The legendary story of Yin Bao Zheng of Kaifeng has always attracted people's attention, and he is famous for his iron-faced selflessness and ability to judge cases like a god. Although the "Bao Qingtian" TV series has many fictional plots, there are indeed some commendable cases in Bao Zheng's history. One of the most famous stories is the "Bao Zhengzhi Broken Cowtongue Case". This case demonstrates Bao Zheng's wisdom and courage, as well as his insistence on fairness and justice. The story takes place in the fourth year of Jingyou of the Northern Song Dynasty, when Bao Zheng had just finished keeping filial piety for his parents and was appointed as the Zhixian of Tianchang County, Anhui.
Early one morning, the drums outside the county office sounded eagerly, and Bao Zheng immediately notified the government officials to raise the court to ask about the case. An elderly farmer told Bao Zheng that his cow had had its tongue cut off. Bao Zheng carefully observed the broken tongue of the ox and concluded that it had been cut with a sharp weapon, and speculated that the time was the night before. Bao Zheng asked the old farmer about his relationship with others and whether any other items in his home were missing, and after receiving a negative answer, he proposed a unique solution: let the old farmer kill the cow and sell it for meat. He believed that tongue-cutters would throw themselves into the net because the beef was sold. Although the old farmer was confused by this, he followed Bao Zheng's instructions.
The old farmer killed the cows at Bao Zheng's request and took the beef to the market to sell. Although the Song Dynasty strictly forbade the slaughter and sale of cattle without permission, Bao Zheng assured the old farmer that if anyone wanted to denounce, he would bear all responsibility. Beef was very scarce at the time and was quickly snapped up. Before noon that day, the old farmer had sold all his beef, and soon after returning home, Bao Zheng sent someone to inform him that the person who cut the beef tongue had been found. In this case, Bao Zheng used a trick to "lure the snake out of the hole" and successfully let the perpetrator throw himself into the net.
Through meticulous investigation and reasoning, he ruled out the suspicion of the old peasant, and judged that the person who cut the ox's tongue must be secretly observing the dynamics of the old peasant. Bao Zheng deliberately let the old peasants kill cattle and sell meat with great fanfare, and sure enough, the thief who cut the cow's tongue appeared. In the end, Bao Zheng succeeded in bringing the criminal Bian Er to justice. This case demonstrates Bao Zheng's wisdom and ability in adjudicating cases. In addition to his wisdom in adjudicating cases, Bao Zheng was also praised for his integrity and spirit of serving the people. In history, he tried a case of a "true and false prince".
This case occurred in the second year of Song Renzong, and Leng Qing, a man claiming to be the son of Song Renzong, appeared in Kaifeng Province, claiming that his mother had been a palace maid and that he was the illegitimate son of Song Renzong. Leng Qing took out a dragon and phoenix embroidered belly as evidence, and mocked Qian Mingyi, the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture. Qian Mingyi imprisoned Leng Qing and sent him to Ruzhou. However, the case caused controversy in the court, and Bao Zheng and Zhao were sent to investigate the matter. After several months of investigation, Bao Zheng finally found out Leng Qing's true identity. It turned out that Leng Qing's mother was a palace maid released from the palace, but she gave birth to a daughter after her husband got married, and then she had Leng Qing.
Leng Qing used dragon and phoenix embroidery to hold his belly to deceive others, and finally met a Taoist priest Gao Ji'an when he was in Tanzhou, and the two came to Kaifeng Mansion together and tried to deceive the attention of powerful people. Through meticulous investigation, Bao Zheng revealed Leng Qing and Gao Ji'an's conspiracy. In the end, Leng Qing and Gao Ji'an were beheaded for public display, and the case was settled. Bao Zheng showed his courage and integrity in this case, he insisted on the truth, fearless of power, and ruled for the people. This spirit earned him praise and respect. He was also an advisor who was not afraid of power and had the courage to speak directly.
He often gave direct advice to Song Renzong, even without regard for his reputation. He once advised Song Renzong to withdraw his official post as a consolation envoy to Zhang Guifei's father, and accidentally spat on Song Renzong's face. Despite this, Song Renzong admired Bao Zheng's talent and courage. When Bao Zheng was a royal historian, he impeached many unruly officials on the basis of his supervisory duties, safeguarding the purity of the court. His strict law enforcement and spirit of upholding justice for the people won him a lot of praise at that time and in later generations.
