would be ashamed to cease their flow—how much more so those mediocre souls who drift with the currents of the world! May all women under heaven purchase silk threads to embroider Sanguan's likeness and offer it worship; such merit would be in no way inferior to that of offering veneration to the Lord Guan.
Commentary
This story tells of the maiden Shang Sanguan, whose father was murdered by a powerful and wealthy man. When the authorities failed to deliver justice, she disguised herself as a man, donned male attire, and personally slew her father's enemy. It reflects from one angle the darkness of Ming and Qing dynasty judicial governance and the low social status of entertainers. Pu Songling greatly admired Shang Sanguan's actions, declaring that "even the hero of the Xiao River would feel ashamed and cease to flow." He also incorporated this tale into his Liaozhai folk song "The Cold Forest Melody." Wang Yuyang also appreciated the story of "Shang Sanguan," and after reading it, remarked, "Pang E and Xie Xiao'e now have a third to form a triad."
Before Shang Sanguan changed her clothes and left home, the story primarily reveals her filial piety, decisiveness, composure, and rationality through her own words, contrasting her with her elder brothers. After Shang Sanguan disguised herself as a female entertainer and infiltrated the powerful and wealthy household, the narrative shifts to indirect depiction through others' observations, recalling the unusual behavior of the entertainer Li Yu to showcase Shang Sanguan's meticulous planning and calm, resolute character.