且說仁宗細看紙條上面寫道：「可笑，可笑，誤殺反誣告。胡鬧，胡鬧，老龐害老包。」共十八個字。天子看了，這明是自殺，反要陷害別人；又看字跡有些熟識。猛然想起忠烈祠牆上的字體，卻與此字相同。真是聰明不過帝王，暗道：「此帖又是那人寫的了。他屢次做的俱是磊磊落落之事，又為何隱隱藏藏，再也不肯當面呢？實在令人不解。只好還是催促包卿便了。」想罷，便將折子連紙條兒俱各擲下，交大理寺審訊。龐賊見聖上從折內翻出個紙條兒來，已然嚇得魂不附體。聯銜之人，俱各暗暗耽驚。
且说仁宗细看纸条上面写道：「可笑，可笑，误杀反诬告。胡闹，胡闹，老庞害老包。」共十八个字。天子看了，这明是自杀，反要陷害别人；又看字迹有些熟识。猛然想起忠烈祠墙上的字体，却与此字相同。真是聪明不过帝王，暗道：「此帖又是那人写的了。他屡次做的俱是磊磊落落之事，又为何隐隐藏藏，再也不肯当面呢？实在令人不解。只好还是催促包卿便了。」想罢，便将折子连纸条儿俱各掷下，交大理寺审讯。庞贼见圣上从折内翻出个纸条儿来，已然吓得魂不附体。联衔之人，俱各暗暗耽惊。
Now, Renzong looked closely at the slip of paper. On it was written: “Ridiculous, ridiculous — he kills by mistake, then accuses falsely. Nonsense, nonsense — Old Pang frames Old Bao.” Eighteen characters in all. As the Emperor read it, he saw plainly that Pang had done the killing himself and was trying to pin it on someone else. The handwriting, too, looked somehow familiar. Suddenly he remembered the writing on the wall of the Shrine of the Loyal Martyr: it was the very same hand. Truly, there is none so clever as an emperor. He said to himself, “So this note was written by that man again. Everything he has done has been open and aboveboard, so why does he keep himself hidden and never once show his face? It is past understanding. The only thing to do is to press Minister Bao again.” With that, he tossed down the memorial and the slip of paper together and handed the case to the Court of Judicial Review for trial. When that villain Pang saw His Majesty pull a slip of paper out of the memorial, he was already scared out of his wits, and every one of the men who had signed it with him was quaking in secret.
一時散朝之後，龐賊悄向廖天成道：「這紙條兒從何而來？」廖烏台猛然醒悟道：「是了，是了！他捆劉三者，正為調出老師與門生來。他就於此時放在折背後的。實是門生粗心之過。」龐吉聽了，連連點首，道：「不錯，不錯。賢契不要多心。此事如何料得到呢。」及至到了大理寺，龐吉一力擔當，從實說了，惟求文大人婉轉覆奏。文大人只得將他畏罪的情形，代為陳奏。聖上傳旨：「龐吉著罰俸三年，不准抵銷。聯銜的罰俸一年，不准抵銷。」聖上卻暗暗傳旨與包公，務必要題詩殺命之人，定限嚴拿。包公奉了此旨，回到開封，便與展爺公孫先生計議，無法可施，只得連王馬張趙俱各天天出去到處訪查，那裡有個影響。偏又值隆冬年近，轉瞬間又是新春。過了元宵佳節，看看到了二月光景，包公屢屢奉旨，總無影響。幸虧聖眷優渥，尚未嗔怪。
一时散朝之后，庞贼悄向廖天成道：「这纸条儿从何而来？」廖乌台猛然醒悟道：「是了，是了！他捆刘三者，正为调出老师与门生来。他就于此时放在折背后的。实是门生粗心之过。」庞吉听了，连连点首，道：「不错，不错。贤契不要多心。此事如何料得到呢。」及至到了大理寺，庞吉一力担当，从实说了，惟求文大人婉转覆奏。文大人只得将他畏罪的情形，代为陈奏。圣上传旨：「庞吉着罚俸三年，不准抵销。联衔的罚俸一年，不准抵销。」圣上却暗暗传旨与包公，务必要题诗杀命之人，定限严拿。包公奉了此旨，回到开封，便与展爷公孙先生计议，无法可施，只得连王马张赵俱各天天出去到处访查，那里有个影响。偏又值隆冬年近，转瞬间又是新春。过了元宵佳节，看看到了二月光景，包公屡屡奉旨，总无影响。幸亏圣眷优渥，尚未嗔怪。
When court was dismissed, that villain Pang quietly asked Liao Tiancheng, “Where did that slip of paper come from?” Censor Liao saw it all at once. “I have it, I have it! When he tied up Liu San, it was just to draw you and me out of the study, Teacher. That was when he slipped it in behind the memorial. It was my carelessness, all my fault.” Pang Ji nodded again and again. “Quite so, quite so. But don’t take it to heart, my worthy young friend. Who could have foreseen such a thing?” When they came before the Court of Judicial Review, Pang Ji took the whole thing on himself and told the truth, begging only that Lord Wen would put it to the Throne gently. Lord Wen could do no more than lay before His Majesty, on Pang’s behalf, how he had acted out of fear of being blamed. His Majesty sent down an edict: “Pang Ji is docked three years’ salary, which may not be offset. Those who signed with him are docked one year’s salary, which may not be offset.” But in secret His Majesty sent word to Lord Bao that he must, without fail, hunt down the man who had written the poem and taken the life, and arrest him by a set day. With this order, Lord Bao went back to Kaifeng and took counsel with Zhan Zhao and Mr. Gongsun, but there was nothing to be done. All they could do was go out every day, Wang, Ma, Zhang and Zhao with them, and make inquiries everywhere — and not a trace was there to be found. Then deep winter came and the year drew to its close, and in the blink of an eye it was spring again. The Lantern Festival came and went, and before they knew it, it was the second month. Lord Bao received order after order from the Throne, and still there was no trace. Luckily the Emperor’s favour toward him was generous, and he had not yet been taken to task.
一日，王朝與馬漢商議道：「咱們天天出去訪查，大約無人不知。人既知道，更難探訪。莫若咱二人悄悄出城，看個動靜。賢弟以為如何？」馬漢道：「出城雖好，但不知往何處去呢？」王朝道：「咱們信步行去，自然熱鬧叢中採訪。難道反往幽僻之處去麼？」二人說畢，脫去校尉的服色，各穿便衣，離了衙門，竟往城外而來。
一日，王朝与马汉商议道：「咱们天天出去访查，大约无人不知。人既知道，更难探访。莫若咱二人悄悄出城，看个动静。贤弟以为如何？」马汉道：「出城虽好，但不知往何处去呢？」王朝道：「咱们信步行去，自然热闹丛中采访。难道反往幽僻之处去么？」二人说毕，脱去校尉的服色，各穿便衣，离了衙门，竟往城外而来。
One day Wang Chao said to Ma Han, “We go out making inquiries every day, so just about everyone must know it by now. And once people know, it’s all the harder to find anything out. Why don’t the two of us slip quietly out of the city and see what’s stirring? What do you say, brother?” “Going out of the city is all very well,” said Ma Han, “but where would we go?” “We’ll just stroll along wherever our feet take us,” said Wang Chao, “and of course we’ll ask around where the crowds are thickest. You don’t suppose we’d go poking about in lonely, out-of-the-way places, do you?” Having talked it over, the two of them took off their captains’ uniforms, put on ordinary clothes, left the yamen and headed straight out of the city.