話說和尚在王雄、李豹耳邊說了幾句，王雄轉身夠奔外面。李豹拿了一方肉，在大堂用板子一打，仿佛打人一般，眾官人嚇喊堂威，說：「打，打，打！」外面馬氏就問：「打誰呢？」王雄說：「打你兒子賴子呢。」馬氏一聽，心痛的了不得。少時，和尚叫把賴子藏起來，把馬氏帶上來。馬氏一瞧他兒子沒有了，也不知擱在哪去，往大堂前一跪，老爺把驚堂木一拍，說：「馬氏你好大膽量，你做出這樣事來！方才賴子都招了，你所做的事還不實說么？」馬氏剛才一楞，老爺說：「大概不用刑，你還不說，已然你兒子都說了，你還敢隱瞞？來人給我掌嘴。」馬氏一聽，嚇的顏色更變，說：「老爺不必動刑，既是賴子說了，我也說。」知縣說：「你快實說，本縣不打你。」
话说和尚在王雄、李豹耳边说了几句，王雄转身够奔外面。李豹拿了一方肉，在大堂用板子一打，仿佛打人一般，众官人吓喊堂威，说：「打，打，打！」外面马氏就问：「打谁呢？」王雄说：「打你儿子赖子呢。」马氏一听，心痛的了不得。少时，和尚叫把赖子藏起来，把马氏带上来。马氏一瞧他儿子没有了，也不知搁在哪去，往大堂前一跪，老爷把惊堂木一拍，说：「马氏你好大胆量，你做出这样事来！方才赖子都招了，你所做的事还不实说幺？」马氏刚才一楞，老爷说：「大概不用刑，你还不说，已然你儿子都说了，你还敢隐瞒？来人给我掌嘴。」马氏一听，吓的颜色更变，说：「老爷不必动刑，既是赖子说了，我也说。」知县说：「你快实说，本县不打你。」
Now, the monk whispered a few words in the ears of Wang Xiong and Li Bao, and Wang Xiong turned and headed outside. Li Bao took a slab of meat and beat it with a board in the main hall, just as if he were flogging a man, while the runners all shouted to proclaim the court’s authority: “Beat him! Beat him! Beat him!” Outside, Madam Ma asked, “Who are they beating?” “Your son Laizi,” said Wang Xiong. When Madam Ma heard this, her heart ached terribly. A little later the monk had Laizi hidden away and Madam Ma brought in. Madam Ma saw that her son was gone, and had no idea where they had put him. She knelt before the bench, and His Honour slapped down his court block. “Madam Ma, you have some nerve, doing a thing like this! Laizi has just confessed everything. Still won’t you tell the truth about what you did?” Madam Ma faltered for a moment. “It seems you won’t talk unless you’re punished,” said His Honour. “Your son has already told it all, and you still dare to hide it? Men, slap her face!” At this Madam Ma went pale with fright. “There’s no need to punish me, Your Honour. Since Laizi has talked, I’ll talk too.” “Tell the truth, and quickly,” said the magistrate, “and this court won’t have you beaten.”
