且說包公聽見包興說在陰司地府，便厲聲道：「你這狗才，竟敢胡說！」包興道：「小人如何敢胡說。只因小人去過，才知道的。」包公問道：「你幾時去過？」包興便將白家堡為遊仙枕害了他表弟李克明，後來將此枕當堂呈繳；因相爺在三星鎮歇馬，小人就偷試此枕，到了陰陽寶殿，說小人冒充星主之名，被神趕了回來的話，說了一遍。包公聽了星主二字，便想起：「當初審烏盆，後來又在玉宸宮審鬼冤魂，皆稱我為星主；如此看來，竟有些意思。」便問：「此枕現在何處？」包興道：「小人收藏。」連忙退出。不多時，將此枕捧來。包公見封固甚嚴，便叫：「打開我看。」包興打開，雙手捧至面前。包公細看了一回。彷彿一塊朽木，上面有蝌蚪文字，卻也不甚分明。包公看了也不說用，也不說不用，只是點了點頭。包興早已心領神會，捧了仙枕，來到裡面屋內，將帳鉤掛起，把仙枕安放周正。回身出來，又遞了一杯茶。包公坐了多時，便立起身來。包興連忙執燈，引至屋內。包公見帳鉤掛起，遊仙枕已安放周正，暗暗合了心意，便上牀和衣而臥。包興放下帳子，將燈移出，寂寂無聲，在外伺候。
且说包公听见包兴说在阴司地府，便厉声道：「你这狗才，竟敢胡说！」包兴道：「小人如何敢胡说。只因小人去过，才知道的。」包公问道：「你几时去过？」包兴便将白家堡为游仙枕害了他表弟李克明，后来将此枕当堂呈缴；因相爷在三星镇歇马，小人就偷试此枕，到了阴阳宝殿，说小人冒充星主之名，被神赶了回来的话，说了一遍。包公听了星主二字，便想起：「当初审乌盆，后来又在玉宸宫审鬼冤魂，皆称我为星主；如此看来，竟有些意思。」便问：「此枕现在何处？」包兴道：「小人收藏。」连忙退出。不多时，将此枕捧来。包公见封固甚严，便叫：「打开我看。」包兴打开，双手捧至面前。包公细看了一回。仿佛一块朽木，上面有蝌蚪文字，却也不甚分明。包公看了也不说用，也不说不用，只是点了点头。包兴早已心领神会，捧了仙枕，来到里面屋内，将帐钩挂起，把仙枕安放周正。回身出来，又递了一杯茶。包公坐了多时，便立起身来。包兴连忙执灯，引至屋内。包公见帐钩挂起，游仙枕已安放周正，暗暗合了心意，便上床和衣而卧。包兴放下帐子，将灯移出，寂寂无声，在外伺候。
Now, when Lord Bao heard Bao Xing say it was in the underworld, he said sternly, “You wretch! How dare you talk such nonsense!” “How would I dare talk nonsense, sir?” said Bao Xing. “I only know because I’ve been there.” “And when were you there?” asked Lord Bao. So Bao Xing told him the whole story: how at Baijiabao a man had murdered his cousin Li Keming for the sake of the Pillow of Immortal Journeys, and the pillow had afterwards been handed over in open court; and how, while His Excellency was stopping at Sanxing Town, he had secretly tried the pillow and come to the Hall of Yin and Yang, where he was told he was passing himself off as the Lord of the Star, and was chased back out by a god. At the words “Lord of the Star,” Lord Bao remembered: “When I tried the case of the black basin, and later, when I heard the wronged ghost in the Yuchen Palace, they both called me the Lord of the Star. Seen in that light, there may really be something in this.” “Where is this pillow now?” he asked. “I have it put away, sir,” said Bao Xing, and hurried out. Before long he came back carrying the pillow in both hands. Lord Bao saw that it was very securely wrapped and sealed, and said, “Open it and let me see.” Bao Xing opened it and held it up before him in both hands, and Lord Bao studied it closely for a while. It looked like nothing so much as a piece of rotten wood, with tadpole script on it, though the writing was not very clear. When he had looked, Lord Bao said neither that he would use it nor that he would not; he only nodded. Bao Xing had already understood without a word being said. He carried the immortal pillow into the inner room, hooked up the bed curtains and set the pillow neatly in its place. Then he came back out and handed his master a cup of tea. Lord Bao sat on for a long while, then rose to his feet. Bao Xing quickly took up the lamp and lit his way into the room. When Lord Bao saw the curtains hooked up and the Pillow of Immortal Journeys set neatly in place, it was just what he had secretly wished. He got onto the bed and lay down in his clothes. Bao Xing let down the curtains, carried the lamp out and waited outside, without a sound.
