Original Text
Old Man Bai was a native of Zhili. His eldest son, Bai Jia, had gone south to take up an official post and had not been heard from for three years. It happened that a certain Ding, who was distantly related to the family, came to visit, and Old Man Bai entertained him warmly. Ding had always been able to serve as a messenger in the underworld. During their conversation, Old Man Bai asked him about matters in the netherworld, but Ding's answers were absurd and fantastical. Old Man Bai did not really believe him and merely smiled faintly.
A few days after their parting, Old Man Bai was lying in bed when he saw Ding come again, inviting him to go on an outing together. Old Man Bai followed him, and they entered a city. After a while, Ding pointed to a gate and said, "This is the home of your nephew." At that time, the son of Old Man Bai's sister was serving as a county magistrate in Shanxi, so he exclaimed in surprise, "How could he be here?" Ding said, "If you do not believe me, go in and you will see." Old Man Bai entered and indeed saw his nephew, dressed in official robes and cap, seated in the hall, with guards holding halberds and banners arrayed on both sides, but no one went forward to announce him. Ding pulled Old Man Bai out and said, "Your son's yamen is not far from here; would you also like to see it?" Old Man Bai agreed. Shortly, they arrived at a mansion, and Ding said, "Go in." Peering through the gate, he saw a large wolf blocking the path; Old Man Bai was terrified and dared not enter. Ding said again, "Go in." Passing through another gate, he saw wolves sitting and lying both above and below the hall. Moreover, he saw white bones piled like a mountain on the steps, which made him even more fearful. Ding shielded Old Man Bai with his body and moved forward. At that moment, Old Man Bai's son, Bai Jia, came out from within; seeing his father and Ding, he was overjoyed. After sitting for a while, he called for his attendants to prepare a feast. Suddenly, a large wolf dragged in a dead man. Old Man Bai stood up in fright and said, "What is this for?" Bai Jia replied, "To make a dish." Old Man Bai hastily stopped him. His heart was filled with unease, and he wished to take his leave, but the pack of wolves blocked the way. Just as he was hesitating whether to advance or retreat, he suddenly saw the wolves howling and scattering in all directions, some scurrying under the bed, others crouching beneath the table. Old Man Bai was greatly astonished, not knowing the reason, when shortly two fierce warriors in golden armor burst in with angry glares, produced a black rope, and bound Bai Jia. Bai Jia fell to the ground and turned into a tiger with sharp fangs. One warrior drew his sword to cut off the tiger's head. The other warrior said, "Hold, hold; killing it is a matter for the fourth month of next year; better first knock out its teeth." So he took a large hammer and struck the tiger's teeth, which fell to the ground. The tiger roared in agony, its voice shaking the mountains. Old Man Bai was terrified and suddenly awoke, realizing it was a dream, and felt very strange. He sent someone to summon Ding, but Ding declined to come.
Old Man Bai wrote down this dream in a letter and sent his second son to deliver it to Bai Jia, urging him with all manner of admonitions. When the second son arrived at Bai Jia's place, he saw that his elder brother's front teeth were all missing, and asked in alarm; it turned out he had fallen from his horse while drunk and knocked them out. Calculating the time, it was exactly the day of their father's dream, and the younger brother was even more horrified. He produced the letter from their father, and Bai Jia's face changed color as he read it, but after a moment he said, "This is merely a coincidence between dream and reality; there is no need for such alarm." At that time, Bai Jia had just bribed those in power and was being recommended for promotion ahead of others, so he paid no heed to the strange dream. The younger brother stayed for a few days and saw that the entire yamen was filled with corrupt clerks and runners, and that those who offered bribes and sought favors came and went until midnight; he wept and urged his brother to reform. Bai Jia said, "You, brother, live daily in a thatched hut, so you do not understand the secrets of officialdom. The power to decide promotions and demotions lies with the superiors, not the common people. If a superior likes you, you are a good official; if you merely love the people, what can you do to make the superior like you?" Knowing that remonstrance was useless, the younger brother returned home and told their father of Bai Jia's condition. Old Man Bai wept bitterly upon hearing this, but there was nothing he could do; he only used his own family wealth to relieve the poor and prayed daily to the gods, begging that Heaven's retribution upon his unfilial son would not extend to his wife and children. The following year, someone came to report that Bai Jia, through another's recommendation, had become a minister in the Board of Civil Office; well-wishers filled the house, but Old Man Bai only sighed incessantly, feigned illness, and refused to see guests. Soon after, news arrived that Bai Jia had encountered bandits on his journey home and that both master and servant had perished. Only then did Old Man Bai rise and say to his family, "The anger of the gods and spirits has been visited upon him alone; their protection of our household has not been slight." He then burned incense in gratitude. Those who came to console Old Man Bai all said the news was a false rumor, but he alone believed it firmly and set a day to prepare Bai Jia's burial. Yet Bai Jia was indeed not dead.
