Original Text
Scholar Liu once told this story: In Jining there lived a wild scholar who was exceedingly fond of wine. Even though his household was very poor, whenever he obtained any money he would immediately spend it on drink, paying no heed whatsoever to his poverty. At that time, a new prefect had just taken office; he too was a heavy drinker but had no companion to match him in carousing. Hearing that the wild scholar was a great drinker, the prefect summoned him to drink together and took a great liking to him, often inviting him for conversation and feasts. Relying on his close relationship with the prefect, whenever minor disputes arose and people sought his help in lawsuits, the wild scholar would accept small bribes and plead their cases before the prefect, who always granted his requests. Gradually, the wild scholar grew accustomed to this, but the prefect began to feel disgusted with him. One day, during the morning session at the yamen, the wild scholar entered the hall holding a plea card. The prefect glanced at it and smiled faintly. Seeing this, the wild scholar shouted harshly, "If you agree to my request, then agree; if not, then let it be. Why do you laugh! I have heard that a scholar may be killed but not humiliated. For other matters, there is no way to retaliate, but can I not retaliate against a laugh?" With that, he burst into loud laughter, shaking the four walls. The prefect angrily said, "How dare you be so insolent! Have you not heard of a magistrate who can annihilate a whole clan?" The wild scholar swaggered down from the hall, shouting loudly, "I have no clan to annihilate!" The prefect, even more enraged, had him arrested. Upon investigating his dwelling, they found he had no fields or houses, merely living with his wife on the city wall. Hearing this, the prefect released him but ordered that he no longer be allowed to dwell on the city wall. A friend, pitying his wildness, bought him a small plot of land and a tiny room. Moving into this small room, the wild scholar sighed, "From now on, I fear the magistrate!"
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: A cultivated scholar adheres to the laws of the state and observes the rites, daring not to openly plunder in the marketplace, and the officials can do nothing against him! Yet, those who hold a grudge against him may still exact revenge, simply because he has a household to target; but when his household is utterly destroyed, then those he has offended can no longer retaliate against him. Alas! This is what is meant by 'the proud poverty of the lowly'! Only a cultivated gentleman, though poor, does not lightly seek favors; this man, however, due to the burdens of life, clamored in the court, his character truly base. Even so, his arrogance was beyond the reach of ordinary men.
Commentary
A certain reckless scholar was arrested and humiliated, and while it is true that his "incessant clamor in the court hall had lowered his character" was somewhat self-inflicted, the reason why the "magistrate who could annihilate a family" could so widely practice his ways and inspire such terror was less due to the magistrate's personal cruelty and venom, and more due to a system that granted officials excessive power and the government excessive authority. If governmental power were confined within a cage, the magistrate's desire for revenge would not result in "no family left to destroy," but rather in having no means to employ his schemes at all.
In Ming Feng Menglong's "Stories to Awaken the World" there is a tale called "Scholar Lu's Poetry and Wine Defied Nobility," which also tells of how "a county magistrate can always ruin a family," bearing resemblance to this story and may be consulted for comparison.