At dusk, Shi Yanshuang delivered the four “actors” to Lingguang Temple. Then, with 200 Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers armed with weapons and ropes, he concealed his men in the surrounding hills, waiting for the signal.
The two disguised couples completed their prayers to the fertility goddess Guanyin and informed the monks that they wished to stay overnight in the secluded rooms to seek guidance through their dreams. They claimed to have already observed seven days of fasting and abstinence at home to demonstrate their sincerity.
The monks, reassured by the pious demeanor of the “wives,” handed each a divination stick from the temple’s lot-drawing urn. Both women drew auspicious signs, and the monks led them to the secluded rooms, advising them to keep the holy oil lamps lit through the night to facilitate spiritual communication.
These two courtesans—one plump and named Liu Yingge, the other slender and named Sun Youniang—were both seasoned prostitutes in their twenties. Their looks might not have been the most striking, but they were clever and resourceful. To seek protection, they had long made a habit of ingratiating themselves with military officers and yamen officials, making them no strangers to complex situations. Now, on a mission, they slipped into the roles of respectable women with ease, showing no signs of nervousness.
Once inside the secluded chamber, they locked the door behind them and began examining their surroundings. The room was partitioned off from others, relatively small, with a flat ceiling above and stone slabs covering the floor. In the center stood a canopy bed and a simple set of table and chairs—clean and sparsely furnished. The two women inspected the walls and floor but found nothing unusual; it was indeed a sealed room.
From outside came the voice of a “husband” calling, “Wife, are you comfortable? I’ll keep watch outside tonight. If you need anything, just call me.”
This was a coded message, asking if she had found anything suspicious.
Sun Youniang raised her voice in reply, “I’m comfortable. It’s very clean here. Find yourself a lounge chair outside; don’t sleep on the ground.”
Her response signaled that she had found nothing unusual, but also warned him to stay alert while keeping watch and not to fall into a deep sleep.
The room’s only light source was an oil lamp on the table. The lamp oil had been personally blessed by the temple abbot, giving off a faint scent of sandalwood when lit.
Even without the monks’ instructions, Sun Youniang—tense in this unfamiliar setting—dared not extinguish the lamp. She lay on the bed fully clothed, staring at the canopy above, her mind occupied with the mission assigned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer. Sleep was out of the question.
As she thought, her mind drifted into a strange and hazy realm, as if her soul had separated from her impure mortal body and ascended along a brilliant golden light toward the Western Pure Land. In the golden radiance, a vision of a Luohan appeared—thick-browed, big-eared, and powerfully built, exuding an imposing and solemn presence.
“I am the Golden-Body Luohan, here to grant you a son,” the Luohan’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, echoing in her ears as if carried from the heavens, distorted and surreal.
Dazed, Sun Youniang found herself pinned beneath the Luohan. Despite her experience in the ways of pleasure, even she found his stamina overwhelming. As time passed, exhaustion crept in, and though she wanted to cry out, she was unable to utter a sound. It felt as if she were being swallowed by a whirlpool.
Just then, a moth flew in from nowhere, flapping wildly as it dove into the flame, extinguishing the oil lamp.
After a while, the golden light before her eyes began to fade, and she slowly felt herself resurfacing from the depths of the whirlpool. Heavy breathing in her ears brought her back to reality, and a strange thought suddenly flashed through her mind: So even an enlightened Luohan is no different from an ordinary man after all.
That thought snapped her back to full awareness. Remembering the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer’s instructions, she reached under her pillow, pulled out a small box, flicked it open, and in the darkness, smeared the bluegrass extract inside onto the “Luohan’s” bald head.
Bluegrass was a plant used for dye, its indigo pigment extracted from the leaves. The saying “blue is extracted from the indigo plant yet surpasses it in color” originated from this process. Once applied to the skin, the dye was notoriously difficult to wash off.
The Luohan was busy performing his so-called “divine anointment” on the female devotee and didn’t notice her subtle movements. After finishing, he silently retreated.
Sun Youniang wanted to see where he went but found her soul still detached from her body. Her consciousness remained hazy, and her limbs refused to obey. Shortly after, another figure approached her, his movements far rougher than the first. Sun Youniang’s muddled thoughts stirred: Could this one be the Great Strength Luohan?
So, using the bluegrass dye, she gave him the same treatment, smearing the dye onto his shiny bald head.
