Hao Qiu Zhuan/en/Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Risking One's Life to Save Another: Recognizing a True Hero
Modern English translation by Martin Woesler (2025)
To the tune of "Butterfly Loves the Flower":
Eyes of flesh see nothing; men of flesh are base. A hero in the dust and grime They reckon no better than a worn-out nag. If not bound hand and foot by empty scruples, Then hounded to death by niggling statutes.
He resigns himself: his extraordinary talents end here — But lo, upon the scaffold's edge, He meets, against all hope, a kindred soul! His purpose vindicated on the frontier, a great deed done — Only then do men see that affairs of state can truly work like this.
Now we tell that the Three Judicial Offices — the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate — having received the imperial decree, promptly set a date for the joint hearing and had Hou Xiao brought from prison. It happened that on this very day, young Master Tie had come to the capital on business and was paying his respects at home.
"What public business has taken Father out so early?" he asked.
His mother, Lady Shi, replied: "He has gone to try a general who lost a strategic advantage and is condemned to die. The case has already been heard once before. Now, by imperial decree, the execution is to serve as an example, and they dared not delay — he left at first light."
Tie Zhongyu said: "I have heard that the frontier has been in a state of alarm for days, and this is precisely the moment when men of ability are needed most. Why would they execute a general at such a time? I fear Father may not have thought this through. Let me go and have a look."
Lady Shi said: "Go and see, by all means — but this is a matter of state, so mind you do not interfere."
Tie Zhongyu assented, and calling for a senior retainer to guide him, he went to the hall of the Three Judicial Offices. There he saw the general, Hou Xiao, already sentenced to death by imperial decree for losing a strategic position. He had been bound and brought out, and they were waiting only for the stroke of noon to carry out the execution.
Tie Zhongyu pushed through the crowd to get a closer look at the condemned man. He saw a man of no more than thirty, with a panther's head, round, piercing eyes, a swallow's jaw, and a tiger's whiskers — a figure of formidable martial bearing. He was struck with silent awe: "This is a man of military genius! How has he come to this?"
He stepped forward and said: "I see you are a man of commanding and majestic presence, plainly a hero among men. How is it that you could not fight your way through and lost the day?"
Hearing himself accused of being unable to fight, Hou Xiao roared like thunder: "A true man looks upon death as a homecoming! If it is my time to die, then let them kill me — that is no great matter. But I, Hou Xiao, have the strength of a thousand jin in these two arms and eighteen kinds of martial skill in this body! How dare you say I could not fight, that I lost anything?"
"If you did not fail, how have you incurred so grave a sentence? Pray tell me the full story."
"Bah — what is the use of telling it now?" said Hou Xiao.
"Very well, say no more about the past. But now, with the frontier in desperate need, are you still capable of fighting?"
"To cut down an enemy general and seize his standard — that is my trade. What should I not be capable of?"
Tie Zhongyu, hearing this, asked no further questions. In a surge of fury he charged straight up onto the dais of the Three Judicial Offices and cried in a ringing voice: "The three honorable ministers are among the most senior officials of the realm, charged with serving the state in truth. How is it that at this critical hour, when the frontier is in peril and the empire has no men, you follow dead letters and hollow precedent to kill a great general? The harm to the nation is not small! I ask you — is this for the public good, or for private interest? I cannot but hold the three ministers in contempt!"
Now the Vice Minister of Justice, Wang Hong, along with Chen Shan, President of the Court of Judicial Review, and Tie Ying of the Censorate, had drafted the death sentence in obedience to the Academician Guo's memorial, which the Emperor had approved — they dared not openly dispute it. Yet though they had jointly recommended the sentence, they were far from easy in their hearts. When someone suddenly burst in shouting, they felt a complex mixture of alarm, relief, shame, and anger. Looking more closely, they recognized Tie Zhongyu. The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were reluctant to assert their authority, but Censor Tie was the first to slam the bench: "You insolent little beast! This is the Three Judicial Offices of the empire, where the majesty of the sovereign's law reigns supreme! Three great ministers are here by imperial command to judge criminals and pass sentence. What business has a mere scholar bursting in with wild talk? The law knows no family ties — seize him!"
Tie Zhongyu shouted: "Your Lordship is mistaken! At the Court Gate Drum, any subject may speak freely and without reserve. How is it that at this place of life and death, a man cannot even plead for justice?"
