Ancient China had a long history of officials who upheld integrity and honesty in their duties. The following two stories from the Eastern Han Dynasty illustrate the remarkable moral fortitude of ancient Chinese officials, who remained honest and unbiased even when confronted with personal relationships and tempting situations.
Su Zhang handles cases without favoritism
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, a man named Su Zhang served as the governor of Jizhou. One of his old friends was appointed as the magistrate of Qinghe County, which was under Su’s jurisdiction.
One day, while inspecting Qinghe County, Su discovered that his old friend had been involved in corrupt practices, such as taking bribes and abusing his power. Su decided to investigate the matter and invited his old friend to a banquet.
The magistrate of Qinghe County had already learned that Su Zhang was aware of his corrupt actions, and he tried several times to probe him for information during their conversation at Su’s banquet. However, Su consistently deflected the topic, insisting that they avoid discussing official business.
The magistrate of Qinghe noticed that Su Zhang didn’t mention his own corrupt behavior, and instead, warmly entertained him and reminisced with him. As a result, he believed that Su Zhang was intentionally protecting him. This made him complacent, and he boasted: “Everyone has only one life, but I have two!” The implication was that, with Governor Su’s protection, no one could harm him, and he could act recklessly without fear of punishment.
When Su Zhang heard these words, he was taken aback and his expression turned to one of displeasure. He locked his gaze onto his friend and gave a serious reply: “Tonight, Su Zhang would like to invite you for a drink as a sign of our longstanding friendship. However, private feelings cannot override public laws. Tomorrow, in my role as governor of Jizhou, I will investigate your illegal activities. I cannot prioritize our personal friendship over my duty to uphold the law.”
The next day, Su presided over the trial with impartiality, and under the law, he sentenced the magistrate of Qinghe County to the appropriate punishment.
The people of Jizhou praised Su as an official who refused to show favoritism. Meanwhile, the corrupt officials who had previously oppressed the people were all filled with dread and fear, unable to rest easy. The social corruption and evil practices were swiftly put to an end.
Magistrate of the one-coin prefecture
In ancient China, the prefecture was a level of the administrative division below the province. A prefecture was further divided into smaller administrative units called “counties” or “districts.”
The term “one-coin” prefecture refers to the size of the administrative area. It refers to a very small area, perhaps only one town or village, that is so small that it is only worth one coin’s worth of tax revenue. It was from such an area that Liu Chong, who had served as a magistrate, was being transferred.
Liu Chong was known for his honesty
Liu Chong served as the magistrate of Kuaiji in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was known for his honesty and devotion to his duties. He was about to leave his post and was being transferred to the capital city for a promotion. Five older men with white hair came to bid him farewell as he was departing. They had been sent by the people from the remote mountainous area south of the village.
Liu thanked the old men and said: “I haven’t done much for all of you during my time as magistrate for the prefecture. You are all so old, yet you have traveled so far to send me off. I feel ashamed and unworthy.”
The five old men replied: “We live deep in the mountains and rarely venture out. In the past, the officials were only interested in money and material possessions. They caused chaos day and night, disturbing our peace. But since you became the magistrate, they no longer bother us. Even the village dogs no longer bark at night. We have lived in peace and harmony for several years and are grateful to you. We heard you were leaving, and we couldn’t bear to see you go. So we come here on behalf of everyone to bid you farewell and express our gratitude.”
Each of the men gave Liu a hundred copper coins to help him on his journey, saying: “You have worked hard for many years and have been diligent in your duties in our little backwater area. We know you probably don’t have much money for your journey to the capital, so we pooled our resources to give you something for the road.”
Liu was moved and said: “You give me too much credit. I have not done much. I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept your money. Please take it back with you.”
The older men wouldn’t hear of it and insisted on giving the money to Liu. In the end, Liu took one coin from each of them to symbolize his acceptance, and the older men were happy to part ways.
After they had left, Liu quietly threw the coins into the river. When people learned about this, they praised him and called him “Magistrate of the one-coin prefecture.” They also renamed the area where he had served as “Qianqing Town” in his honor, since “qianqing” is Chinese for “uncorrupted by money.”
Liu Chong showed that he was not in office for personal gain, but to serve the community. His act of throwing the coins into the river symbolized his commitment to fairness and justice, and it earned him the respect and admiration of his constituents. His small act of integrity left a lasting impression on the community, as evidenced by the renaming of the town.
Translated by Joseph Wu