When the Luohan finished, he placed a small pouch of pills into her hands, claiming they were divine medicine from the heavens. He instructed her to take one pill morning and night for a month to achieve pregnancy.
Some time passed before Sun Youniang fully regained her senses. If it weren’t for the pill pouch in her hand, she might have dismissed the experience as a strange and vivid dream.
Meanwhile, in the other secluded chamber, Liu Yingge, unlike Sun Youniang, extinguished the oil lamp before lying down. She wasn’t afraid of the dark and disliked having any light when she slept. Slipping into bed completely bare, she eagerly awaited something to happen.
She laid there with anticipation for more than an hour, growing impatient, when suddenly she heard a creak under the bed. Thinking it was a rat, she leaned over, grabbed her embroidered shoe from the floor, and smacked it against the dark space beneath the bed.
The shoe landed on a bald head with a crisp thud. Startled, Liu Yingge froze, locking eyes with the monk who crawled out from under the bed.
It turned out that one of the floorboards was movable. Coated with mud to mimic the appearance of stone, the wooden panel fit seamlessly with the surrounding stone floor and could only be pried up with a sharp tool.
The oil lamp’s fumes contained a narcotic substance. When burned, the vapors filled the room, inducing a state of disorientation and hallucination in the occupants. The women would enter a dreamlike trance where they experienced visions tied to their deepest desires. As a result, they would see fantastical scenarios, such as “divine red light descending,” “the Bodhisattva granting offspring,” or “the Luohan coming to their embrace.”
Taking advantage of this state, the monks would crawl out from hidden passages beneath the floor to violate the women one after another, leaving behind so-called “divine medicine.”
When the women awakened, they either genuinely believed they had experienced divine intervention or suspected they had been assaulted. However, due to the importance of preserving their reputation, they swallowed their shame and dared not speak out.
Those who harbored doubts about the situation knew that losing their chastity would lead to abandonment by their husbands. Being childless would also result in the same fate. With no other choice, they convinced themselves and others of the miracle, hoping that taking the “medicine” would indeed help them conceive, thus turning their nightmare into salvation.
A small number of women even returned to Lingguang Temple repeatedly, seemingly addicted to their encounters under the guise of seeking offspring.
The monks were young and robust, the women generally healthy, and the pills contained ingredients to regulate fertility. As a result, eight or nine out of ten women eventually became pregnant.
In the three years since Ji Yao became the abbot, the children conceived through these “miraculous” pregnancies were no older than two. Chubby and adorable, they aroused no suspicion from their fathers, who even gave them names like “Luohan’s Child” or “Bodhisattva’s Son.”
Returning to Liu Yingge—after her accidental face-off with the monk under the bed, she feigned a soft gasp. “Oh my, who are you? How did you suddenly appear out of nowhere?”
The monk, hearing her sweet, flirtatious tone, grew bolder and climbed into the bed. “I am the Golden Luohan, here to bless you with offspring.”
“Don’t try to fool me. You must be one of the senior monks of this temple. As a man of the cloth, how can you break your vow of celibacy? If you don’t leave now, I’ll call for help!” she scolded while pulling him into the bedcovers.
The monk, unabashed, laughed and said, “Dear lady, why call your frail, skinny husband outside? He’s nothing more than a decorative silver spear—shiny but useless.”
Liu Yingge secretly smirked at how accurate his guess was. Whether her “husband” was useless at the front didn’t matter much—his abilities in the back were all that concerned her.
The two indulged in unrestrained passion until the monk could no longer keep up. He then reached out to the floor and knocked on the hidden panel beneath the bed, calling for reinforcements: “This lady is quite formidable! Brothers, come quickly!”
Two more monks emerged from the secret passage. Now, three “Golden Luohans” joined forces with the flirtatious “Bodhisattva,” turning the dark room into a chaotic scene of debauchery.
Amid her enjoyment, Liu Yingge didn’t forget the task assigned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander. Using the bluegrass dye, she carefully rubbed it onto each bald head, playfully remarking, “You’re all quite skilled with both your heads.” In the darkness, the monks mistook her actions for affectionate caresses and didn’t resist. Before leaving, they even urged her, “Dear lady, if you don’t mind, do visit often and bless us with your kindness.”
