《史记·七十列传·酷吏列传》
外戚们多诽谤宁成的缺点，他被依法叛处剃发和以铁缚脖子的刑罚，这时九卿犯罪该处死的就处死，很少遭受一般刑罚，而宁成却遭受极重的刑罚，他自己认为朝廷不会再用他当官，于是就解脱刑具，私刻假的有关文件，出了函谷关回到家中。
外戚多毁成之短，抵罪髡钳。是时九卿罪死即死，少被刑，而成极刑，自以为不复收，於是解脱，诈刻传出关归家。
The Empress's family slandered Ning Cheng's faults, he was sentenced to have his hair shaved and have an iron collar put around his neck, at the time the Nine Ministers were sentenced to death if they committed crimes, and were rarely given ordinary punishments, but Ning Cheng was given a very heavy punishment, he thought that the court would never use him as an official again, so he escaped from his punishment, forged some documents, and escaped out of the Hangu Pass to return home.