Censor Tie said: "What are you to Hou Xiao, that you plead for him?"
"I have never met Hou Xiao in my life — why should I plead for him? I plead for a great general of the empire, because men of such talent are rare."
"The life and death of the empire's generals are the sovereign's business. What concern is it of yours to behave like this? Seize him at once!"
The bailiffs moved forward, but Wang Hong and Chen Shan both waved them off: "Hold! Not yet." They called Tie Zhongyu before the bench and spoke to him gently: "Your ardent devotion, young friend, is not wrong in itself. But the state has its laws, officials have their protocols, and criminal cases have their precedents — one cannot proceed by sheer impetuosity alone. As for Hou Xiao's case: he has been in prison for a year; Vice Minister Shui was exiled on his account; those who denounced his fault and debated his guilt at the time were many. Can the presiding judges now, when the charges stand and the evidence remains, suddenly declare him innocent? Such a thing is unknown in law, in protocol, or in judicial precedent. Even a petition for leniency would not dare presume to reduce a capital sentence on its own authority. How much less, when the Academician's memorial explicitly demanded execution and the Emperor approved it — which of the presiding judges would dare dissent and intercede on his behalf? The situation does not permit it."
Tie Zhongyu listened, then heaved a deep sigh: "What the two ministers have spoken are the words of mediocre officials who cling to their posts, who cherish their salaries and guard their families — not words that could issue from the lips of men whose hearts are truly one with the throne, who treat the affairs of state as their own! If law, protocol, and precedent require nothing more than this, then a mere junior clerk could manage the task perfectly well. Why should great ministers serve as the sovereign's arms and heart? Let me ask: the ancients praised Emperor Yao for saying three times 'Spare him!' and Gao Yao, the judge, for saying three times 'Pardon him!' — what did they mean by that? If affairs of state must truly proceed as Your Lordships describe, then all the sage dialogues between ruler and minister in the age of Yao and Shun were a great deception indeed."
Wang Hong and Chen Shan fell silent. Censor Tie said: "Foolish boy, enough! Hou Xiao's death cannot be averted!"
Tie Zhongyu declared passionately: "Heroes and extraordinary men are born but rarely — how can Your Lordship cast such a man away? If you insist on beheading Hou Xiao, then behead me, Tie Zhongyu, first!"
Censor Tie said: "Hou Xiao lost his position — the evidence is clear. To execute him is to dispose of a worthless nag; what is remarkable about that?"
"Men are not easily known, and knowing men is no easy matter. Hou Xiao's spirit and bearing are like craggy cliffs. Set him to guard the frontier, and he will be a Great Wall of ten thousand miles. Among all the generals and commanders of this age, I doubt there is his equal."
"Granted he has ability — but what of his guilt?"
"Heroes throughout the ages have often been men with offenses to their name. That is precisely why the empire has the provision allowing a man to redeem his guilt through meritorious service."
Wang Hong said: "Using a guilty man requires someone to guarantee him. Do you dare stand surety?"
Tie Zhongyu said: "If Hou Xiao is pardoned and restored to command, and he fails to achieve victory, then take my head, Tie Zhongyu's head, first — as payment for my rash words."
Wang Hong and Chen Shan turned to Censor Tie: "This is a place where all eyes are watching. Since your son is willing to come forward and guarantee the man with his own life, this act of his cannot be concealed. If we refuse absolutely, our only recourse is to memorialize the facts faithfully and request the Emperor's decision."
Censor Tie, finding himself in this impossible position, had no choice but to acquiesce. Wang Hong ordered Hou Xiao brought back and returned to prison, had Tie Zhongyu write out a formal bond of surety on the spot, and then the three ministers composed a joint memorial and submitted it at once.
At this time the frontier was in such desperate need that, with barely a day's interval, the imperial rescript came down:
"The frontier is in urgent need. Since Tie Ying's son Tie Zhongyu so strongly vouches for Hou Xiao's ability to repel the enemy, how could We not be merciful? His former offense is hereby pardoned, and his previous rank provisionally restored. We further bestow upon him one imperial sword. Wherever alarm arises on the frontier, he is to proceed at once with his troops to relieve and defeat the enemy. Should he succeed, special promotion and reward shall follow. Should he fail again, he shall be beheaded and his head displayed at all nine frontier garrisons, as a warning against incompetence. Shui Juyi, who first recommended him, and Tie Zhongyu, who later guaranteed him, shall both be judged together with Hou Xiao according to his success or failure. Alas — let him rectify his fault, that he may be spurred to achievement: this is Our hope. Better to die fighting the enemy than to die by the law. Strive well! By Imperial Decree."
