Chengcheng County Town, Magistrate's Office.
Magistrate Liang Shixian frowned as he looked at the two men standing in the hall.
These two men had just been brought before him by a shopkeeper, accused of stealing two steamed buns.
In previous years, Liang Shixian would have been too lazy to hold a formal session for a petty theft like stealing buns. A casual few strokes of the rod before tossing them out would have sufficed.
But now, with grain prices soaring to a thousand cash per dou, two steamed buns represented a significant sum. A casual beating was no longer appropriate; it likely had to be treated as "banditry and theft," a crime punishable by beheading.
But...
Was it truly appropriate to behead someone for stealing two buns?
Liang Shixian felt it wasn't. But he also didn't know what judgment would be appropriate, leaving him utterly tangled.
"The harder the people's lot, the bolder the bandits! Ai!"
The private secretary leaned in from the side, whispering, "Master, we cannot delay indefinitely. We must pass judgment as the law requires."
Liang Shixian's face was dark. "This case..."
As they were tangled in this dilemma, a scholar entered from outside. Liang Shixian didn't recognize him, but a yamen runner did. "Ah, it's Teacher Wang from the Chengcheng Bookshop."
Teacher Wang clasped his hands toward Liang Shixian. "Your Honor, I am the proprietor of the Chengcheng Bookshop, surnamed Wang. I previously taught in Chengcheng County, and everyone calls me Teacher Wang. Passing by just now, I saw Your Honor troubled by this case. Might I suggest a resolution?"
Liang Shixian was right in the middle of his dilemma; someone offering advice was excellent. He quickly said, "Please speak, Teacher Wang."
Teacher Wang said, "Killing someone over two steamed buns violates heavenly harmony. But if the punishment is not severe, the aggrieved party may not accept it..."
He was precisely articulating Liang Shixian's dilemma.
Teacher Wang: "Why not handle it this way: I will provide a sum of money to compensate the aggrieved party on behalf of these two thieves, thus appeasing them. Then, have these two thieves sent to my bookshop, where they will be responsible for moving books and cleaning, using their labor to repay the debt of the two buns. Thus, the thieves' punishment is served."
Hearing this proposal, Liang Shixian was overjoyed. "A most excellent plan! It just puts you to some trouble, sir."
Teacher Wang smiled slightly. "No trouble at all. My bookshop genuinely needs some help. If I can employ two workers for a few days for the price of two buns, I am quite pleased myself."
Liang Shixian nodded. "Then let it be as you suggest."
Having resolved this headache-inducing matter, he was also quite happy. Waving to the yamen runners beside him, he said, "Take these two men to Teacher Wang's bookshop. Order them to work diligently. If they show laziness or negligence, arrest them back here and chop their wretched heads off."
Teacher Wang bowed, paid the aggrieved party for the two buns, and left gracefully.
Liang Shixian looked up and sighed softly. "The method Teacher Wang just proposed is truly the best way to deal with petty thieves. However, this method requires sufficient financial resources. Otherwise, how could one possibly support so many thieves?"
In the Great Ming Dynasty, criminals were generally imprisoned awaiting execution. For crimes not warranting execution, the usual punishment was several dozen strokes of the rod and exile several thousand li. There was generally no long-term imprisonment, because the court lacked the financial resources to support so many prisoners.
On this point, Liang Shixian actually had considerable criticism, but he was powerless.
(Ming Context: The phrase 'The harder the people's lot, the bolder the bandits' was a common lament in official documents during famines. Magistrates like Liang Shixian were trapped between the severe Ming Legal Code and the impossible reality of starving subjects. His improvised 'forced labor' sentence was a typical local workaround to avoid mass executions that could ignite further rebellion.)
Just as he was lost in melancholy reflection, the Shaoxing private secretary leaned in again, whispering, "Ah, speaking of Teacher Wang reminds me of something."
Liang Shixian: "What is it?"
