There was a henpecked official who one day got an ugly scratch from his better half. The next day, when he presented himself at the yamen, the Perfect saw the mark on his face and inquired what had happened to him. The official prevaricated:

“I was enjoying the cool last night under the grape trellis when it suddenly collapsed. I got a few scratches from the accident.”

The Perfect, however, gave him the lie and said:

“It must have been your wife who did this. Have the runners bring her in at once!”

The Prefect did not know that his own wife was eavesdropping at the time at the rear of the hall. Exasperated, she barged in. Terrified, the Prefect whispered to the official:

“Come back later. My own trellis is about to collapse.”