Preface:
"Master Jing and the people, do not feel sad: the sound of sighing, smell in Qulu." When Bao Zheng's coffin was carried out of multiple gates at the same time, the people were saddened because they had lost a good official for the people. Bao Zheng lived a life of honesty and integrity, and did not forget the people until his death. The story behind the 21 coffins highlights the noble quality of his selfless dedication.
First, the prefect of Duanzhou has not taken the inkstone after the expiration of his term: the wind of honesty sweeps away corruption
Bao Zheng was born in the eighth year of the Heavenly Saint of Song Renzong, and he was brilliant since childhood, and was deeply appreciated by his clan uncle Bao Gui. Bao Gui has served as Zaifu successively, and has seen countless corrupt officials, hoping that Bao Zheng will be able to help the Qing Dynasty when he grows up. Influenced by it, Bao Zheng aspired to be a benevolent gentleman since he was young, and his heart was loaded with the four big characters of 'the people are the state'.
Bao Zheng entered the rank of Shi and No. 1 at the age of 20, and first served as a local official, swept away some corrupt officials, and attracted the attention of the government and the public. In the second year of Emperor Renzong of Song's reign, he was appointed prefect of Duanzhou. Duanzhou's inkstone platform, which relies on mountains and rivers, is a tribute, and has always been used by prefects to use this to loot.
After Bao Zheng took office, the people of Duanzhou trembled, fearing that the new official would be a "disaster" when he took office. As soon as the previous prefect came to Duanzhou, he ordered his subordinates to collect the most beautiful inkstone platforms first to show the handover. The people's inkstone was looted, and they could only rack their brains for further collection. The mountains and forests of Duanzhou were quickly cut down.
Unexpectedly, Bao Zheng was a prefect for a whole year, and after his term expired, he did not take away a party of the inkstone! The people were amazed and talked about the difference between the new official and his predecessor. The local gentry said with a smile: "Could it be that our Duanzhou inkstone does not enter the eyes of the public bag?" Some people are also worried that Bao Zheng will offend the powerful and make them "nostalgic" for the beautiful inkstone platform in Duanzhou.
Bao Zheng didn't think so, and he said with a smile: "The imperial court sent me to Duanzhou not for the sake of Yantai, but to solve problems for the people." No matter how beautiful the inkstone is, it cannot be eaten, and the well-being of the people is my duty. He believes that the criterion for officials is whether they really think about the people.
Inspired by Bao Zheng's integrity, his officials did not dare to privately take the inkstone platform elaborated by the people. As a result, the mountains and forests of Duanzhou were able to rest and recuperate, and the people could finally feel at ease and no longer worry about the exploitation of the government. Bao Zheng used practical actions to build a clean barrier and effectively curb the trend of corruption.
Second, send the Liao State to plan a good strategy for the frontier: the security of the border region is related to the rise and fall of the country's fortune
The people of Duanzhou were impressed by Bao Zheng, and the DPRK also heard about it. The following year, Bao Zheng was recalled to Jingshi and soon ordered to send an envoy to the Liao state. At that time, relations between the two countries were tense and the situation on the border was precarious. Bao Zheng was apprehensive and knew the importance of border affairs. Since ancient times, the stability of the border situation has directly affected the survival of the country. Once external troubles arise, the consequences are unimaginable.
He stayed in the Liao state for a year, and the Liao Daozong appreciated his talent and offered him a generous gift to stay, but Bao Zheng resolutely refused, and only after arduous negotiations did the relations between the two countries be healed before returning. Bao Zheng played Emperor Renzong of Song and proposed that the affairs of the frontier should not be taken lightly during the extraordinary period, and must be guarded by generals who are familiar with border affairs. He analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the various generals and suggested adjusting the deployment, which was adopted by Song Renzong.
According to Bao Zheng's strategy, the Song court sent experienced generals to garrison the border fortresses, ensuring peace and stability on the border. For several years, there was no war between the two countries, the border people were able to settle down, the northern trade was revitalized, and the national strength increased. The situation on the frontier turned into a safe place, and Song Renzong greatly appreciated it and began to use Bao Zheng. Contributing to the country was Bao Zheng's original intention, and he regarded the border defense strategy as his achievement. Looking back on this experience many years later, he still laments that the rise and fall of the country depends on the safety of the frontier stretching through mountains and rivers.
Third, when supervising the imperial history, the court was purged: the righteous division cut down the traitors
After Bao Zheng returned to the dynasty, he successively served as a minister in the affairs and served as an attendant, pointing out the shortcomings of the dynasty with sharp strokes. He impeached the powerful and was not afraid of power, making the style of the court new. At that time, the court was full of traitors, and the officialdom was full of corruption. Officials collude with each other to push each other's favors on the selection of officials and rewards and punishments, so as to benefit from it. The people were miserable, and the government was increasingly degenerate.