包公雖然安歇，無奈心中有事，再也睡不著。不由翻身向裡。頭剛著枕，只覺自己在丹墀之上，見下面有二青衣牽著一匹黑馬，鞍轡俱是黑的。忽聽青衣說道：「請星主上馬。」包公便上了馬，一抖絲韁。誰知此馬迅速如飛，耳內只聽風響。又見所過之地，俱是昏昏慘慘，雖然黑暗，瞧的卻又真切。只見前面有座城池，雙門緊閉。那馬竟奔城門而來。包公心內著急，說是不好，必要碰上。一轉瞬間，城門已過，進了個極大的衙門。到了丹墀，見大堂之上，有匾大書「陰陽寶殿」四字，又見公位桌椅等項俱是黑的，包公不暇細看，便入公座。只聽紅判道：「星主必是為陰錯陽差之事而來。」便遞過一本冊子。包公打開看時，上面卻無一字。才待要問，只見黑判官將冊子拿起，翻上數篇，便放在公案之上，包公仔細看時，只見上面寫著恭恭正正八句粗話，起首云：
「原是丑與寅，用了卯與辰。上司多誤事，因此錯還魂。若要明此事，井中古鏡存，臨時滴血照，磕破中指痕。」
當下包公看了，並無別的字跡。剛然要問，兩判拿了冊子而去。那黑馬也沒有了。
包公虽然安歇，无奈心中有事，再也睡不着。不由翻身向里。头刚着枕，只觉自己在丹墀之上，见下面有二青衣牵着一匹黑马，鞍辔俱是黑的。忽听青衣说道：「请星主上马。」包公便上了马，一抖丝缰。谁知此马迅速如飞，耳内只听风响。又见所过之地，俱是昏昏惨惨，虽然黑暗，瞧的却又真切。只见前面有座城池，双门紧闭。那马竟奔城门而来。包公心内着急，说是不好，必要碰上。一转瞬间，城门已过，进了个极大的衙门。到了丹墀，见大堂之上，有匾大书「阴阳宝殿」四字，又见公位桌椅等项俱是黑的，包公不暇细看，便入公座。只听红判道：「星主必是为阴错阳差之事而来。」便递过一本册子。包公打开看时，上面却无一字。才待要问，只见黑判官将册子拿起，翻上数篇，便放在公案之上，包公仔细看时，只见上面写着恭恭正正八句粗话，起首云：
「原是丑与寅，用了卯与辰。上司多误事，因此错还魂。若要明此事，井中古镜存，临时滴血照，磕破中指痕。」
当下包公看了，并无别的字迹。刚然要问，两判拿了册子而去。那黑马也没有了。
Lord Bao had lain down to rest, but there was too much on his mind, and he could not get to sleep at all. Without thinking, he turned over to face the wall. No sooner had his head touched the pillow than he found himself on the vermilion steps, and below them two men in black were leading a black horse, its saddle and bridle all black too. Then he heard the men in black say, “Lord of the Star, please mount.” Lord Bao got on the horse and gave the silk reins a shake. Who would have thought it? The horse flew like the wind, and all he could hear was the rushing of the air in his ears. The lands they passed through were all dim and dismal; dark as it was, he could see everything clearly. Ahead stood a walled city with its double gates shut tight, and the horse made straight for them. Lord Bao grew anxious. “This is bad,” he thought. “We’re bound to crash into them.” But in the blink of an eye the gates were behind them, and they had come into an enormous yamen. When they reached the vermilion steps, he saw above the great hall a tablet with four great characters on it: “Hall of Yin and Yang.” The official seat, the desk, the chairs and all the rest were black as well. Lord Bao had no time to look more closely; he went straight to the official seat and sat down. Then he heard the red-faced judge say, “The Lord of the Star must have come about the mix-up between yin and yang.” And he handed him a register. Lord Bao opened it, but there was not a word written in it. He was just about to ask when the black-faced judge picked the register up, turned over a few leaves and laid it on the desk. Lord Bao looked closely, and there, written out in a neat, upright hand, were eight lines of rough verse. From the top they ran:
“It should have been chou and yin, / but mao and chen were used instead. /The higher-ups bungled the job, / and so the souls came back wrong. /To get to the bottom of this, / there’s the old mirror from the well: /when the time comes, drip blood on it and look, / from a middle finger bitten open.”