Around the fourth watch of the night, after silence returned, Liu Yingge dressed, muttering under her breath, “Lustful bald donkeys.” She tucked the “divine medicine” into her clothing and stepped out to wake her “husband,” who was snoring soundly outside. Quietly, she whispered, “It’s done. Go notify the officers.”
Sun Youniang, having been more affected by the narcotics, took half an hour longer to recover. However, since her ordeal was shorter, she also finished around the same time. She opened her door and woke her “husband.”
The two male prostitutes guarding the doors had initially kept their ears alert but, after inhaling the narcotic fumes wafting out, fell into a deep sleep. Startled awake, they broke out in a cold sweat and quickly lit a signal flare.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers, who had been lying in ambush outside the temple, saw the signal and immediately scaled the walls. They captured the novice monks on night duty and forced them to ring the bells and light the fire pits, summoning the entire monastery.
The abbot, Ji Yao, woke in shock, realizing things had gone awry. He barely had time to put on his robe, slipping on his shoes hastily as he tried to escape through the back door. However, his quarters were already surrounded, leaving no way out.
Though Ji Yao was skilled in illusions and had some martial arts training, he was ultimately subdued after injuring several Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers.
The monks, novices, and laymen of the temple were herded into the main hall, along with the women who had stayed in the private chambers and their families or servants.
Shen Qi, dressed in a resplendent brocade uniform, entered the hall under the glow of firelight. He sat in a high-backed chair brought in by his subordinates, his gaze sharp and piercing as he surveyed the crowd.
At his order, the monks were instructed to remove their hats. Under the dim light of the eternal lamps, amidst the sea of shiny bald heads, five stood out—each bearing a prominent blue mark on their shaved crowns.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately tied the people up. The five young monks, bewildered, cried out in grievance.
Shi Yanshuang sternly questioned, “Where did the color on your heads come from?”
The monks looked at each other in confusion, equally surprised and bewildered. One of them suddenly remembered something and, feeling guilty, stammered that it was a prank among brothers—they painted each other’s heads while one was asleep.
Shi Yanshuang publicly summoned two courtesans into the hall.
Liu Yingge and Sun Youniang, sharp-tongued and shameless, recounted in front of all the incense-offering pilgrims how they were drugged while staying in the purification chambers, how the monks came through secret passages to violate them, how they were given pills to aid conception, and how they used indigo dye to mark the monks’ heads. They narrated everything in detail and presented a package of medicine as evidence.
The twenty-some women in the hall blushed and paled repeatedly upon hearing this, then were questioned by Shi Yanshuang, “Do you have pills given by the monks on you?” Embarrassed and furious, they burst into tears. One particularly indignant woman threw herself at a bronze incense burner, hitting her head and fainting as blood flowed.
The husbands and relatives of the women, listening on the sidelines, trembled with anger. Yet, restrained by the presence of officials, they dared not act out.
The monks, exposed for their scandalous deeds, were all terrified and silently cursed their plight.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards then dragged in Ji Yao, who had been caught trying to escape, forcing him to kneel before Shen Qi.
Ji Yao stubbornly resisted, refusing to kneel, and angrily proclaimed, “The Lingguang Temple’s mountain gate still bears the imperial edict plaque! I am a monk personally acknowledged as a divine master by the Empress Dowager herself. The Empress Dowager even said she would grant me the title of ‘Universal Beneficent National Master.’ You, a mere lackey, dare storm the temple, humiliate monks, and injure me? Aren’t you afraid of Buddha’s wrath? Do you not fear angering the Empress Dowager?”
Shi Yanshuang viciously kicked the back of his knees, causing Ji Yao to fall flat on his face.
Shen Qi stepped on the back of Ji Yao’s neck and sneered coldly, “What kind of shameless charlatan dares to wave the tiger’s banner and pretend to be powerful? How could the esteemed Empress Dowager know someone like you, a fraud who deceives the world? Your slander against the imperial family warrants a death by a thousand cuts.”
Ji Yao, seeing the brutal and overbearing Embroidered Uniform Guard piling death sentences on him, truly believed they were unaware of his connections. He hurriedly lowered his voice and said, “I really am the Empress Dowager’s person! In my chamber, there’s a jade pillow bestowed by the Empress Dowager, bearing the royal seal. If you don’t believe me, you can go see for yourself.”
Shen Qi gave Shi Yanshuang a signal. The latter understood and left, returning shortly after to whisper in Shen Qi’s ear, “It’s true.”
