Local corruption and a stalled murder trial set the plot in motion. Ximen Qing (西门庆) and Xia Longxi (夏龙溪) took bribes and framed two men to close the case. The county magistrate Hu Shiwen (胡师文) declined to pursue the real suspect. A devoted servant, An Tong (安童), refused to accept the verdict. He begged his way to Kaifeng and found a relative of the victim, Huang Mei (黄美). With a letter and funds he reached the inspecting commissioner Zeng Xiaoxu (曾孝序). Zeng read the petition and acted immediately. He ordered searches and sent men to seize Miao Qing (苗青). Investigators led by Di Sibin (狄斯彬) followed a strange clue along the river. They dug up a buried corpse. Monks admitted they had taken the body from the water and later buried it. An Tong identified the remains as his master Miao Tianxiu (苗天秀) and wept. The commissioner released the wrongfully detained and rebuked rough subordinates. Further inquiry revealed a corrupt chain. One official had accepted five hundred taels. Alarmed, Ximen and Xia conspired to bribe higher officials. They dispatched Laibao (来保) and Xia Shou (夏寿) to the capital. There they sought the steward Zhai Qian (翟谦) at the Taishi household. They learned that powerful memorials by Cai Jing (蔡京) had been advanced. Cai Jing proposed seven measures that centralized revenue and won the emperor's favor. Emperor Huizong (宋徽宗) accepted many proposals and the inspector's accusations were suppressed. Meanwhile Ximen used the new salt certificates to scheme for profit. He also staged ostentatious tomb rites and festive banquets to curry favor. Cai Zhuangyuan (蔡状元) and the censor Song Yushi (宋御史) were drawn into a lavish supper at Ximen's house. Entertainers including Dong Jiaor (董娇儿) performed. Cai flattered Ximen and promised help securing thirty thousand salt permits. Zeng's bold memorials and later remonstrances led to his demotion and exile. The narrative thus binds a vindicated investigation to a wider picture of court politics. Exposed justice collides with entrenched power. Private gain and official influence decide outcomes more than simple truth. FREE transcripts of the audio files are available for download at: https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/

这一段描写围绕清河县冤案与地方权奸的相互勾结展开。西门庆与夏龙溪受贿枉法，将罪责嫁祸他人。小差安童不甘，艰难千里赴开封乞讨寻黄美，得书信和银子后直入督察院，曾孝序因此重审此案。沿河挖出尸首，僧人承认曾捞入水中并入土。审问揭露贿赂链条，竟有人收受五百两银子，包掩者面临法网。西门庆为自保修坟祭祀，家中幼子又因坟事高热，李瓶儿和吴月娘焦虑。来保与夏寿急赴东京求援，翟管家以太师府势力周旋，得知蔡京所上七条议制已获恩准。蔡京借奏章压下弹劾，曾孝序上书指斥反被弹劾贬戍岭南。朝中权势交易使正义易被掩蔽，西门庆趁机以盐引投机牟利，并以豪宴结交权贵，托人通力走章。叙事既有对冤案的查证，也有官场勾结与私利交易，显示在权力和金钱面前，公理多次被吞没，人物命运随朝局起伏而变化，引人唏嘘。 音频文件的字幕稿可在以下网址免费下载： https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/