An Ancient Story of the Consequences of Adultery
 
During the Qing Dynasty, there were twin boys who lived in Yuzhang County. They not only looked the same, they acted the same as well. Even their parents could not tell them apart. The parents named them after they started to speak to differentiate them.
 
When they reached the age of school, they continued to demonstrate equivalence in terms of understanding the teachings, writing, and even the amount of ink used. At the age of 20, they became students of a court academic at the same time.
 
After they grew up, they both got married. The parents worried that their wives would have a hard time telling them apart, so they taught their daughters-in-law to identify them based on their different clothes. A year later, each wife gave birth to a son on the same day. The neighbors exclaimed, “Same fortunes and same appearances. Everything about them must be the same!”
 
When the twins turned 31, they both passed the county-level imperial examination and proceeded to take the provincial examination. During the exam period, an attractive young widow lived next to the place where the brothers stayed. After some time, she began to secretly seduce the older brother. However, the older brother refused with stern words. He worried that this woman would try to seduce his younger brother, so he told his younger brother what she did and advised him, “You and I look exactly the same. If she tried to seduce me, she will most likely try to seduce you as well. You should not fall for her and lose your virtue!” The younger brother nodded and agreed.
 
The widow did not know that the brothers were twins and that they looked exactly the same. She thought the younger brother was the older one, so she tried to seduce him again. The younger brother fell for her and committed adultery. After a while, their feelings for each other grew. The younger brother promised the widow, “If I am successful in the imperial examination, I will marry you.” When the results were released, the older brother was successful in the examination while the younger brother failed. The younger brother deceived her again, saying, “This year, although I was successful, I still need to take the spring examination next year. After getting a better grade, I will marry you and you will have a richer and happier life.” Then he told her that he had run out of money to prepare for the examination. The widow really trusted him and gave him all she had saved to help him.
 
The following spring, the older brother was able to obtain A grade. The woman thought it was the younger brother who did well, and she was looking forward to becoming his wife. However, she never heard from the younger brother again, and depression led to sickness. She wrote a letter to tell him about her painful feelings. She soon died from depression.
 
The widow's letter finally ended up in the older brother's hands. He was very surprised after he realized what had happened. He questioned the younger brother about his behavior and was very disappointed. The younger brother had nothing to say in front of the facts. The following year, the younger brother's son died suddenly. The younger brother was so saddened that he could not stop crying. He lost his eyesight because of it and died soon after. The older brother continued to be fortunate and prosperous in life, with many children and grandchildren.
 
From Historical Records of Virtuous Education by Shi Yujie
 
拒色诱福禄圆满　通孀妇己死子殇
 
清朝时，豫章地方有一对双胞胎男子，两个孩子不仅相貌相同，而且音容笑貌完全划一，谁长谁幼连其父母也难以分辨。到两个小孩能够说话的时候，父母分别为两个孩子命名，以此来区别。
 
等到年及启蒙，入私塾读书的时候，不论是对于所学内容的领悟和了解，还是写字的行文著墨，两个孩子也是完全一样。年龄刚及弱冠，两人又同时成为博士弟子。
 
成年娶妻后，父母害怕二人的媳妇无法区分各自的丈夫，就教两个媳妇按照两人不同的衣履穿著区别二人。过了一年，两个人的妻子又同时生了孩子。邻居们都说：“命同相同，也真应该事事相同啊！”
 
到三十一岁时，二人同时县试及第，赴省城参加省试。在省城考试期间，他们的寓所和一个漂亮孀居的少妇住所相邻。日来月往，孀居的少妇开始偷偷的挑逗、诱惑其兄长，被其兄长正色严词拒绝。其兄长害怕这个孀居而漂亮的少妇去挑逗、勾引他的弟弟，就把少妇挑逗勾引自己的事告诉了自己的弟弟。并且特别告诫自己的弟弟说：“你与我面貌完全相同，她既然挑逗、勾引于我，必然也要挑逗、勾引于你。你可千万别被她迷惑，做损德的事啊！” 其弟弟表面点头称是。
 
由于孀居少妇并不知道二人孪生、面貌言语姿势相同一事，以弟为兄，再行挑逗勾引之举，其弟竟顺水推舟，与邻家孀居的少妇私通。天长日久彼此情感渐熟，其弟对少妇发誓说：“我如科举及第，一定娶你为妇。”等到科举发榜，二人中兄长及第，胞弟却名落孙山。于是其弟弟再次欺骗少妇说：“我今天虽然考试及第，但是还要参加明年的春试，到时等我考取甲等再来娶你，更能让你荣华富贵。”并且告诉少妇自己缺乏考试所需的资财。少妇信以为真，就把自己终身所蓄交付给其弟，资助其考试。
 
第二年春天，二人中的兄长科考又登甲等之位，邻家少妇却以为与自己私通的人连考连捷，朝起日夕盼望被迎娶为妇。但是，苦于对方渺无音讯，逐渐抑郁成疾，不得已私下修书一封，诉说其内心之苦，不久便抑郁而死。
 
最后，少妇所修之书落入了兄长之手，其兄见信异常吃惊，诘问、责备其弟弟的损德之为，其弟在事实面前，也无法为自己的行为辩解。第二年其弟的儿子，突然暴病而殇。其弟悲痛异常、痛哭不止，致双目失明，不久也伤心抑郁而死。而其兄长却是福厚禄丰，子孙绕膝，被时人称为福禄圆满。
 
文据史玉洁《德育古鉴》