馬氏說：「回稟老爺，小婦人居孀守寡，只因沒養廉，我跟卞虎住街坊，常給卞員外做活，卞員外常給我家裡送錢，給我打首飾，做衣裳，來往頻盈，跟小婦人通姦有染。那一天卞員外到我家去，提說在城裡二條胡同，瞧見一個西頭路北牆門出來一個婦人，二十多歲，生的標緻可愛，出來倒髒水，他騎著馬由那裡瞧見，提說怎么長得美貌。我說：‘你別胡說，那是我外甥女。’他說：‘叫我給接回來拉皮條。’我說：‘不行，我外甥女是貞節烈婦。’後來他交給我一對金鐲子，一套垂金扇，叫我給擱到我外甥女家去。他說：‘苟能夠拆散他夫婦，許給我五十兩銀子。’我把鐲子留下一隻。那一天我瞧我外甥女去，他去外廂方便，我就把鐲子、扇子放在箱子裡，這是我辦的。後來有什麼事，我就不知道，那都是卞虎做的。那一天李文龍找我，就叫我把我外甥女帶回來，我也不知是怎么事故，這是以往從前真情實話。」老爺一聽，吩咐王雄、李豹：「給我傳卞虎。」和尚說：「老爺你傳得了來么？」知縣說：「怎么傳不了來？」和尚說：「你想，卞虎乃是兵部尚書之子，家裡手下人極多，又是深宅大院，官人一去，他一得著信，由後門就走了。」知縣說：「依聖僧之見，該當如何呢？」和尚說：「我帶著王雄、李豹、賴子去拿他，我自有道理。」知縣說：「好，聖僧辛苦一回罷。」和尚這才帶領王雄、李豹、賴子出了衙門。和尚說：「二位頭兒跟賴子上他們家去等我。」
马氏说：「回禀老爷，小妇人居孀守寡，只因没养廉，我跟卞虎住街坊，常给卞员外做活，卞员外常给我家里送钱，给我打首饰，做衣裳，来往频盈，跟小妇人通奸有染。那一天卞员外到我家去，提说在城里二条胡同，瞧见一个西头路北墙门出来一个妇人，二十多岁，生的标致可爱，出来倒脏水，他骑着马由那里瞧见，提说怎么长得美貌。我说：‘你别胡说，那是我外甥女。’他说：‘叫我给接回来拉皮条。’我说：‘不行，我外甥女是贞节烈妇。’后来他交给我一对金镯子，一套垂金扇，叫我给搁到我外甥女家去。他说：‘苟能够拆散他夫妇，许给我五十两银子。’我把镯子留下一只。那一天我瞧我外甥女去，他去外厢方便，我就把镯子、扇子放在箱子里，这是我办的。后来有什么事，我就不知道，那都是卞虎做的。那一天李文龙找我，就叫我把我外甥女带回来，我也不知是怎么事故，这是以往从前真情实话。」老爷一听，吩咐王雄、李豹：「给我传卞虎。」和尚说：「老爷你传得了来幺？」知县说：「怎么传不了来？」和尚说：「你想，卞虎乃是兵部尚书之子，家里手下人极多，又是深宅大院，官人一去，他一得着信，由后门就走了。」知县说：「依圣僧之见，该当如何呢？」和尚说：「我带着王雄、李豹、赖子去拿他，我自有道理。」知县说：「好，圣僧辛苦一回罢。」和尚这才带领王雄、李豹、赖子出了衙门。和尚说：「二位头儿跟赖子上他们家去等我。」
“Your Honour,” said Madam Ma, “this humble woman is a widow. Because I had nothing to keep me honest, and I lived in the same neighbourhood as Bian Hu, I often did sewing for Squire Bian, and Squire Bian often sent money to my house, had jewellery made for me and clothes sewn. He came and went often, and he had an affair with this humble woman. One day Squire Bian came to my house and told me that in Second Lane in the city he had seen a woman come out of a walled gate on the north side at the west end of the lane, twenty-odd, pretty and lovely, coming out to throw away the dirty water. He’d seen her from his horse as he rode by, and he went on about how beautiful she was. I said, ‘Don’t talk nonsense, that’s my niece.’ He said, ‘Bring her back to your place and fix me up with her.’ I said, ‘Never. My niece is a chaste and virtuous wife.’ Later he handed me a pair of gold bracelets and a Golden-Tassel Fan and told me to put them in my niece’s house. He said, ‘If you can split the two of them up, I’ll give you fifty taels of silver.’ I kept one of the bracelets. One day I went to see my niece, and while she went out to the side rooms to relieve herself, I put the bracelet and the fan in her chest. That much I did. Whatever happened after that, I don’t know. That was all Bian Hu’s doing. Then one day Li Wenlong came looking for me and told me to take my niece home, and I didn’t know what it was all about. That’s the whole truth, from first to last.” His Honour heard her out and ordered Wang Xiong and Li Bao, “Summon Bian Hu for me.” “Can you get him here, Your Honour?” said the monk. “Why couldn’t I?” said the magistrate. “Think about it,” said the monk. “Bian Hu is the son of a Minister of War. He has a great many men in his household, and he lives deep inside a great walled mansion. The moment your officers go there, he’ll get word of it and slip out the back gate.” “Then what does the holy monk think we should do?” said the magistrate. “This monk will take Wang Xiong, Li Bao and Laizi and go and arrest him,” said the monk. “I know what I’m doing.” “Very well,” said the magistrate. “I must put the holy monk to this trouble.” Only then did the monk lead Wang Xiong, Li Bao and Laizi out of the yamen. “You two chiefs go with Laizi to his house and wait for me,” said the monk.