When the decree reached the prison, Hou Xiao rendered thanks for the imperial grace. Upon his release, before attending to any military affairs, he mounted a horse and rode straight to pay his respects and thanks to Tie Zhongyu. When the two men met, it was a case of one hero recognizing another, and their mutual admiration was boundless. Tie Zhongyu invited him to dine, and Hou Xiao did not decline. They spoke of swordsmanship for a while, then discussed military strategy, and drank freely together for the entire day before parting.
The following day, the Ministry of War, pressed by the frontier emergency and the tight deadline, began mobilizing troops while simultaneously urging Hou Xiao to depart. This time Hou Xiao went to the frontier bearing not only the burden of guilt to redeem, but also the imperial sword and personal endorsement. No border commander dared obstruct him, and he was free to exercise his abilities to the full. Within half a year he reported five great victories. The frontier was thoroughly pacified, and the Emperor was greatly pleased, promoting him on the spot to Regional Commander.
Shui Juyi was restored to his former rank of Vice Minister of War and, as the victories continued, was elevated to Minister. Tie Zhongyu was awarded the post of Hanlin Academician in Waiting for his meritorious guarantee, but he submitted a memorial declining the honor, requesting instead to be allowed to sit for the regular metropolitan examinations. Academician Guo, thoroughly shamed, claimed illness and withdrew from public life. As the verse has it:
When first the feud was formed, They thought they held the upper hand. Little did they reckon on the many reversals — By the time regret comes, it comes too late.
Now we tell that when Minister Shui was recalled to the capital by imperial pardon, he traveled with all the pomp of a special envoy — what glory! All the garrison officers and military superiors who had previously done the Academician's bidding and tried to bully him were seized with terror and came crawling to beg forgiveness. But Minister Shui proved himself a man of generous heart and held nothing against them.
Upon reaching the capital and presenting himself to the Emperor, he was shown every honor. He learned how Tie Zhongyu had risked his life before the Three Judicial Offices to save Hou Xiao, enabling his great success; and he recalled how Tie Zhongyu had previously burst into the Marquis of Daxia's pleasure hall to rescue Magistrate Han's wife and daughter. Moved by gratitude and admiration for such chivalry, as soon as he assumed his new office he sent two formal calling cards to pay his respects to Censor Tie and his son. Censor Tie received him, and after brief courtesies Minister Shui asked to meet young Master Tie.
"He is in the Western Hills, studying for the autumn examinations," Censor Tie explained, "and so has not been able to come and pay his respects."
Minister Shui said: "I come not only to thank father and son for their patronage, but because I truly admire your son's many heroic deeds at so young an age, and I long to meet him for my own satisfaction. What a pity that fate denies me this — he is not at home!"
Censor Tie said: "The wild behavior of my unworthy son has earned him an empty reputation. I regard it with constant anxiety and have scolded him for it many times. Your Lordship flatters him far too much — how can he deserve it?"
Minister Shui said: "Your son's chivalry is not recklessness, and his sincerity is not presumption. I admire not merely his name, but the reality behind it — that is why I am so eager to meet him."
"If you would condescend to grant him an audience," said Censor Tie, "I shall send him to call upon you."
"If he would be so kind as to visit," said Minister Shui, "pray let me know beforehand, so that I may sweep my doorstep and await him with due ceremony."
After many more earnest entreaties, he finally took his leave. As the verse has it:
He grooms his steed to show what he admires; He traces the stream upstream, longing for a meeting. Why such earnest eagerness? It is all for that one person's sake.
Now Censor Tie's original inclination was not to encourage his son's social connections. But since Minister Shui had sent calling cards, paid a formal visit, and pressed so insistently to meet the young man, it would be churlish to refuse. He dispatched a servant to the Western Hills to inform Tie Zhongyu and bid him return to the city for a return visit.
When Tie Zhongyu heard the message, he thought to himself: "The Minister's visit is merely out of gratitude that my guarantee of General Hou brought about his own reinstatement. Why must we meet in person?" He told the servant: "Please inform His Lordship my father that since I am committed to reading in the hills, and the capital is a place where great men come and go — how could I keep up with all such engagements? I beg His Lordship to decline all such visits on my behalf."
