But, even while thinking of herself, Mei-chieh did not forget the Governor’s orders.  She marked the head of this new assailant also, saying: 

“What a nice sleek old pate!”

The bonze burst out laughing: 

“I am full of tender and reliable emotions.  I am not like the unmannerly people of our town.  Come and see me often.”

And he retired.

Meanwhile the Governor had left his yamen by the fifth watch, before the day had yet broken, accompanied by an escort of about a hundred resolute men, carrying chains and manacles.

Arriving at the still closed gate of the monastery, he made the greater part of his train hide to the right and left, keeping only some ten men about him.  The secretary knocked at the gate, crying that the Governor was there and wished to enter.

The first bonzes who heard his shout made haste to arrange their garments and receive the visitor.  But the Lord Wang, paying no attention to their salutations, went straight to the apartment of the Superior, who was already up and prepared to begin the ritual of his greeting.  But the Governor dryly ordered him to summon all the bonzes, and to show him the Convent register.

Somewhat alarmed, the Superior ordered bells and drums to be sounded, and the bonzes, snatched from their sleep, ran up in groups.  When the names written on the register had been called, the Governor commanded the astonished monks to remove their skullcaps.

In the full light of the morning sun three heads were seen to be marked with vermilion, but, Oh, prodigy, no less than eleven heads were covered with black ink!

“It no longer surprises me that these prayers should be so successful,” murmured the secretary.  “Indeed these bonzes are very conscientious!”

Lord Wang pointed out the guilty ones, and caused them to be put in chains, asking:  “Whence come these marks of red and black upon you?”

But the kneeling monks looked at each other and could not answer, while the whole assembly remained stricken with wonder at this strange event.

Meanwhile the secretary had gone into the Babies’ Chapel and, by dint of shouting, had roused the two harlots from a heavy sleep.

They quickly put on their garments, and came to kneel before the Governor, who asked them: 

“What did you see during the night?  Tell me the whole truth.”

Since they had agreed to the mission, the two women rendered a plain account of the events of that night, showing the pills which the bonzes had given them, and also their boxes of vermilion and black.

The bonzes, seeing that their schemes were brought to light, felt their livers turn and their hearts put out of working.  They groaned in their secret despair, while the fourteen culprits beat the earth with their brows and begged for mercy.

“Miserable wretches, you dare to preach divine intervention, so that you may deceive the foolish and outrage the virtuous!  What have you to say?”