王、李二人點頭答應，同賴子到馬氏家去。和尚一直來到卞虎的門首，一瞧懸燈結彩，熱鬧非常。和尚來到大門前說：「辛苦辛苦！」門上管家一看，說：「大師父快去罷，我們員外大喜的日子，你趕什麼來了？」和尚說：「我念喜歌來了。」管家說：「沒有出家人念喜歌的，你快去罷。」和尚說：「咱們是鄉親，你叫我得幾吊好不好？」管家一聽和尚的口音，說：「大師父你是台州府的么？」和尚說：「是呀！」管家說：「我念與你是鄉親，念罷，念完了，我到帳房給你要兩吊。」和尚說：「勞你駕罷，我念：
懸燈結彩滿堂紅，錦繡門掛錦繡燈。和尚至此無別事，特意前來念藏經。」
管家說：「和尚你別念藏經呀，這是叫我們員外聽見，立刻就把你送衙門。你念吉祥的。」
王、李二人点头答应，同赖子到马氏家去。和尚一直来到卞虎的门首，一瞧悬灯结彩，热闹非常。和尚来到大门前说：「辛苦辛苦！」门上管家一看，说：「大师父快去罢，我们员外大喜的日子，你赶什么来了？」和尚说：「我念喜歌来了。」管家说：「没有出家人念喜歌的，你快去罢。」和尚说：「咱们是乡亲，你叫我得几吊好不好？」管家一听和尚的口音，说：「大师父你是台州府的幺？」和尚说：「是呀！」管家说：「我念与你是乡亲，念罢，念完了，我到帐房给你要两吊。」和尚说：「劳你驾罢，我念：
悬灯结彩满堂红，锦绣门挂锦绣灯。和尚至此无别事，特意前来念藏经。」
管家说：「和尚你别念藏经呀，这是叫我们员外听见，立刻就把你送衙门。你念吉祥的。」
Wang and Li nodded and went with Laizi to Madam Ma’s house. The monk went straight to Bian Hu’s gate. He saw lanterns hung and silks festooned, and everything bustling. The monk came up to the main gate. “Hard at work, hard at work!” The steward on the gate looked him over. “Off you go, Reverend. It’s our squire’s wedding day. What have you come chasing after?” “I’ve come to chant a good-luck song,” said the monk. “No monk chants good-luck songs,” said the steward. “Off with you.” “We’re from the same parts, you and me,” said the monk. “Won’t you be a good fellow and get me a few strings of cash?” The steward caught the monk’s accent. “Reverend, are you from Taizhou Prefecture?” “That I am!” said the monk. “Seeing we’re from the same parts,” said the steward, “go on, chant it. When you’ve finished, I’ll get you two strings from the counting house.” “Much obliged,” said the monk. “Here goes:
Lanterns hung and silks festooned, the whole hall glowing red;brocade lanterns hang at the brocade-curtained door.This monk has come on no other business here:I’ve come on purpose to chant the scriptures.”
“Monk, don’t chant scriptures!” said the steward. “If our squire heard that, he’d have you sent to the yamen this minute. Chant something lucky.”