The Affair of The East Window Is Exposed

During the final years of the Sung dynasty, China was invaded by Jin people from the north. General Yue Fei led the army in resistance, and defeated the enemy. Just as he was about to take advantage of his victory and attack the Jin army, he received word that the emperor had ordered him to return. As it turned out, this was actually a plot of Chin Hui, a Sung dynasty official who was conspiring with the enemy. In order to frame Yue Fei, Chin Hui had tricked him into returning early. Chin Hui had thought this plot up together with is wife, under the east window of their house.

Sometime later, Chin Hui and his son Chin Shi died, one right after the other. Chin Hui's wife hired someone who could communicate with ghosts and spirits to come and find out how her husband and son were doing after death. After he had finished, the man said to her, "I first went to see your son, who told me that your husband was in the city of Feng-du. So I went there and found him doing hard labor, wearing iron cangue. He asked me to tell you that the thing which you two discussed under the east window has already been exposed."

Now, when a wrong-doing is brought to light, it may be said that "the affair of the east window has been exposed."

東窗事發

宋朝末年，北方的金人來侵犯，將軍岳飛率領軍隊勇敢抵抗，終於把敵人打敗。正想乘勝追擊敵人的時候，忽然皇帝下了十二道金牌，命令岳飛和軍隊立刻回去。原來這是私通敵人的太師秦檜的詭計，假冒皇帝的意思來陷害岳飛。秦檜的這些詭計，都是他和妻子王氏在家裡的東窗下祕密商量出來的。

後來秦檜和他的兒子秦僖相繼死亡，王氏請了幾個研究神鬼靈魂的人來，想知道他們父子死後的情形。來的人在做法以後告訴王氏說：「我先見到了公子秦僖，他告訴我秦太師在酆都城，我到了酆都城，看見太師正戴著鐵枷做苦工呢。他讓我轉告你，你們在東窗下商量的那件事已經被揭發了。」