He Zhu, in the early years of Shaoxing, moved to the palace to serve the imperial history, he played many times to discuss current affairs, emphasizing that officials should be fair and selfless, and rewards and punishments should be strict, so as to establish the trust inside and outside the court. At that time, the imperial court wanted to move the palace statues from Wenzhou to Huzhou, which inevitably caused annoyance and resentment along the way. He Zhu objected to this: "Eastern Zhejiang is in the midst of a drought, and if it increases the labor and loss of money, it may arouse public resentment." Ask for simplicity and don't disturb the public too much. As a result, the plan to move the idol was halted.
In the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), He Zhu was the Zhongcheng of the Imperial History, and when Qin Hui framed Yue Fei in prison, he was appointed to preside over Yue Fei's trial.
Although the Yue Wang Temple in Hangzhou is famous, the Yue Fei Temple in Tangyin, Henan Province, also has its own unique features. Although not as famous as the former, the Yue Fei Temple in Tangyin is also worth a visit. The majesty of its architecture is not inferior to that of the Yuewang Temple in Hangzhou, and the more than 30 colorful statues in it can take you back to that changing era. Here is not only the image of Qin Hui and other traitors who framed Zhongliang, but also the statues of the five virtuous ministers, who are Zhou Tong, Zong Ze, Han Shizhong, Liang Hongyu and He Zhu. The first four must have been heard of by everyone, and the admiration arose spontaneously, so how did He Zhu become a virtuous person?
Anyone with a little knowledge of Song history knows that He Zhu, who is the official of the Imperial History Observatory, was once a close confidant of Qin Hui. Although he has the duty of "rumors", more often than not, he adheres to Qin Hui's will and impeaches Yue Fei with the traitorous party, and has many untruths about Yue Fei, and even requests that Yue Fei be punished quickly to show his disloyalty. However, how did He Zhu, who was Qin Hui's right-hand man and a member of the same traitorous party, enter the Tangyin Five Sages Temple?
Although the History of the Song Dynasty is brief, there are still traces to follow. He Zhu, the word Boshou, a native of Yuhang, was born in Zhenghe for five years, successively served as a state and county official, and later entered Beijing as an official, and gradually rose to the high position of Zhongcheng in the imperial history, and became an important minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. Emperor Zhao Gou and the treacherous minister Qin Hui wanted to get rid of Yue Fei, a dissident, and first ordered He Zhu to be in charge of the interrogation. This is enough to see the trust that the emperor and Qin Hui have in him. However, it was this interrogation that allowed He Zhu to earn a reputation as a virtuous minister.
He Zhu led Yue Fei to the court and asked him about his rebellion. Yue Fei immediately tore his clothes, revealing the words 'Serve the country with loyalty' on his back, which penetrated deep into his skin. After review, He Zhu found that there was no evidence, so he made it clear that Yue Fei was innocent. This shows that after seeing the words on Yue Fei's back, He Zhu immediately realized that Yue Fei was wronged. Maybe he was already aware of Yue Fei's grievances, otherwise he would not have impeached Yue Fei with the party at Qin Hui's behest. So can it be speculated that He Zhu, as a Beijing official, did not know the truth about the front line, and that his impeachment was deceived by Qin Hui? The history books do not explicitly say it, and we do not know. But when he saw the words on Yue Fei's back and the scars on his body, and listened to Yue Fei's generous statement, he was like an enlightenment, and suddenly woke up and realized his mistake.
He Zhu informed Qin Hui of Yue Fei's grievances, and Qin Hui was displeased, saying, "This is the emperor's intention." However, He Zhu resolutely said: "How could I compromise just for the sake of one Yue Fei? At present, if the strong enemy is not destroyed, killing the general for no reason will lose the heart of the soldiers, which is not a long-term solution for the country." He argued with reason, leaving Qin Hui speechless. The logic of his defense is clear: In the current situation of a strong enemy, a general like Yue Fei cannot be killed, otherwise he will lose his military spirit and be detrimental to the country. He also deliberately used the word "unjust" to make it clear that it was an unjust prison.
If He Zhu was a real traitor, it would be impossible for him to "know his innocence", let alone take a huge risk to debate with Qin Hui. He was well aware of the consequences of going against Qin Hui, but he still chose justice. Because of this, he later fell out of favor in front of Zhao Gou and Qin Hui, and Qin Hui was even ready to exile him to Lingnan. But because of Zhao Gou's opposition, he was finally demoted to Huizhou.
Although He Zhu is a native of Yuhang and has no direct connection with Tangyin County, he entered the Five Sages Temple in Tangyin and enjoyed the sacrifices of generations of Tangyin people. This is precisely because of his righteous deeds that have touched people. Perhaps it was his righteousness that moved another inquisitor, Wednesday, to choose to live in seclusion in the mountains after "knowing his innocence". The evaluation of He Zhu in the history books is: "Casting filial piety and frugality, although he is high and powerful, he has no house to live in, so he has to live in a Buddhist temple." It is also difficult for people to defend Yue Fei's injustice. At this point, our understanding of He Zhu should be more comprehensive.