Earlier, in the fourth month, Bai Jia had resigned his post and was traveling to the capital. He had just left the county borders when he encountered bandits. Bai Jia offered up all the valuables he had with him. The bandits said, "We have come to avenge the grievances of the entire county's people. Do you think we are here merely for your money?" With that, they cut off his head. They then asked the servants accompanying Bai Jia, "Which one is Si Dacheng?" Si Dacheng was Bai Jia's trusted confidant, a man who aided the tyrant in his evil deeds. The servants all pointed him out, and the bandits killed Si Dacheng as well. There were also four corrupt clerks and officials who had oppressed the people, helping Bai Jia extort wealth. Bai Jia had intended to take them to the capital. The bandits searched them out and killed them all. Only then did they pack the valuables Bai Jia had offered into bags and gallop away. Bai Jia's soul lay prostrate by the roadside, where he saw an official who looked like a county magistrate approaching. The official asked, "Who is this that has been killed?" The outrider ahead replied, "This is the County Magistrate Bai of such-and-such a county." The official said, "He is the son of Old Man Bai. We should not let the old man see such a gruesome sight. His head should be reattached." Then a man picked up Bai Jia's head and placed it on his neck, saying, "Let the head of a wicked man not be set straight; let it lean sideways on his shoulder." After finishing, the man departed. After some time, Bai Jia revived. His wife came to collect the body and, seeing he still had a breath of life, had him transported back. Slowly, they fed him water, which he could drink, but he could only lodge in an inn, too poor to return home. After more than half a year, Old Man Bai finally received reliable news and sent his second son to bring him back. Although Bai Jia had come back from the dead, his head was twisted to one side, and his eyes could see his own back. People no longer regarded him as a human being. The son of Old Man Bai's sister was an incorruptible official and was appointed a censor that year. All of this matched Old Man Bai's dream.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: I privately lament that throughout the world, officials are like tigers and their underlings like wolves—such cases are found everywhere. Even if an official is not like a tiger, those petty clerks are still as vicious as jackals, and how much more so when some are even fiercer than tigers! The only fear is that men do not reflect on their own future circumstances; if one could, like Bai Jia, awaken to see his own back, then the admonition of ghosts and spirits toward humanity would indeed be subtle and profound!
Li Kuangjiu, a jinshi from Zouping County, served as an official with great integrity and uprightness. Once, a wealthy man was falsely accused, and the gatekeeper yamen runner frightened him, saying, "The magistrate demands you pay two hundred taels of silver; you must prepare it quickly, or else you will surely lose the lawsuit." The wealthy man, terrified, agreed to pay half the amount, but the runner shook his hand and refused. The wealthy man pleaded earnestly, and the runner said, "It is not that I am unwilling to exert myself, but I fear the magistrate will not agree. When the trial begins, you may see with your own eyes as I plead your case; observe whether the magistrate permits it, and you will know I have no ulterior motives." Shortly after, the magistrate interrogated the case. Knowing that Magistrate Li had quit smoking, the runner approached and asked, "Do you wish to smoke, Your Honor?" Li shook his head. The runner then went down and said to the wealthy man, "I just mentioned the amount of silver you offered, and the magistrate shook his head, indicating refusal. Did you see?" The wealthy man believed him, grew even more frightened, and agreed to pay the full sum. The runner also knew that Magistrate Li enjoyed tea, so he approached and asked, "Do you wish to drink tea, Your Honor?" The magistrate nodded. The runner, pretending to brew tea, hurried down and said, "It is settled! Just now he nodded—did you see?" Soon the case was concluded, and the wealthy man was acquitted and released. The runner then collected the money from the wealthy man and even demanded a gratuity. Alas! The official considered himself incorruptible, yet the streets were full of people cursing him as a corrupt official—this is the result of indulging wolf-like runners without realizing it. In the world, there are many officials like this, and this story may serve as a warning for those in office.
Furthermore, Magistrate Yang was a man of fierce and upright temperament; anyone who offended him was sure to die. He particularly detested those unruly underlings, and would not forgive even the slightest misstep. Whenever he sat majestically in the courtroom, none of the minor officials dared to cough. If any of these underlings offered advice, he would deliberately do the opposite. It happened that a man from the city had committed a grave crime and feared the death penalty. One of the underlings demanded a large bribe from him, promising to intercede on his behalf. The city man did not believe him and said, "If it can be done, why should I begrudge the reward?" So he made a pact with the underling. Soon after, Magistrate Yang tried the case. The city man refused to confess. The underling shouted harshly from the side, "Why not confess quickly? The magistrate will torture you to death!" Yang said angrily, "How do you know I will certainly torture him? It must be that his bribe has not yet reached your hands." Thereupon he punished the underling and released the city man. Afterwards, the city man rewarded the underling with a hundred pieces of gold. Know that the cunning of such wolves and jackals is manifold; if one loses vigilance even slightly, one falls into their snare and is used by them. Such men are not merely those who devour people in the countryside with their claws and fangs. They corrupt our hidden virtue, and can even ruin one's reputation and destroy one's family. One wonders what the magistrate had in mind, that he would feed his own child to these cruel beasts!
Commentary
This story consists of one main tale and two appended sections. Through allegory, it exposes the social reality of officials acting as tigers and clerks as wolves during the Ming and Qing dynasties, aiming to reform the state of officialdom through earnest admonition and the terror of karmic retribution. The appended sections supplement this, illustrating that even if officials do not act as tigers, clerks will still become wolves. The most striking dialogue occurs when Bai’s younger brother tearfully urges him to change his ways and cease corruption; Bai reveals the deepest hidden psychology of corrupt officials: "The power of promotion and demotion lies with the higher authorities, not with the common people. If the higher authorities are pleased, one is a good official; how can loving the people ever please the higher authorities?" The nature of officialdom dictates that officials must be accountable to those who appoint them. That officials are not elected by the people but selected by their superiors is the fundamental reason why, despite earnest teachings, threats of retribution, and harsh laws throughout history and across nations, corrupt officials continue to emerge in droves, becoming a chronic national ailment. On this, former U.S. President George W. Bush delivered a stirring speech: "In the thousands of years of human history, the most precious thing is not dazzling technology, not the vast masterpieces of great thinkers, not the glib speeches of politicians, but the realization of taming rulers, the dream of locking them in a cage. For only by taming them and locking them up can they be prevented from harming others. I am now standing in a cage speaking to you." Countless practices have proven that if a nation wishes to make officials public servants, accountable to the people and incorruptible, the most important thing is to cage power. Politically, this story hits the nail on the head with refreshing clarity. As a piece of fiction, however, it tends toward conceptualization and schematism.