The servant returned and relayed this. Censor Tie nodded: "There is reason in that." He went himself to return the visit, and upon meeting Minister Shui, offered this excuse: "My son learned of Your Lordship's kind visit and was eager to hasten to your door, but unfortunately he has fallen ill in the hills and cannot fulfil his wish. His offense is deep, and I have come first to offer his apologies. As soon as he can walk, he shall call upon you."
Minister Shui said: "The sages of old permitted men to hear their name but not to see their face — that is precisely your son's way! It only makes my admiration more boundless." With that, Censor Tie took his leave.
Minister Shui pondered privately: "My daughter Bingxin is a girl of outstanding beauty and matchless intelligence. I have long worried that I could not find a worthy husband for her. But looking at this Tie Zhongyu, his every deed and action is truly impressive. Moreover, I hear he is still unmarried, and he has done me a great service. If I let this man pass by without seeking him, it would be a grievous error. But I must see him in person before I can decide — I must know what he looks like." His mind made up, he sent someone to verify quietly that Tie Zhongyu was indeed at the Western Hills studying. The agent confirmed it.
The next morning, Minister Shui rose at the crack of dawn. He dressed in plain clothes, mounted a single horse, and took only three or four close attendants, stealing away quietly to the Western Hills to call upon Tie Zhongyu.
Tie Zhongyu had just finished his morning meal. A servant had come to report that Minister Shui was on his way to visit him, and this had set his mind wandering to Miss Shui. He was lost in thought: "How strange and unpredictable are the affairs of this world! Who could have guessed that my chance rescue of Hou Xiao would turn out as if I had deliberately set out to rescue Minister Shui! If I had never encountered Miss Shui at the county court that day, and now this connection with the Minister had arisen, I might well have asked for his daughter's hand, and he might well have consented. But given what has passed between us, not only can I not approach him — even if he came to propose the match to me, I could not in good conscience accept, for it would wound the moral order. Thinking it through: where there is attachment, it becomes detachment; where there is gratitude, it becomes estrangement; where there is fate, it becomes separation. Why must heaven be so perverse?"
While he was thus brooding, an elderly man with a long beard, wearing a plain cap and an informal robe, strode into the hall. Coming face to face with him, the visitor called out: "Brother Tie! How hard it has been to meet you! You have nearly worried me to death with longing!"
Caught off guard and not knowing who this was, Tie Zhongyu answered casually: "My face, I am told, is rather cold. If you have been longing for me, sir, it must be because we have never met. Now that we have met, I suspect the longing will soon pass." He came down from his seat and bowed.
The old man returned the bow, then seized Tie Zhongyu's hands and studied him carefully: "Before meeting you, Brother Tie, my longing was only imaginary. Now that I see you, the longing becomes real! The moment I returned to the capital, I went to pay my respects, but had the misfortune of meeting only your honored father without seeing you face to face — I went home bitterly disappointed. Later your father promised me an interview, but you, guarding the white colt of your time most preciously, would not condescend to visit. In desperation, I have stolen here privately. Pray do not blame me for the intrusion."
Tie Zhongyu exclaimed in surprise: "Then you must be Minister Shui!"
"I am indeed — Shui Juyi." He had his attendants present his calling card.
Tie Zhongyu said: "I am a young man and a junior scholar who, on a passing impulse of sympathy for a man of talent, did nothing that could be called sweeping the clouds from the blue sky. How can I deserve such ceremonious attention from Your Lordship?"
Minister Shui said: "I come not to thank you for advancing my career — a matter of one man and one office. I come because I marvel at your youthful discernment, your burning heart, your heroic courage — you are a hero such as our age rarely produces. I wished simply to make your acquaintance."
Tie Zhongyu bowed repeatedly: "I see now that Your Lordship is a man of boundless spirit, with a vision that belongs to another age. I spoke thoughtlessly — forgive me." He invited the Minister to sit, and hastily ordered wine and a meal prepared. The two sat down to drink together in simple fashion.
Minister Shui had come with the express intention of assessing the young man's qualities, and so he questioned him with close attention. Tie Zhongyu, for his part, felt that the Minister's journey to this remote place and his generous, unceremonious manner marked him as a kindred spirit, and so he spoke from the heart. They discussed the classics and literature, then the strategies of Sunzi and Wu Qi; when they spoke of the moral bonds, they touched the living marrow of the Confucian tradition; when they spoke of governance, they reached the practical substance of statecraft. Everything they said was rich with meaning and eminently workable.
