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The Chief Scoundrel of the Eastern District

A fellow named Song, a minor functionary in the district office, nicknamed “The Chief Scoundrel of the Eastern District,” fell head over heels in love with his neighbor’s beautiful son. With endless wiles he seduced the youth and they made love. But then the father discovered them and made his son hang himself. These events remained secret — no one else found out.

One night Song dreamt he was arrested and taken to the police headquarters in the underworld, where he was told the boy had denounced him. Song defended himself, saying, “I really loved the boy; I did not mean to do him any harm. His death is his father’s fault; I had no way of knowing what was going to happen.” But the lad replied, “If you had not seduced me, how else would I have been dishonored? And if not for that, why should I have died? If we look at the causes of this misfortune, if you are not guilty, then who is?”

Song, still trying to explain, was saying, “I may have been the one to seduce you, but weren’t you the one who consented? The one who turned to look my way, and smiled, and came over to make love, who was it? I didn’t force you, so how can you blame me?”

The underworld police official, bursting with fury, shouted, “The boy was ignorant, and fell into your trap! You hooked a fish and cooked it — how dare you now say the fault lies with the fish?” And he pounded the table with his fist. Song woke with a start, shaking with fright.

Some time later, another official was denounced for corruption and was dismissed. During the trial Song too was implicated. Even before being sentenced he already was sure that this was divine retribution for his many sins. He even told his friends about his dream. But when the verdict finally came down, it turned out that all he got was three years hard labor. He said to himself, “You can not trust the dream world.”

After three years Song was set free, and he returned to his village. In the mean time however his neighbor, still angry over his dishonored son and taking advantage of the fact that Song’s wife was left alone, had seduced her with rich gifts. Before money, there is no one who will not bend. Song, worried about what the neighbors would say, killed himself for shame. In fact, if he got away with his crime at first it was only to await a better occasion to show that between what is done and what is received there is the same relationship as that between a body and the shadow that trails it. Is that not so?

China, Qing Dynasty, 1644 - 1912

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Editorial Board, World History of Male Love, "Chinese Folktales", The Chief Scoundrel of the Eastern District, 2000 <http://www.gay-art-history.org/gay-history/gay-literature/gay-mythology-folktales/homosexual-chinese-folktales/china-gay-boy-pederasty/china-gay-boy-pederasty.html>




from Bejing Hand Scroll

Beijing, Qing Dynasty,
late 19th c.

Click image to see
entire scroll









from Bejing Hand Scroll

Beijing, Qing Dynasty,
late 19th c.

Click image to see
entire scroll



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