北宋の時代、開封府に包拯という名の清廉潔白なる名裁判官がいた。人々は親しみを込め、また畏敬の念をもって彼を「包青天」と呼んだ。彼の裁きは公正無私を極め、皇族であろうと平民であろうと、法の下には等しく平等の扱いをなした。権力者からの賄賂や脅しなど、包拯の強き信念の前では全く無力であった。
In the Northern Song period, there was a renowned judge named Bao Zheng in Kaifengfu who was known for his integrity and incorruptibility. People called him "Bao Qingtian" (Bao the Clear Sky) with both affection and awe. His judgments were extremely fair and selfless, treating royals and commoners alike as equals under the law. Bribes and threats from the powerful were completely powerless against Bao Zheng's strong convictions.
ある日、開封府に一人の老女が駆け込み、訴えを起こした。彼女の息子が無実の罪を着せられ、死刑の判決を受けたというのである。事件の背後には、地元の有力者である豪商の悪辣な陰謀が隠されていた。豪商は自らの罪を隠蔽せんがために、金で偽証人を雇い、役人を買収して罪のない青年に濡れ衣を着せたのであった。
One day, an elderly woman rushed into Kaifengfu to file a complaint. She claimed that her son had been framed for a crime he did not commit and had been sentenced to death. Behind the case lay the wicked conspiracy of a local influential wealthy merchant. To conceal his own crimes, the merchant had hired false witnesses and bribed officials to pin the blame on the innocent young man.
包拯はただちに事件の再調査を命じた。有能な配下たちを動員し、事件現場の足跡やわずかな物的証拠から、証人たちの証言の矛盾に至るまで、徹底的に洗い直した。偽証人たちは包拯の鋭い尋問にかかっては、次第に言葉に詰まり、ついに豪商から金を受け取って嘘の証言をしたことを白状したのである。
Bao Zheng immediately ordered a re-investigation of the case. Mobilizing his capable subordinates, he thoroughly reviewed everything from footprints at the crime scene and slight physical evidence to contradictions in the witnesses' testimonies. Under Bao Zheng's sharp interrogation, the false witnesses gradually became tongue-tied and finally confessed that they had accepted money from the merchant to give false testimony.
真実が明らかになると、包拯の怒りは頂点に達した形相となった。彼は豪商を法廷に引き摺り出し、彼がこれまで犯してきた数々の悪行を皆の前で白日の下に晒した。豪商は金と権力を用いて包拯を買収しようと試みたが、そのような愚行は包拯の燃え盛るような正義感をさらに煽る結果となるだけであった。
When the truth was revealed, Bao Zheng's anger reached its peak. He dragged the merchant into court and exposed his many past evil deeds to everyone in broad daylight. The merchant tried to buy off Bao Zheng using money and power, but such foolishness only served to further kindle Bao Zheng's burning sense of justice.
見事な裁きをもって、若者は無罪放免となり、老女は涙を流して感謝した。一方、豪商とその一味には彼らの罪に相応しい厳格な刑が処された。包拯のこの名裁きは、人々の間に長く語り継がれることとなり、法と正義は決して金や権力に屈するものではないという揺るぎない事実を、天下に知らしめたのである。
With an admirable judgment, the young man was acquitted and released, and the old woman wept tears of gratitude. Meanwhile, the merchant and his gang were given strict punishments befitting their crimes. This famous judgment by Bao Zheng was passed down among the people for a long time, making known to the world the unwavering fact that law and justice never yield to money or power.