太原有民家，姑婦皆寡。姑中年，不能自潔，村無賴頻頻就之。婦不善其行，陰於門戶牆垣阻拒之。姑慚，借端出婦；婦不去，頗有勃谿。姑益恚，反相誣，告諸官。官問姦夫姓名。媼曰：「夜來宵去，實不知其阿誰，鞫婦自知。」因喚婦。婦果知之，而以姦情歸媼，苦相抵。拘無賴至，又譁辨：「兩無所私。彼姑婦不相能，故妄言相詆毀耳。」官曰：「一村百人，何獨誣汝？」重笞之。無賴叩乞免責，自認與婦通。械婦，婦終不承。逐去之。婦忿告憲院，仍如前，久不決。時淄邑孫進士柳下令臨晉，推折獄才，遂下其案於臨晉。人犯到，公略訊一過，寄監訖，便命隸人備磚石刀錐，質明聽用。共疑曰：「嚴刑自有桎梏，何將以非刑折獄耶？」不解其意，姑備之。明日，升堂，問知諸具已備，命悉置堂上。乃喚犯者，又一一略鞫之。乃謂姑婦：「此事亦不必甚求清析。淫婦雖未定，而姦夫則確。汝家本清門，不過一時為匪人所誘，罪全在某。堂上刀石具在，可自取擊殺之。」姑婦趑趄，恐邂逅抵償。公曰：「無慮，有我在。」於是媼婦並起，掇石交投。婦啣恨已久，兩手舉巨石，恨不即立斃之；媼惟以小石擊臀腿而已。又命用刀。婦把刀貫胸膺，媼猶逡巡未下。公止之曰：「淫婦我知之矣。」命執媼嚴梏之，遂得其情。笞無賴三十，其案始結。
太原有一戶人家，婆婆和媳婦都是寡婦。婆婆到了中年，不能守住貞潔，村裡的一個無賴常常來和她私會。媳婦不贊成她的行為，暗中在門口、牆邊設法阻攔那個無賴。婆婆羞惱，藉故要趕走媳婦；媳婦不肯走，兩人爭吵得很厲害。婆婆更加惱怒，反過來誣告媳婦，把事情告到官府。官員問姦夫的姓名，婆婆說：「他夜裡來，夜裡走，我實在不知道他是誰。審問媳婦，她自然知道。」於是把媳婦叫來。媳婦果然知道那人的姓名，卻說和他私通的是婆婆，兩人激烈爭辯，互不相讓。官府把無賴拘來，他也大聲辯解：「我跟她們兩個都沒有私情。她們婆媳合不來，所以胡說八道，互相詆譭罷了。」官員說：「一個村裡有上百人，為什麼偏偏誣告你？」便命人重重地打他。無賴叩頭求饒，自己承認和媳婦私通。官員給媳婦戴上刑具，媳婦始終不承認，便把她趕了出去。媳婦憤怒地向憲院告狀，結果仍和先前一樣，久久不能判決。當時，淄邑的進士孫柳下擔任臨晉縣令，素有善於斷案的名聲，便把這案子交到臨晉。涉案的人到了以後，孫公大略審問一遍，將他們暫押在監牢裡，隨即命衙役準備磚石、刀和錐子，天亮時等候呼叫。大家都疑惑地說：「嚴刑審問，自有規定的刑具，為什麼要用這些不合法的刑罰斷案呢？」雖然不明白他的意思，還是先準備好了。第二天，孫公升堂，問明東西已經備齊，便命人全部擺在堂上。隨後叫來涉案的人，又逐個簡略審問一遍。他對婆媳說：「這件事也不必非要查得十分清楚。雖然還沒有認定你們誰是淫婦，姦夫卻已經確定。你們家本來清白，不過一時受壞人誘惑，罪全在這個人身上。堂上刀石都在，你們可以自己拿來，把他打死。」婆媳猶豫不前，怕萬一打死了人，要抵命。孫公說：「不用擔心，有我在。」於是婆媳一起站起來，拾起石頭接連向無賴扔去。媳婦積恨已久，兩手舉起大石頭，恨不得立刻把他砸死；婆婆卻只拿小石頭打他的臀部和腿。孫公又叫她們用刀。媳婦拿刀刺進無賴的胸膛，婆婆還在遲疑，沒有下手。孫公制止她們，說：「我已經知道誰是淫婦了。」命人抓住婆婆，嚴加刑訊，終於查明瞭實情。無賴被打了三十板，案子才了結。
太原有民家，姑妇皆寡。姑中年，不能自洁，村无赖频频就之。妇不善其行，阴于门户墙垣阻拒之。姑惭，借端出妇；妇不去，颇有勃溪。姑益恚，反相诬，告诸官。官问奸夫姓名。媪曰：「夜来宵去，实不知其阿谁，鞫妇自知。」因唤妇。妇果知之，而以奸情归媪，苦相抵。拘无赖至，又哗辨：「两无所私。彼姑妇不相能，故妄言相诋毁耳。」官曰：「一村百人，何独诬汝？」重笞之。无赖叩乞免责，自认与妇通。械妇，妇终不承。逐去之。妇忿告宪院，仍如前，久不决。时淄邑孙进士柳下令临晋，推折狱才，遂下其案于临晋。人犯到，公略讯一过，寄监讫，便命隶人备砖石刀锥，质明听用。共疑曰：「严刑自有桎梏，何将以非刑折狱耶？」不解其意，姑备之。明日，升堂，问知诸具已备，命悉置堂上。乃唤犯者，又一一略鞫之。乃谓姑妇：「此事亦不必甚求清析。淫妇虽未定，而奸夫则确。汝家本清门，不过一时为匪人所诱，罪全在某。堂上刀石具在，可自取击杀之。」姑妇趑趄，恐邂逅抵偿。公曰：「无虑，有我在。」于是媪妇并起，掇石交投。妇啣恨已久，两手举巨石，恨不即立毙之；媪惟以小石击臀腿而已。又命用刀。妇把刀贯胸膺，媪犹逡巡未下。公止之曰：「淫妇我知之矣。」命执媪严梏之，遂得其情。笞无赖三十，其案始结。
太原有一户人家，婆婆和媳妇都是寡妇。婆婆到了中年，不能守住贞洁，村里的一个无赖常常来和她私会。媳妇不赞成她的行为，暗中在门口、墙边设法阻拦那个无赖。婆婆羞恼，借故要赶走媳妇；媳妇不肯走，两人争吵得很厉害。婆婆更加恼怒，反过来诬告媳妇，把事情告到官府。官员问奸夫的姓名，婆婆说：“他夜里来，夜里走，我实在不知道他是谁。审问媳妇，她自然知道。”于是把媳妇叫来。媳妇果然知道那人的姓名，却说和他私通的是婆婆，两人激烈争辩，互不相让。官府把无赖拘来，他也大声辩解：“我跟她们两个都没有私情。她们婆媳合不来，所以胡说八道，互相诋毁罢了。”官员说：“一个村里有上百人，为什么偏偏诬告你？”便命人重重地打他。无赖叩头求饶，自己承认和媳妇私通。官员给媳妇戴上刑具，媳妇始终不承认，便把她赶了出去。媳妇愤怒地向宪院告状，结果仍和先前一样，久久不能判决。当时，淄邑的进士孙柳下担任临晋县令，素有善于断案的名声，便把这案子交到临晋。涉案的人到了以后，孙公大略审问一遍，将他们暂押在监牢里，随即命衙役准备砖石、刀和锥子，天亮时等候调用。大家都疑惑地说：“严刑审问，自有规定的刑具，为什么要用这些不合法的刑罚断案呢？”虽然不明白他的意思，还是先准备好了。第二天，孙公升堂，问明东西已经备齐，便命人全部摆在堂上。随后叫来涉案的人，又逐个简略审问一遍。他对婆媳说：“这件事也不必非要查得十分清楚。虽然还没有认定你们谁是淫妇，奸夫却已经确定。你们家本来清白，不过一时受坏人诱惑，罪全在这个人身上。堂上刀石都在，你们可以自己拿来，把他打死。”婆媳犹豫不前，怕万一打死了人，要抵命。孙公说：“不用担心，有我在。”于是婆媳一起站起来，拾起石头接连向无赖扔去。媳妇积恨已久，两手举起大石头，恨不得立刻把他砸死；婆婆却只拿小石头打他的臀部和腿。孙公又叫她们用刀。媳妇拿刀刺进无赖的胸膛，婆婆还在迟疑，没有下手。孙公制止她们，说：“我已经知道谁是淫妇了。”命人抓住婆婆，严加刑讯，终于查明了实情。无赖被打了三十板，案子才了结。