Lord Bao read it through; there was no other writing at all. He was just about to ask when the two judges took the register and went away. And the black horse was gone too.
包公一急，忽然驚醒，叫人。包興連忙移燈近前。包公問道：「甚麼時候了？」包興回道：「方交三鼓。」包公道：「取杯茶來。」忽見李才進來，稟道：「公孫主簿求見。」包公便下了牀，包興打簾，來至外面。只見公孫策參見，道：「范生之病，晚生已將他醫好。」包公聽了大悅，道：「先生用何方醫治好的？」公孫回道：「用五木湯。」包公道：「何謂五木湯？」公孫道：「用桑榆桃槐柳五木熬湯，放在浴盆之內，將他搭在盆上趁熱燙洗，然後用被蓋覆，上露著面目，通身見汗為度。他的積痰瘀血化開，心內便覺明白，現在惟有軟弱而已。」包公聽了，贊道：「先生真妙手奇方也！即煩先生，好好將他調理便了。」公孫領命，退出。
包公一急，忽然惊醒，叫人。包兴连忙移灯近前。包公问道：「甚么时候了？」包兴回道：「方交三鼓。」包公道：「取杯茶来。」忽见李才进来，禀道：「公孙主簿求见。」包公便下了床，包兴打帘，来至外面。只见公孙策参见，道：「范生之病，晚生已将他医好。」包公听了大悦，道：「先生用何方医治好的？」公孙回道：「用五木汤。」包公道：「何谓五木汤？」公孙道：「用桑榆桃槐柳五木熬汤，放在浴盆之内，将他搭在盆上趁热烫洗，然后用被盖覆，上露着面目，通身见汗为度。他的积痰瘀血化开，心内便觉明白，现在惟有软弱而已。」包公听了，赞道：「先生真妙手奇方也！即烦先生，好好将他调理便了。」公孙领命，退出。
In his alarm Lord Bao woke with a start and called out. Bao Xing hurried over, bringing the lamp close. “What time is it?” asked Lord Bao. “The third watch has only just begun, sir,” Bao Xing replied. “Fetch me a cup of tea,” said Lord Bao. Just then Li Cai came in and announced, “Registrar Gongsun asks to see you, sir.” Lord Bao got out of bed, and Bao Xing held the curtain aside for him as he went out to the outer room. Gongsun Ce paid his respects and said, “Your junior has cured Fan of his illness.” Lord Bao was delighted. “What remedy did you use to cure him, sir?” “A five-wood decoction,” Gongsun replied. “And what is a five-wood decoction?” asked Lord Bao. “You boil the wood of five trees — mulberry, elm, peach, pagoda tree and willow — into a brew and pour it into a bathtub,” said Gongsun. “Then you lay him across the tub and bathe him in it while it’s scalding hot, and afterwards cover him with a quilt, leaving only his face showing, until he sweats all over. That breaks up the phlegm that had built up in him and the clotted blood, and his mind clears. Now there is nothing left but weakness.” Lord Bao praised him: “Truly, sir, yours are skilled hands and a wonderful remedy! May I trouble you, then, to nurse him until he is quite well?” Gongsun accepted the charge and withdrew.