Bao Zheng
Justice Bao (包青天) Bao Zheng | |
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包拯 | |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 March 999 , Hefei, Luzhou, Northern Song Dynasty |
| Died | 3 July 1062 (aged 63) Kaifeng, Northern Song Dynasty |
| Resting place | , Luyang District, Hefei, Anhui, China 31°51′27.17″N 117°17′56.39″E / 31.8575472°N 117.2989972°ECoordinates: 31°51′27.17″N 117°17′56.39″E / 31.8575472°N 117.2989972°E |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Domestic partner | Lady Sun (孙氏) |
| Children |
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| Father | Bao Lingyi |
| Education | Jinshi |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Chinese cultural personification of justice |
| Full name | Surname: Bāo (包) Given name: Zhěng (拯) Courtesy name: Xīrén (希仁) Posthumous name: Xiàosù (孝肅) |
| Other names |
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| Bao Zheng | |||
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| Chinese | 包拯 | ||
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Bao Zheng (包拯; Bāo Zhěng; 5 March 999 – 3 July 1062), commonly known as Bao Gong (包公; Bāo Gōng; 'Lord Bao'), was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Renzong in China's Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao consistently demonstrated extreme honesty and uprightness, with actions such as sentencing his own uncle, impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong's favourite concubine and punishing powerful families. His appointment from 1057 to 1058 as the prefect of Song's capital Kaifeng, where he initiated a number of changes to better hear the grievances of the people, made him a legendary figure. During his years in office, he gained the honorific title Justice Bao (包青天) due to his ability to help peasants overcome corruption.
Bao Zheng today is honored as the cultural symbol of justice in Chinese society. His largely fictionalized gong'an and wuxia stories have appeared in a variety of different literary and dramatic mediums (beginning with The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants), and have enjoyed sustained popularity. In mainstream Chinese mythology, he is often portrayed wearing a judge's zhanjiao futou hat and a crescent moon on his forehead. Some Chinese provinces later deified Judge Bao, equating him to the benevolent war god Guan Gong.
Early life[]
Bao Zheng was born into a scholar family in (慎县), Hefei, Luzhou (present day Feidong County near Hefei, Anhui).[1] Bao's family was in the middle class, his father Bao Lingyi (包令仪) was a scholar and an official, while his grandfather Bao Shi Tong (包士通) was a commoner. Though Bao's parents could afford to send him to school, his mother had to climb up mountains to collect firewood just before she gave birth to him.[2] As Bao grew up among low working class, he well understood people's hardships, hated corruption and strongly desired for justice.[2]
At the age of 29,[3] Bao passed the highest-level imperial examination and became qualified as a Jinshi. Bao was appointed as magistrate of Jianchang County, but he deferred embarking on his official career for a decade in order to care for his elderly parents and faithfully observe proper mourning rites after their deaths.[2]
During the time Bao looked after his parents at home, Liu Yun (刘赟), Magistrate of Luzhou who was renowned as an excellent poetic and fair-minded officer, usually visited Bao. Because the two got along well, Bao obtained great influence from Liu Yun in respect of the love for people.[2]
As magistrate of Tianchang[]
After the passing of his parents, Bao Zheng, then 39, was appointed magistrate of Tianchang County not far from his hometown.[2] It was here that Bao first established his reputation as an astute judge. According to an anecdote, a man once reported that his ox's tongue had been sliced out. Bao told him to return and slaughter the ox for sale. Soon another man arrived in court and accused the first man of privately slaughtering a "beast of burden", an offense punishable by a year of penal servitude.[4] Bao bellowed: "Why did you cut his ox's tongue and then accuse him?" In shock, the culprit had to confess.[1]
As prefect of Duanzhou[]
In 1040, Bao Zheng was promoted to the prefect of Duanzhou (modern Zhaoqing) in the south, a prefecture famous for its high-quality inkstones, a certain number of which were presented annually to the imperial court. However, Bao discovered that previous prefects had collected far more inkstones from manufacturers than the required tribute—several dozens of times more—in order to bribe influential ministers with the extras. Bao abolished the practice by telling manufacturers to fill only the required quota.[5]
When his tenure was up in 1043, Bao left without a single inkstone in his possession.[1] It was in Duanzhou that he wrote this poem:
| 清心為治本 (qīng xīn wèi zhì běn) | The essence of governing is to have a cleansed heart, | |
| 直道是身謀 (zhí dào shì shēn móu) | The strategy of life is to follow upright ways. | |
| 秀幹終成棟 (xiù gàn zhōng chéng dòng) | An elegant stem will eventually turn into a pillar, | |
| 精剛不作鉤 (jīng gāng bù zuò gōu) | Refined steel cannot be bent into a hook. | |
| 倉充鼠雀喜 (cāng chōng shǔ què xǐ) | Rats and sparrows overjoy when the granary is full, | |
| 草盡兔狐愁 (cǎo jǐn tù hú chóu) | Rabbits and foxes worry when the grassland dies. | |
| 史冊有遺訓 (shǐ cè yǒu yí xùn) | History books contain teachings by those deceased: | |
| 勿貽來者羞 (wú yí lái zhě xiū) | Don't leave your descendants with only embarrassment! |
As investigating censor[]
Bao Zheng returned to the capital and was named an investigating censor in 1044. For the next two years in this position, Bao submitted at least 13 memoranda to Emperor Renzong of Song on military, taxation, the examination system, and governmental dishonesty and incompetence.