Emperor Renzong of Song once praised him for his upright manners, treating the emperor's counsel with "the loyalty of medicine stones", and his ability to "screen the spirit of treachery". When Bao Zheng died in 1062, Emperor Renzong of Song personally mourned and stayed for a day to mourn. To sum up, Bao Zheng is a highly acclaimed Qing official in history, who is known for his iron-faced selflessness and ability to judge cases like a god. In adjudicating cases, he showed extraordinary wisdom and courage, and solved many complex cases through meticulous investigation and reasoning. In addition, he was respected for his integrity and spirit of serving the people.
He was not afraid of power, had the courage to speak out, and made great contributions to maintaining the purity of the imperial court. Bao Zheng's legendary story not only shows his personal talent and morality, but also conveys to us a value of pursuing fairness and justice. Finally, I would like to ask readers a question: do you think the title of "Bao Qingtian" correctly reveals Bao Zheng's image? Why? What do you think and feel about Bao Zheng's story? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Bao Zheng: The Evolution from "Lian Official" to "Bao Qingtian" Bao Zheng, as one of the most prestigious Qing officials in Chinese history, his image has gradually been deified in the long course of history.
However, behind this deification was based on his defiance of power and mastery of the people during his time as an official, as well as the imperial court's recognition of his honesty and integrity. From the "honest official" and "capable minister" in the official history to the "Bao Qingtian" performed by folk artists, Bao Zheng's image was widely spread in rap literary novels during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This article will explore the process of the transformation of Bao Zheng's image from Bao Zheng's biographical materials and academic research, as well as the motivation and conceptual basis behind this transformation. Bao Zheng's image transformation began with the transformation of the "honest official" in the official history into the "Bao Qingtian" performed by a folk artist.
The Ming and Qing dynasties were a time of prosperity in rap literature and fiction, and many folk artists recited Bao Zheng's story through chanting and opera. In order to cater to the tastes of the audience, these folk artists exaggerated and artistically processed Bao Zheng's image, giving it supernatural abilities and heroic images. From birth, Bao Zheng was endowed with deification and became a heroic figure in folklore. However, Bao Zheng's deified image is not unfounded, it is based on the character and ability that Bao Zheng displayed during his time as an official. Bao Zheng was known for his honesty and fairness during his time as an official, and he was not afraid of power and dared to uphold justice for the people.
He adhered to the law and discipline, and with his intelligence and courage, he handled many complex cases. Bao Zheng's correct judgment and fair ruling won the respect and praise of the people. The imperial court's recognition of him was also reflected in his nickname "filial piety", which was an affirmation of his honesty and rigidity. Behind the transformation of Bao Zheng's image is also a reflection of the changes in social concepts and needs at that time. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, social order was relatively stable, and the people's pursuit of justice and the rule of law was increasing. Bao Zheng, as a Qing official who can truly uphold justice for the people, has become a hero in people's minds.
By interpreting Bao Zheng's story, folk artists satisfied people's desire for heroic images and fair rulings, and also provided soil for the deification of Bao Zheng's image. In the process of Bao Zheng's image transformation, metadrama played a key role. Yuan miscellaneous opera is a popular form of opera from the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, which uses qu art and song and dance as the main means of expression, with various forms and rich content. The image of Bao Zheng in the metadrama is even more exaggerated, giving him supernatural abilities and a heroic image. Through the spread of meta-dramas, Bao Zheng's image has been further rooted in the hearts of the people and has become a heroic figure in people's minds.
The image of Bao Zheng in the metadrama is not only an artistic processing of historical facts, but also an expression of social concepts and values. In general, Bao Zheng's image transformation from "incorruptible official" to "Bao Qingtian" was carried out in the context of rap literary novels in the Ming and Qing dynasties. This transformation is not only the artistic processing of Bao Zheng's story by folk artists, but also a reflection of social concepts and values. The deification of Bao Zheng's image could not be separated from his honesty and integrity during his time as an official, as well as the imperial court's recognition of him. Bao Zheng's image transformation is not only a re-creation of historical figures, but also a society's expectation and pursuit of heroic images and fair rulings.
In today's society, we also need clean officials like Bao Zheng, who can defy power, be masters of the people, and safeguard social fairness and justice. At the same time, we also need to maintain a rational understanding of Bao Zheng's image, not to overly deify his image, but to use it as an example to create a better society for us. We should pay attention to the current social issues, think about how to uphold justice and the rule of law, and provide better services to the people. Only in this way can we get out of the myth of Bao Zheng and create a bright future of our own. Finally, I would like to ask a question, do you think there are still Bao Zheng-style Qing officials in today's society?
If so, how did they do justice for the people? Please leave your comments to share your thoughts with us.