Fifteen Strings of Cash

Fifteen Strings of Cash is a historical novel in episodic form by Huan Zhu Louzhu, adapted from the traditional Kunqu opera Fifteen Strings of Cash. Set during the Ming dynasty, the story follows brothers Xiong Youlan and Xiong Youhui, who are wrongly accused over fifteen strings of cash and both sentenced to death. Kuang Zhong, the prefect of Suzhou, dreams one night of two bears crying in anguish. He petitions for a retrial, and the truth is eventually uncovered, clearing the brothers of the charges. Through its twists and turns and vivid characters, the novel condemns bureaucratic complacency and hasty judgment, praises the pursuit of truth and the defense of the people, and reveals the author's deep reflections on judicial justice.