In the fourth year of the Qing calendar, Bao Zheng was finally promoted to supervise the imperial history, and he inspected the imperial government at any time. He asked for the capture of the traitors among the magnates, causing them to panic. Among them, Cai Que and Pang Cheng were the most corrupt, and Bao Zheng first eliminated them. Cai Que was rigid, and Bao Zheng went to Song Renzong to plead his guilt, resulting in Cai Que's dismissal. Cai Que was arrogant and domineering on weekdays, and after Bao Zheng dismissed him, the government and the public cheered him.
Pang Zheng was even more domineering and abused his power, and Bao Zheng directly arrested him in prison and tortured him, and Pang Cheng could not bear to beg for mercy. His teeth were pulled out one by one before he confessed his various crimes. Bao Zheng insisted on going his own way and finally drove these traitors out of the court. The people praised Bao Zheng as the embodiment of justice, and no one in the DPRK dared to openly commit evil. Bao Zheng finally cleared the resistance and let the court be clear.
Fourth, Shou Baling worries about the country and the people: there is still a high wind in the face of injustice
Just as Bao Zheng was fighting corrupt officials, the traitor designed to frame him behind his back. In the winter of the fourth year of the Qing calendar, Bao Zheng was guarded in the remote Baling County. Coming to the barren Baling, Bao Zheng did not change his original intention, and still thought of the people. Local officials were originally lazy and neglectful, but Bao Zheng adopted a combination of encouragement and comfort to rectify the rule of officials, so that officials at all levels could scrupulously fulfill their duties. He also referred to Jiangnan's tax methods to make the tax law lighter and fairer.
Under Bao Zheng's governance, the people of Baling finally settled down, worked with peace of mind, and became prosperous day by day. In three years, Baling's output has more than tripled, and the people live and work in peace and well-known. It was also suggested to the imperial court to emulate Baling's tax law. Although Bao Zheng is in a small border county, he always thinks about national affairs. He wrote to Song Renzong many times, analyzing the situation and proposing strategies, but unfortunately he was far away in a remote place and it was difficult to govern. But Bao Zheng was not discouraged and still tried his best to serve the country.
In the past few years, Bao Zheng's mother died, and Bao Zheng did not return to his hometown to mourn, because it was at the time of the Western Xia invasion. He endured the pain and pressed his mother's coffin to his heart and continued to work until the troubles were relieved. Many people do not understand why Bao Zheng forgot his mother, but he understands that the country's righteousness is above all else.
5. The deeds of Li Chen Lihei reflect loyalty: the king needs the help of the virtuous in the world
One day, Song Renzong sent someone to send a secret decree to inquire about Bao Zheng's establishment of the crown prince. Song Renzong had many sons and was difficult to determine an heir, and wanted to use this to probe the opinions of the DPRK. Bao Zheng knew that the Son of Heaven had a heart, so he expressed his opinion, believing that the establishment of an heir was a difficult issue, and it was necessary to carefully select the best people in order to achieve long-term peace and stability in the country. If the establishment is not good, then chaos will arise.
Song Renzong saw that Bao Zheng did not seek selfish interests, but only for the sake of social welfare, and he was very moved in his heart. He understood that Bao Zheng's loyalty and purity were not like most ministers who only considered personal gains and losses. Only then did he suddenly realize that in order to reign in the world, he needs to appoint a virtuous person to assist the government, and not to arbitrarily decide on the basis of personal feelings. So he began to reuse Bao Zheng, and finally Bao Zheng was reinstated and returned to the dynasty.
Since then, Bao Zheng and Song Renzong have become increasingly close. Emperor Renzong of Song often secretly discussed state affairs with Bao Zheng and listened to his advice. Bao Zheng also wholeheartedly assisted the monarch as if it were his own.
6. When you die suddenly, cherish the people: Do not forget the sufferings of the people until death
In this way, Bao Zheng, who was old and heavy, was known for his integrity and loyalty until the winter when he was sixty-four years old, when he suddenly fell ill and passed away irrepressibly. When the people heard the news, they were all sad. The moment Bao Zheng died suddenly, he was still thinking about the suffering of the people. Before he died, he told his son, "I think most of the people in my life, and I should not disturb their lives because of my death."
In order to prevent excessive mourning among the people, Bao Zheng specially prepared 21 coffins before his death, scattered at various city gates and carried out on the same day. This makes it impossible for the people to know which mouthful is Bao Zheng's true body, and they will not be overly sad. The remaining coffins were also given to the poor because he knew that the poor could not afford a coffin, and this gift was exactly what they needed. Although he has died, Bao Zheng's benevolence still thinks about the suffering of the people.
When the tomb robbers saw this situation, they also consciously made a rule not to dig a bag to save the tomb, otherwise their peers would spurn. This further shows the noble spirit of Bao Zheng and never forgetting the people until death.
Epilogue:
Bao Zheng spent his life interpreting what it means to be "the people for the state". Behind the 21 coffins is his unchanging loyalty and benevolence until death. At first, the people of Duanzhou could not understand this "strange" new official, and later they understood that his way of serving the government was actually very simple - he had the people in his heart, and everything was for the people.