A Mysterious Death in Zhejiang Province

On the ninth day of the tenth month in the twelfth year of Emperor Tongzhi’s reign (November 28, 1873), a seemingly ordinary death occurred in Yuhang County, Zhejiang province that would eventually shake the foundations of Qing dynasty bureaucracy. Ge Pinlian, a 30-year-old local tofu shop worker, succumbed to what appeared to be erysipelas – a bacterial skin infection. The circumstances surrounding his death, however, would spiral into one of imperial China’s most famous legal cases.

Ge’s mother noticed something peculiar while preparing her son’s body – faint traces of bloody fluid leaking from his nose and mouth. Suspicious of foul play, she filed a formal complaint with the county magistrate’s office demanding an autopsy. What began as a routine death investigation would soon expose deep systemic flaws in Qing judicial administration and spark a three-year legal battle that reached the highest levels of imperial power.

The Principal Characters Emerge

The case revolved around two central figures who would become household names across China. Yang Naiwu, a 32-year-old newly minted provincial graduate (juren) from a prosperous silkworm-farming family, was known locally for helping villagers draft legal petitions. His tenant, 17-year-old Bi Xiugu (nicknamed “Little Cabbage” for her striking green trousers and white blouse), was Ge Pinlian’s young wife.

Local gossip had long speculated about an affair between the educated landlord and his attractive tenant, fueled by their frequent interactions – Bi often sought Yang’s help reading Buddhist scriptures, while Yang’s family occasionally invited her to dinner when her husband worked late. Though no evidence of impropriety surfaced, the rumors created a ready-made narrative when Ge suddenly died.

Magistrate Liu Xitong’s Rush to Judgment

County Magistrate Liu Xitong, a veteran official with examination qualifications, conducted the initial investigation with shocking negligence. His coroner declared poisoning based on a silver needle test performed without proper cleansing procedures. Liu’s assistant then speculated about arsenic poisoning, transforming a natural death into a potential homicide.

Before even visiting the scene, Liu had already heard salacious rumors about “the goat eating the cabbage” (a pun on Yang’s surname meaning “goat”) from local scholar Chen Hu. The magistrate essentially reconstructed the classic Water Margin tale of Pan Jinlian poisoning her husband to be with her lover. Under brutal torture – including thumb presses and leg squeezes – Little Cabbage eventually confessed to poisoning her husband with arsenic allegedly provided by Yang.

The Legal Machinery Grinds Forward

Despite glaring inconsistencies in the evidence – Yang had an alibi for the supposed poison delivery date, and the implicated pharmacy neither stocked arsenic nor had any record of such a sale – the case progressed through multiple judicial levels with disturbing momentum. Each reviewing official found reasons to uphold the verdict:

– Hangzhou Prefect Chen Lu (a military officer turned civil administrator) relied on his friendship with Liu and anti-intellectual bias against Yang’s petition-writing activities
– Zhejiang Provincial Judge Kuai Hesun noted the weak motive but deferred to prior rulings
– Governor Yang Changjun, a Hunan Army veteran, conducted a sham “secret investigation” that merely rubber-stamped the original verdict

By winter 1873, the case seemed resolved – Yang sentenced to immediate beheading, Little Cabbage to death by slow slicing. But the persistence of Yang’s wife Zhan Caifeng and sister Yang Juzhen would keep the case alive through multiple appeals.

The Power of Public Opinion

Four key forces converged to reopen the case:

1. Hu Xueyan: The famous “Red-Top Merchant” provided crucial financial backing for the appeal
2. Xia Tongshan: A Hanlin academician and imperial tutor who brought the case to court circles
3. Weng Tonghe: The powerful Minister of Justice who identified procedural flaws
4. Shenbao: China’s pioneering modern newspaper provided extensive coverage that shaped public opinion

The newly-established Shenbao played a particularly revolutionary role. Initially reporting the case as sensational gossip, its journalists gradually exposed judicial misconduct and published Yang’s eloquent prison petitions verbatim – unprecedented transparency that turned regional legal proceedings into national news.

The Empress Dowager Intervenes

By 1876, the case had become a political lightning rod. The Hunan Army faction’s dominance of Zhejiang officialdom since the Taiping Rebellion bred resentment among local elites. Eighteen Zhejiang-born capital officials jointly petitioned for review, forcing Empress Dowager Cixi’s direct intervention.

The final act unfolded dramatically at Beijing’s Haihui Temple, where Ge’s exhumed remains underwent public examination before dignitaries and foreign journalists. The bones showed no signs of poisoning, only natural decomposition. Magistrate Liu’s desperate attempts to explain away the evidence collapsed under scrutiny.

The Aftermath and Historical Significance

The case’s resolution in January 1877 carried profound implications:

– Over 100 officials received punishments, including Governor Yang and Magistrate Liu
– Yang and Bi were cleared of murder but punished for “improper relations”
– The scandal weakened regional military cliques and strengthened central control
– It demonstrated newspapers’ growing influence in Qing society

More than just a true crime story, the case revealed systemic issues in late-Qing governance: overreliance on torture, factional politics trumping justice, and the challenges of maintaining imperial authority over local officials. The participation of merchants, journalists, and provincial elites in securing justice also hinted at emerging civil society forces that would shape China’s modernization.

The enduring cultural legacy of Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage – from operas to television dramas – speaks to its timeless resonance as a story of perseverance against institutional injustice. For historians, it remains a richly documented case study of law, society and power in China’s turbulent nineteenth century.