In 1045, Bao was sent to the Liao dynasty as a messenger. During an audience, a Liao official accused the Song of violating the peace by installing a secret side door in the border prefecture of , so as to solicit defectors from Liao for intelligence. Bao retorted: "Why is a side door required for intelligence?"[6] The Liao subject could not respond.[1]
In the following years, Bao held the following positions:
- of Hebei
- Vice Director of Ministry of Justice
- Auxiliary in the Academy of Scholarly Worthies (直集賢院)
- Vice Commissioner of Ministry of Revenue
Impeaching Zhang Yaozuo[]
Emperor Renzong's favourite consort had been Concubine Zhang, whom he had wanted to make empress but could not because of opposition by his (unknown to him, fake) mother, Empress Dowager Liu.[7] Nevertheless, the concubine's uncle Zhang Yaozuo (張堯佐) was quickly promoted within a few years from minor local posts to high office, including the state finance commissioner (三司使).[8] On July 12, 1050, Bao and two other censors together presented a memorandum, which in strong language accused Zhang of mediocrity and shamelessness, even attributing natural disasters to his appointments. Probably annoyed, Emperor Renzong not only did nothing to Zhang Yaozuo, he awarded Consort Zhang's sister with a title four days later. But Bao did not give up. In another memorandum submitted by himself alone, he wrote:[9]
In all dynasties, family members of imperial consorts, even when talented, were not appointed office, to say nothing of a mediocre, talentless one... In prostration, your subject saw our nation-dynasty since its founders had always carefully selected intelligent ministers for appointments, even at times of overflowing treasuries... The current (financial) state is dire and dangerous from all directions, how could this man be appointed to that post and hold on to it, dashing the world's hopes and neglecting the world's matters? Your subject really and painfully feels sorry for your majesty.
Partly to appease protests by Bao and others, the emperor relieved Zhang Yaozuo from the state finance commissioner, but instead appointed him a concurrent four-commissioner position: commissioner of palace attendant, military commissioner of Huainan, Qunmu military commissioner-in-chief (群牧製置使), and commissioner of Jingling Palace (景靈宮). In a memorandum dated December 26, Bao voiced his strong protest and wrote:[10]
The situation right now is, if your majesty is determined to appoint Yaozuo, then expel this advisor; if your majesty is to listen to this advisor, then (your majesty) must remove Yaozuo.
In the next court meeting to authenticate these posts, there was a heated argument in court led by seven ministers including Bao, which resulted in the removal of commissioner of palace attendant and commissioner of Jingling Palace from Zhang's appointment.[10] A few decades later, Zhu Bian (朱弁, 1085–1144) wrote a humorous account in his Anecdotes from Quwei (曲洧舊聞),[11] which probably contributed to the development of future legends:
One day, when the emperor was about to hold audience, Wencheng (Concubine Zhang's posthumous name) sent him off all the way to the door of the palace court, caressed his back and said: "My husband, don't forget, commissioner of palace attendant today." The emperor said, "OK, OK." When he issued his edict, Bao Zheng asked to speak. Bao spoke at length on reasons to oppose, spoke hundreds of sentences repeatedly, his voice so loud and agitated that spittle spattered the emperor's face. The emperor, to stop him, gave up (on the edict). Wencheng, ... on receiving (the emperor), bowed and gave thanks. The emperor, wiping his face with his sleeve, said: "... All you know is ask for commissioner of palace attendant, commissioner of palace attendant. Don't you know that Bao Zheng is the vice censor-in-chief?"
During his years in the government service, Bao had thirty high officials demoted or dismissed for corruption, bribery, or dereliction of duty. In addition, as the imperial censor, Bao avoided punishment despite many other contemporary imperial censors having been punished for minor statements.[2]
As prefect of Kaifeng[]
In 1057, Bao was appointed the magistrate of the capital city of Bian (present day Kaifeng).[3] Bao held the position for a mere period of one year, but he initiated several material administrative reforms, including allowing the citizens to directly lodge complaints with the city administrators, thereby bypassing the city clerks who were believed to be corrupt and in the pay of local powerful families.[12]
Although Bao gained much fame and popularity from his reforms, his service after the tenure as Magistrate of Bian was controversial.[12] For example, when Bao dismissed Zhang Fangping (張方平), who concurrently held three important offices, Bao was appointed to these offices as Zhang's successor. Ouyang Xiu (欧阳修) then filed a rebuke against Bao.[12]
Bao had also been the Minister of Finance.[13] Despite his high rank in the government, Bao led a modest life like a commoner.
Apart from his intolerance of injustice and corruption, Bao was well known for his filial piety and his stern demeanor. In his lifetime, Bao gained the name "Iron-Faced Judge" (鐵面判官) and it was also said among the public that his smile was "rarer than clear waters in the Yellow River".[14]
Due to his fame and the strength of his reputation, Bao's name became synonymous with the idealized "honest and upright official" (清官), and quickly became a popular subject of early vernacular drama and literature. Bao was also associated with the god Yanluo (Yama) and the "Infernal Bureaucracy" of the Eastern Marchmount, on account of his supposed ability to judge affairs in the afterlife as well as he judged them in the realm of the living.[15]
Family[]
Bao Zheng had two wives, Lady Zhang and Lady Dong. Bao had one son, (包繶), born 1033, and two daughters with Lady Dong. His only son Bao Yi died in 1053 at a relatively young age while being a government officer, two years after his marriage to Lady Cui (崔氏). Bao Yi's son, Bao Wenfu (包文辅), died prematurely at the age of five.[12]
However, when a young maid Lady Sun (媵妾孙氏) in Bao Zheng's family became pregnant, Bao dismissed her back to her hometown. Lady Cui, Bao Yi's wife, knowing that the maid was pregnant with her father-in-law's child, continue to send money and clothing to her home. Upon the birth of Lady Sun's son named (包