After a long conversation, Minister Shui was nodding so fast his head was like water dripping, and smiling so broadly his face was like a flower in bloom. He praised Tie Zhongyu without ceasing: "Brother Tie's extraordinary gifts are surely heaven-bestowed!"
After further discussion, the Minister could restrain himself no longer. He said: "I have a private matter on my mind that I should not, properly speaking, raise to your face. But since our meeting transcends the superficial — since we see each other beyond the outer form, as it were — I shall not stand on ceremony."
Tie Zhongyu said: "I am but a junior, sir. If you have something to say, it would be a great honor to receive your instruction."
Minister Shui said: "I have but one daughter, now in her eighteenth year. As for her beauty, I dare not boast that she has no equal under heaven. But for intelligence and talent, I fear that in all the four seas, apart from yourself, there is no man who could be her match. These are a father's boastful words, and you may not believe them. But I beg you to take my words to heart and make some quiet inquiries. If they prove true, and you would consent to a union, then the hundred carriages and the three fortunate stars would shine without shame, and the bells and the zither would find their proper harmony. Marriage is a weighty matter — I speak of it rashly, and I trust you will not laugh."
Tie Zhongyu heard this and sat stunned for a long while. At last he heaved a sigh: "Heaven, oh heaven! Having brought forth such a perfect pair, why have you woven so cruel a destiny? What is to be done!"
Seeing his melancholy, the Minister asked: "Why do you sigh? Can it be that you are already married?"
Tie Zhongyu shook his head emphatically: "In all the four seas I have sought my phoenix — but I have always scorned those who, like Zhuo Wenjun, take matters into their own hands, for they are no true virtuous maidens. Where shall I find a match worthy of a Sima Xiangru?"
"If you are not yet betrothed, perhaps you doubt my daughter's virtue?"
"Your daughter is known throughout the land as a Meng Guang — a paragon. But alas, our paths crossed in a crooked lane, not on the broad highway of the River Isle. The dove has seized the magpie's nest, and I fear the moral order would be wounded. To have let the good match slip through my fingers is already a lifelong regret. Now that Your Lordship raises the subject of marriage, the regret deepens into eternity!"
Minister Shui, hearing these veiled and enigmatic words, said: "You are a forthright man, Brother Tie. If there is some hidden circumstance, speak plainly. Why these riddles?"
Tie Zhongyu said: "They are not riddles, sir — they are the plain truth. When you return home and make inquiries, you will learn everything."
Minister Shui had been away from home for so long that he had received no news whatever, and had no idea of his daughter's recent affairs. Hearing Tie Zhongyu's evasive words and fearing there might be something compromising that could not be spoken aloud, he pressed no further. They talked of other things, finished their meal, and then the Minister took his leave. As the verse has it:
He came to look upon Wei Jie's beauty; He leaves to ask of Luo Fu's virtue. To fulfil the wish of hearth and home Requires the labor of father and mother.
On his way back, Minister Shui turned the matter over in his mind: "This Tie Zhongyu is indeed a man of talent and gallantry — my daughter's marriage must not let him escape. But his words were muddled: they seemed to refuse, yet also to accept; seemed to rejoice, yet also to lament. What can be the reason? Can he suspect my daughter of some impropriety? I know her upright nature and her serene composure — they are innate, not feigned. There can be nothing irregular about her. Most likely it is Academician Guo who, having failed in his suit, has spread malicious rumors. But none of that matters. I need only settle the betrothal agreement with his father, and then no tempest can shake it."
His mind made up, he chose an auspicious day at his residence and asked a trusted colleague to convey his intentions to Censor Tie. Now Censor Tie knew that the Academician's memorial against Minister Shui had originated in resentment over his son's failed suit, and through this very affair he had come to learn that Miss Shui was a maiden of extraordinary talent. He had been thinking of finding a match for Tie Zhongyu, and when the Minister's proposal arrived, it was exactly what he had hoped for. He accepted with unalloyed delight.
When Minister Shui learned that Censor Tie had agreed, fearing a change of mind, he hastened to exchange ceremonial visits and host celebratory banquets, and urged his colleague to press Censor Tie for the formal betrothal gifts without delay.