In Taiyuan there was a household where a mother-in-law and her son’s wife were both widows. The mother-in-law was in her middle years and could not keep herself chaste. A village scoundrel came to her again and again. The daughter-in-law did not approve of such conduct, and quietly barred the gates and walls against him. The mother-in-law was ashamed. She seized on a pretext to turn the young woman out; the young woman would not go, and there was a good deal of quarrelling. The old woman grew angrier still, turned the charge around, and accused her before the magistrate. The magistrate asked the lover’s name. The old woman said, “He comes at night and goes in the dark. I really don’t know who he is. Question her; she knows.” So he called the daughter-in-law. Sure enough, she knew him, but she laid the affair at the old woman’s door, and the two contradicted each other bitterly. The scoundrel was brought in. He protested loudly too: “I’ve had nothing to do with either of them. Those two don’t get on, so they tell lies to blacken each other.” “There are a hundred men in the village,” said the magistrate. “Why would they slander you alone?” He had him flogged hard. The scoundrel knocked his head on the floor, begged to be spared, and confessed to an affair with the daughter-in-law. The young woman was put to torture, but she never confessed. The magistrate drove her out of court. In her anger she appealed to the provincial authorities. It went as before, and for a long time the case was not settled. At that time Sun Liuxia, a jinshi from Zichuan county, was magistrate of Linjin and had a name as a gifted judge, so the case was sent down to Linjin. When the accused arrived, Sun questioned them briefly and had them lodged in jail. Then he ordered his runners to get bricks, stones, knives and awls ready for use at daybreak. They all wondered: “For harsh questioning there are the proper instruments. Why is he going to try a case with unlawful torments?” They could not see what he meant, but got the things ready anyway. Next day Sun took his seat in the hall, asked whether everything was ready, and had it all set out before him. Then he called the accused and again questioned each of them briefly. He said to the two women, “There is no need to get to the very bottom of this. Which of you is the wanton is not settled, but the lover is certain. Yours is a decent family. You were only led astray for a moment by a bad man, and the whole guilt is his. The knives and stones are here in the hall. You may take them and beat him to death yourselves.” The two women hung back, afraid that if he happened to die they would have to pay with their lives. “Don’t worry,” said Sun. “I am here.” So the old woman and the young one both rose, picked up stones and threw them at him together. The young woman had nursed her hatred a long time: she raised a huge stone in both hands, as if she wished him dead on the spot. The old woman only struck at his buttocks and legs with small stones. Then Sun told them to use the knives. drove her knife into his chest; the old woman still hesitated and did not strike. Sun stopped them. “Now I know who the wanton is,” he said. He had the old woman seized and severely tortured, and got the truth out of her. The scoundrel was given thirty strokes, and only then was the case closed.