The Shaoxing private secretary whispered, "These past few days, the Chengcheng Bookshop has been selling a strange picture-book. The price is one copper coin, and the buyer receives two liang of wheat flour as a gift."
Hearing this, Liang Shixian froze. Several seconds later, he said, "One copper coin for a book and two liang of flour? Isn't this distributing gruel to aid the people?"
The Shaoxing private secretary whispered, "Yes, no different from distributing gruel. Many in the city have benefited, saying behind closed doors that Teacher Wang is a benevolent proprietor. But if this continues, he'll likely lose everything, and the bookshop may shut down within days."
Liang Shixian sighed. "Spending his family fortune, just to aid the people? Ai... Hearing you say this, this official has actually become interested in the book he's selling."
The Shaoxing private secretary reached into his sleeve and pulled one out.
Liang Shixian was astonished. "You actually have one?"
The Shaoxing private secretary's old face flushed slightly. "Your Honor must excuse this lowly one's lack of refinement. My wife also went and bought a book..."
Liang Shixian was momentarily stunned, then understood. With rice priced at a thousand cash per dou, even an income at the secretary's level couldn't withstand it. How many common folk in Chengcheng County could still afford grain? What was to be done? Ai!
Feeling downhearted, Liang Shixian took the book from the secretary, glancing casually at the cover.
Huh?
The sacred image of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun on the cover caught his attention.
This deity's face... this official seems to have seen it somewhere before?
Looking at the characters beside it: The Tale of the Daoist Mystic Tianzun Vanquishing Demons.
Daoist Mystic Tianzun?
This name also seemed somewhat familiar.
Must think carefully!
The highly educated Liang Shixian immediately activated memory search mode in his mind. Things seen in his life, scenes experienced, books read, gods and Buddhas worshipped—all flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Finally, with a ding, it settled on a majestic family fort.
In the Li Family Fort of Gao Village, in the ancestral hall on the first floor of the watchtower, a household deity was enshrined. That household deity's name was "Daoist Mystic Tianzun." That statue's face was identical to the one on the picture-book cover in his hand.
Liang Shixian felt he grasped the situation. He slowly opened the book in his hand. It was an illustrated volume. He flipped through page by page, reading extremely fast. The story inside the book became clear.
The story outside the book also became equally clear.
Liang Shixian said softly, "This official understands."
The Shaoxing private secretary was greatly surprised. "What does Your Honor understand?"
Liang Shixian said, "Behind Teacher Wang is the Li family providing support. For over a year, the Li family has been supplying this official with grain, which this official distributes as gruel to aid the people. But this only helped this official earn a reputation as an upright official; the Li family gained no benefit. Now, the Li family has decided to step onto the stage themselves."
The Shaoxing private secretary: "Eh? Isn't the Li family a reclusive, ancient clan? What use is fame? The more famous they become, the harder it is to remain hidden behind the scenes, no?"
Liang Shixian said, "That's why they aren't promoting the Li family name, but instead bringing out the Li family's ancestor, their household deity—the Tang Dynasty imperial clan member Li Daoxuan! While aiding the people with gruel, they are vigorously promoting their own household deity. If this story is crafted skillfully enough, and their household deity is placed on the altars of all Taoist temples under heaven, wouldn't that bring immense glory to their ancestors?"
The Shaoxing private secretary had an epiphany. "So that's how it is! Your Honor's consideration is truly comprehensive. This lowly one hadn't considered that at all."
Liang Shixian: "The story is a complete mess, not worth reading. But the Li family is doing good deeds. What harm is there in them weaving a tale about an immortal? Let them weave as they please. As long as they can distribute grain to the common folk, even if they weave this official into their story, let them have their fun."
(Ming Context: The 'household deity' was a common feature of powerful gentry families in Ming China. Claiming descent from a historical or legendary figure—and promoting them to divine status—was a well-established method to enhance family prestige and social influence, creating a local cult that reinforced the family's authority.)