Censor Tie consulted with Lady Shi: "Zhongyu is no longer so young. If we leave the choice to him, he will dither forever. I have heard that this Miss Shui is not only a woman of dignified beauty, but also of extraordinary intelligence. When Academician Guo's son tried every scheme to have her, she had the wit to rebuff him at every turn — a true heroine among women, and a perfect match for Zhongyu. Now Minister Shui is pressing for the betrothal. This is a match made in heaven, and we must not let it slip away."
Lady Shi said: "If Miss Shui is as virtuous and gifted as all that, then you should make the decision yourself and settle it, without consulting our son at all. If you ask him, he will only produce a hundred excuses."
"My thoughts exactly," said the Censor. The couple made their plans, and without informing Tie Zhongyu, they prepared the gifts, chose an auspicious day, and with their colleague acting as go-between, the betrothal was concluded. Only after the deed was done did they send word to Tie Zhongyu to congratulate him.
When Tie Zhongyu heard the news, he was stunned. He rushed into the city to see his parents: "Marriage is a momentous affair, upon which the moral order turns. To ensure a proper ending, one must ensure a proper beginning. If one is not careful at the start, if one hastily grasps at beauty and talent, leaving grounds for gossip and suspicion — that becomes a lifelong stain."
Censor Tie said: "Let me ask you this. Is Miss Shui not beautiful?"
"If we speak of Miss Shui's beauty, she is truly a vision — with the spirit of autumn waters and the bone structure of jade. Who would say she is not beautiful?"
"Beautiful she may be — but perhaps she lacks intelligence and ability?"
"If we speak of Miss Shui's intelligence, she can achieve the most unfathomable results without turning a hair or showing the slightest emotion. Who would say she lacks ability?"
"If she has intelligence, perhaps her conduct is not above reproach?"
"If we speak of Miss Shui's conduct, she could stand before the spirits of heaven and earth with no cause for shame, and she would not deceive even in the darkest chamber. Who would say her conduct is not above reproach?"
Censor Tie and Lady Shi both burst into laughter: "If Miss Shui is all of this, and if the match is made through proper channels with the full authority of both fathers and with a formal go-between — what ground for suspicion can there be, and who could object?"
Tie Zhongyu said: "Before my honored parents, I dare not conceal anything. If we speak of Miss Shui's manifold virtues, I desire her in my waking hours and dream of her in my sleep — how could I not long for such a union? Now that heaven has granted my wish, how dare I affect reluctance? But I lament that fate brought me and Miss Shui together in adversity, and our meeting did not observe the full proprieties. We crossed paths amid circumstances of suspicion, and she maintained her honor only by constant protestations of chastity. If the match goes through to its conclusion, then all my earlier acts of chivalry will look calculated and deliberate. Therefore I would rather lose a companion of the inner chambers than become a criminal against the moral order."
He then recounted the whole story: how during his travels in Shandong he had encountered Young Master Guo abducting Miss Shui; how he had rescued her at the county court; how he himself had fallen gravely ill; and how Miss Shui had taken him in and nursed him back to health.
Censor Tie and Lady Shi, far from being alarmed, were even more delighted: "So that is how it was! Then you and Miss Shui are precisely the kind of chivalrous and righteous pair that makes a 'good match.' The affair has been witnessed by all; your hearts are clear before the gods. You began in adversity, and adversity forged the bond; you end in propriety, and propriety seals it. What suspicion is there to avoid? If you insist on avoiding suspicion now, then the suspicions from before will never be cleared. This matter satisfies both the norm and the exception, the constant and the contingent — you need not worry, my son. Go back and study in peace, and wait for your double fortune — success in the examinations to crown success in marriage — to gladden our old age."
Tie Zhongyu saw that his parents' minds were made up and could not be changed, and he thought to himself: "I need not torture myself over this. Even if I consent, Miss Shui will certainly refuse. We shall deal with matters as they arise." He took his leave of his parents and returned to the Western Hills to continue his studies. As the verse has it:
The gentleman rejoices in the pleasures of the moral way; The virtuous lady shuns the voice of sensual desire. When one holds firm, the Old Man of the Moon cannot play matchmaker; When one keeps true, even gallantry itself becomes a crime.
Let us set aside Tie Zhongyu and his anguished deliberations, and speak of them no more.
