Summary of “The Revolt of Wang Xinzhi”
During the time of the Southern Song Dynasty, many were honored with sovereigns. But it happened more than once that worthy men never met with a happy fate.
The rich man Wang Shizhong got sued for murder, but somehow got out. He had a younger brother, Wang Xinzhi. Once the elder brother allowed himself a cruel joke, the younger one was offended and left the house without a penny in his pocket. He settled in the town of Madipo – Hemp slope, founded a smelting business and so succeeded that soon he crushed the entire district. Even the officials were afraid of him.
Just at that time, two brothers, Cheng-Bars and Chen-Tiger, lost their jobs and were looking for where to apply their martial arts knowledge. They asked for help from the mentor Hun Gun. He advised them to go to Wang Xinzhi and even provided a letter of recommendation.
For several months the brothers taught the military business of the son of Wang Xin-chih, Wang Shisyun, and when they set out to leave
The brothers harbored resentment. The son did not notice anything and handed a letter, once written by the father in response to the message of the mentor Hung Gun, but never sent.
Hung Gong, too, could not meet them with dignity. His wife was quarrelsome and stingy. The brutality of the brothers increased. They decided to stipulate Wang Xinzhi, accusing him of rebellious intent. So they did, and they even referred to Wang’s letter as proof: they say, he promises to fulfill everything, as agreed. The authorities conceived the idea of checking the denunciation, but someone Ho Neng was frightened and, without reaching the estate of Wang, returned and confirmed the fact of rebellious preparations.
Learning
The family of the deceased brother was sheltered by Wang Shizhong. He also raised the decayed economy of the Hemp slope, and then handed over the estate to his nephew. Over time, Wang Xinzhi’s body betrayed the land with honor, and his son and grandchildren achieved fame and high rank.