he priest would meet
their death, and the kingdom would pass to the King's two sons-in-law.

Miao Shan had returned to Hsiang Shan, leaving in the palace the bodily
form of the priest. She saw the two traitors Ho Feng and Chao K'uei
preparing the poison, and was aware of their wicked intentions. Calling
the spirit Yu I, who was on duty that day, she told him to fly to
the palace and change into a harmless soup the poison about to be
administered to the King and to bind the assassin hand and foot.

At midnight Ho Li, carrying in his hand the poisoned drink, knocked
at the door of the royal apartment, and said to the Queen that the
priest had prepared a soothing potion while awaiting the return of
the ministers. "I come," he said, "to offer it to his Majesty." The
Queen took the bowl in her hands and was about to give it to the King,
when Yu I arrived unannounced. Quick as thought he snatched the bowl
from the Queen and poured the contents on the ground; at the same
moment he knocked over those present in the room, so that they all
rolled on the floor.

At the time this was happening the assassin Su Ta entered the priest's
room, and struck him with his sword. Instantly the assassin, without
knowing how, found himself enwrapped in the priest's robe and thrown
to the ground. He struggled and tried to free himself, but found
that his hands had been rendered useless by some mysterious power,
and that flight was impossible. The spirit Yu I, having fulfilled the
mission entrusted to him, now returned to Hsiang Shan and reported
to Miao Shan.

A Confession and its Results

Next morning, the two sons-in-law of the King heard of the turn things
had taken during the night. The whole palace was in a state of the
greatest confusion.

When he was informed that the priest had been killed, the King called
Ch'u Ting-lieh and ordered him to have the murderer arrested. Su Ta
was put to the torture and confessed all that he knew. Together with
Ho Li he was condemned to be cut into a thousand pieces.

The two sons-in-law were seized and ordered to instant execution,
and it was only on the Queen's intercession that their wives were
spared. The infuriated King, however, ordered that his two daughters
should be imprisoned in the palace.

The Gruesome Remedy

Meantime Chao Chen and Liu Ch'in had reached Hsiang Shan. When they
were brought to Miao Shan the ministers took out the King's letter and
read it to her. "I, Miao Chuang, K