Ji Yao’s expression visibly relaxed. He began plotting to make this Embroidered Uniform Guard kneel and apologize, thoroughly humiliating him before going to the Cining Palace to file a complaint, ensuring his head would roll as an example to all.
Shen Qi’s expression remained icy.
The Emperor’s secret decree echoed in his mind: “If you discover anything unspeakable within this matter, ensure it disappears forever. No matter who it is, even yourself, if anyone dares to utter a word, I’ll take their head.”
At the time, Shen Qi had respectfully bowed his head and said, “I obey your majesty’s orders. I have one request: may I borrow an object from the Cining Palace.”
The Emperor scrutinized him for a moment before nodding slightly.
Shen Qi, with a faintly amused expression, lifted his foot off Ji Yao’s neck, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, “If you say another word, not even the Empress Dowager can save you.”
Ji Yao’s face showed horror.
He had assumed his downfall was due to excessive profiteering or accidentally seducing an official’s wife, leading to revenge through the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Now, hearing these words, it seemed his opponent knew the truth. But why make such a scene? Whose orders were they following?
Shen Qi, as if reading his thoughts, continued, “Don’t you know the Embroidered Uniform Guards are directly under the Emperor’s command?”
Ji Yao turned pale, realizing the Emperor himself wanted him dead. Internally, he cried, “Heaven has abandoned me!”
“It’s not the end yet. Why panic? As long as you keep quiet and do as I say, I’ll ensure you keep your life.” Shen Qi said, pulling out a gold hairpin inlaid with gems from his sleeve, flashing it before Ji Yao’s eyes before quickly tucking it away.
Ji Yao immediately recognized it as the gold hairpin depicting the Wangmu riding a celestial bird, frequently worn by the Empress Dowager. He blurted out, “Are you someone of the Empress Dowager?”
Shen Qi didn’t answer, his expression unreadable.
He understood that when people were pushed to the brink, knowing they were doomed, they might act out in desperation. Ji Yao, a shameless monk, might very well reveal his disgraceful ties to the Empress Dowager. If that happened, her reputation would be tarnished, and the Emperor’s rage would surely implicate him as well.
Capturing Ji Yao was not difficult; the challenge lay in ensuring his death was beyond reproach while silencing him before he could speak.
If Ji Yao were to be executed immediately, the Empress Dowager’s honor could be preserved, but such a severe case, unresolved in court, would draw the attention of officials. Their scrutiny might escalate into chaos, making it hard to contain the fallout.
This would violate the Emperor’s demand for discretion.
After much thought, Shen Qi devised a cruel plan, boldly borrowing an item from the Empress Dowager.
Ji Yao, seeing Shen Qi’s cryptic behavior, believed him even more. In desperation, he begged, “I must see the Empress Dowager!”
Shen Qi replied, “Not now. The Emperor’s decree is here; who dares defy it? I have a plan. Later, do not resist. Confess to all charges for now. Once we reach the Northern Surveillance Bureau Fusi prison, I’ll swap you with a death row prisoner resembling you. After the official procedures are completed, I’ll take you to the Empress Dowager, and you can plead your case.”
Ji Yao knew his rise to power was entirely due to the Empress Dowager’s favor. Now, with the Emperor seeking his death, he had no hope without her protection. His only chance was to appeal to her mercy, hoping she could persuade the Emperor to spare him or, at worst, secure his safe exile.
“But keep this in mind—if you utter nonsense and reveal the ‘heavenly secret,’ neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager will spare you!”
Ji Yao repeatedly nodded, “I understand, I understand. I won’t utter a single word about the Empress Dowager. Please, my lord, save me!”
Shen Qi smiled faintly. “Follow my instructions, and I guarantee your life will be spared.”
Ji Yao hesitated for a moment before saying, “Then give me the gold hairpin. I’ll return it to the Empress Dowager once I enter the palace.”
Shen Qi understood that Ji Yao wanted it as a token to protect his life. He discreetly handed the hairpin to him.
Ji Yao accepted it, tucked it into his sleeve, and finally felt a bit relieved. “I’ll do whatever you say, my lord.”