We turn instead to Minister Shui, who, having received Tie Zhongyu's betrothal gifts on his daughter's behalf, considered the match well made and was greatly pleased. Reflecting that he had been away from home for a long time, and that the perils of official life were many, he submitted a memorial pleading illness and requesting permission to retire. The Emperor, pitying his sufferings in exile, refused three times. Only after the Minister had submitted three consecutive memorials did the Emperor grant him a year's leave with post-horses, on condition that he return to his duties when the leave expired.
Minister Shui was overjoyed. He packed his belongings and set out for home. This time, traveling by imperial post, it was a splendid journey. The good news reached Licheng County in advance. The heralds posted great red notice-slips at the Shui residence: first announcing his reinstatement as Vice Minister, then his promotion to Minister, and now his leave with imperial post-horses to return home.
Miss Shui, hearing the first reports, feared they might be another scheme of her enemies and did not fully believe them. But when the prefecture and the county both sent official messengers to confirm the news, she accepted that it was true — though she still could not fathom what had brought about his reinstatement, and a trace of doubt lingered.
Two days later, Shui Yun came bustling in, eager to claim credit: "My dear niece, do you know how your father's office was restored?"
Miss Bingxin said: "I have been puzzling over it."
Shui Yun said: "It was all on account of Tie Zhongyu's intercession."
Miss Bingxin laughed: "That is even more absurd! Tie Zhongyu is no great minister — how could a mere scholar intercede?"
Shui Yun said: "He did not directly intercede for your father. Your father's exile was caused by his recommendation of a general who subsequently lost a battle. A few days ago, Young Master Guo wanted to marry you, and when you kept refusing on the grounds that you had no father's authorization, he grew desperate and begged his father, the Academician, to write to your father on the frontier. But your father also refused, and this enraged the Academician. Then, when the frontier was again under attack, the Academician submitted a memorial arguing that the frontier disasters were all due to the leniency shown to the man who had recommended the failed general. He requested that both the general and your father be executed. The Emperor approved. On the day the Three Judicial Offices had bound the general and were about to carry out the sentence, Tie Zhongyu happened upon the scene. Seeing that the general was a true hero, he stormed the judicial hall and staked his own life as guarantee. The three judges had no choice but to memorialize the throne. The Emperor pardoned the general and sent him back to the frontier to redeem himself through battle. And sure enough, the general proved himself a hero — as soon as he reached the border, he routed the enemy and won a great victory. The Emperor, delighted, declared that your father's original recommendation had been vindicated, and recalled him with a promotion to Minister. Trace it all to its source — was it not Tie Zhongyu who saved him?"
Miss Bingxin asked: "Is this really true?"
"It is — you can verify it in the court gazette!"
Miss Bingxin laughed: "If it is true, then he — a man accused of being a swindler — had the audacity to storm into the Three Judicial Offices! You should have reported him for treason, Uncle!"
Shui Yun recognized his niece's barb, but dared not take offense. He could only swallow his embarrassment and say with a forced smile: "Let us not speak of that again. It was all the fault of those foolish young lords who dragged me into it. I shall have nothing more to do with them." With that, he retreated in shame.
Miss Bingxin thought to herself: "What a strange destiny binds me to Tie Zhongyu. That he rescued me on the road was remarkable enough — one might put it down to coincidence. But that my father, exiled to the frontier, a matter that has nothing whatever to do with Tie Zhongyu, should also be saved by him through an unrelated act — is that not stranger still?" She thought further: "Strange it is indeed, yet what a pity it is a barren kind of strangeness. I may feel gratitude in my heart, but there can be no union between us. Heaven's purpose is beyond our knowing, yet human affairs have become so tangled!" Day and night, her heart was drawn to him. As the verse has it:
Fiercely burns the true nature; Softly murmurs the tender heart. When feeling and nature find their harmony, Only then do reputation and the moral order become one.
Miss Shui waited and watched at home. After some more time had passed, word arrived that Minister Shui had reached home. Since he was traveling by imperial post, the prefect and the county magistrate came out beyond the city walls to welcome him, and Shui Yun rode out to meet him as well. With great pomp and celebration, it was past noon before the party reached the house. Miss Bingxin came out to greet her father. The joy of reunion after so long a separation was beyond words — first the tears of their time apart, then the happiness of seeing one another again, a grief that was overwhelming and a joy that was equally so.
And from this reunion, it came to pass:
A joy beyond all common joys; A bond beyond all common bonds.
If you wish to know what Minister Shui and Miss Bingxin spoke of, you must read the following chapter.