販馬記

桂枝本為馬商李奇之女，之下尚有一弟保童。後母三春常趁李父販馬西陵時紅杏出牆，後更欲與情人田旺合謀殺害桂枝與保童。桂枝逃出李家，幸得劉氏夫婦收留，後與趙寵相遇，二人情投意合。另邊廂李父販馬歸來，三春謊稱桂枝姐弟意外墮潭死亡，時婢女春花不敢坦白真相而自盡身亡，三春與田旺乘機誣陷李奇為兇手，縣官受賄將李奇收監。趙寵高中，隨即出任褒城縣正堂一職。桂枝輾轉重遇身陷囹圄的老父，望夫婿能助其父雪冤。趙寵建議桂枝易裝打扮，與他同往向新按院大人遞狀。原來新官正是保童，他與桂枝在公堂相遇，得悉老父冤情。保童與家人團圓，誓擒姦夫淫婦，為老父翻案。最後趙寵妹巧施妙計，三春以為鬼魂索命，嚇得供認罪狀，李奇全家團聚結局。

The Story of Horse Selling

Guizhi and heryounger brother, Baotong,are the children of horse merchant Li Qi. Their stepmother,Sanchun, has an affair while their father is away selling horses in Xiling. When the adulterers try to kill the brother and sister, Guizhi flees and is fortunate enough to be taken in by Liu and his wife. Later on, Guizhimeets Zhao Chong and falls in love with him.

When Guizhi’s father finally returns, his wife lies to him, saying that both his children drowned accidentally. Afraid to tell the truth, the maid Chunhua hangs herself, and the adulterers seize the opportunity to accuseLi of murder. They bribe the county magistrate, who then sends Li to prison. With her husband,Chong, fresh from passing the imperial examination and obtaining an appointment as magistrate of BaochengCounty, Guizhi goes to see her father in prison in hopes that his innocence can be proven.

Chong advises his wife to disguise herself and go with him to file a complaint to the new inspector general, who turns out to be none other than her brother, Baotong. He meets Guizhi at the court of law and learns about his father’s situation. Reunited with his family, Baotong vows to arrest the sinful adulterers and prove the innocence of his father. An ingenious trick devised by his sister gives Sanchun, the stepmother, the illusion that the maid’s ghost has come to claim her life, which frightens the adulteress into admitting to her crimes. The whole family of Li Qi is happily reunited.