Turning to the monks inside the hall, Shen Qi sternly shouted, “You bunch of scoundrels at Lingguang Temple! You’ve used false divine pretexts to deceive the people and committed vile acts against virtuous women. You deserve nothing less than death! Men, bind every monk in the temple and escort them back to the Northern Surveillance Bureau.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guard followed the order, pouncing on the monks like wolves and tying them up tightly. The monks, panicked and desperate, pleaded for help from Ji Yao. But Ji Yao, playing the coward, ignored them and allowed himself to be quietly escorted away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The other worshippers were released, but as for the fates of the violated women, Shen Qi paid them no further attention.
—
Before dawn broke, over a hundred monks were crammed into the prison cells of the Judicial Office, occupying four entire chambers.
During the interrogation, confessions were extracted. To save his own life, Ji Yao fully cooperated, admitting to all crimes of fraud, extortion, and the defilement of women.
A few stubborn elders refused to confess initially, but after torture was applied, they eventually gave in. Seeing this, the other monks, including the abbot, spilled everything they knew, confessing their sins as if pouring out a bamboo basket of beans.
Shen Qi treated Ji Yao courteously in private, reassuring him that he only needed to stay in the prison a few more hours. Once the formal documentation was filed, Shen Qi promised to escort him into the palace.
Ji Yao was placed in a single cell to wait. Hungry and anxious, he abstained from food and drink, nervously awaiting Shen Qi’s arrival to switch him with a death-row inmate and smuggle him into the palace to seek the Empress Dowager’s favor.
From morning until night, he finally saw a jailer lead a hooded prisoner into his cell, remove his shackles, and escort him out.
Meanwhile, the other monks, frightened and despairing, wailed and cursed in their cells. As night fell, a jailer entered, removed their chains, and said, “You’re free to leave. Your abbot’s powerful connections have cleared your names. You’ve been released!”
Elated by this miraculous turn of events, the monks cheered and rushed out of their cells. One of them inquired, “Where’s our abbot?”
The jailer replied, “Follow the corridor. You’ll see him once you leave the dungeon.”
The monks, pushing and shoving, hurried along the corridor. As they emerged, they saw a jailer slicing his shoulder with a blade and shoving the bloody weapon into Ji Yao’s hands.
The jailer, clutching his bleeding wound, staggered back and shouted, “Prisoner escape! Armed rebellion! The prisoners are rebelling—”
Caught off guard, Ji Yao was sprayed with blood. Holding the weapon that was forcibly handed to him, he stood frozen. It took several seconds before he realized what had happened and screamed, “I’m innocent! I didn’t escape! You tricked me! I’m—”
An arrow shot from the shadows pierced his skull, cutting off his cries mid-sentence. Ji Yao collapsed like a lifeless tree.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard surrounded the monks with gleaming blades, trapping them like cornered animals. Terrified and disoriented, someone among the monks shouted, “Grab the weapons on the ground! Fight your way out!”
In their desperation, the monks instinctively obeyed, picking up axes and knives scattered nearby.
Shen Qi stood under the eaves, lowering his bow. A cold smile crept across his lips. “Armed prisoners attempting rebellion? Execute them all!”
A squad of archers appeared on the rooftop, releasing a rain of arrows upon command.
The monks, clumsily wielding their stolen weapons, were no match for the volley of arrows. In moments, over a hundred of them were reduced to lifeless, blood-soaked bodies. The courtyard was littered with corpses, rivers of blood flowing freely.
When the arrows ceased, the Embroidered Uniform Guard moved in to finish off any survivors. Shi Yanshuang approached Shen Qi and reported, “Sir, all 134 escapees have been executed. None survived.”
Shen Qi asked coldly, “Where did the weapons come from?”
Shi Yanshuang grinned. “The wicked monk Ji Yao used his sorcery to deceive the guards, sneaking the weapons into the prison disguised as bedding.”
Shen Qi sneered, “Leave the scene untouched. Notify the Dali Temple and the Censorate to send officials to inspect it personally. Let everyone see that we at the Northern Surveillance Bureau act by the law, not only solving the case of the wicked monk but also thwarting a rebellion under the Emperor’s very nose.”
With that, he dropped his bow, approached Ji Yao’s corpse, retrieved the golden hairpin from the sleeve, and left.
At the Northern Surveillance Bureau gates, Shen Qi mounted his horse, carrying a freshly written report of the case and the jade pillow retrieved from Lingguang Temple. With these wrapped securely in a bundle, he rode straight to the palace to meet the Emperor.
