In the tumultuous times of the Qing Dynasty, a man named Fang Guancheng (1696-1768) from Tongcheng experienced a life filled with both fortuitous encounters and narrow escapes from peril. His early years were marked by adversity when his father was forcibly conscripted into the army due to involvement with a distinguished author whose works sparked controversy for their politically sensitive content. Despite these challenges, Fang Guancheng embarked on yearly journeys to visit his father, traveling on foot to the distant provinces beyond the Great Wall.
Fang Guancheng meets a benefactor in Ningbo
One New Year’s Eve, Fang Guancheng journeyed to Ningbo, Zhejiang, in search of refuge with a relative. Upon witnessing the opulence and arrogance of the household servants, Fang, in his modest attire, hesitated to approach, fearing rejection.
In a quandary and with dwindling funds, Fang Guancheng opted to rent a modest dwelling nearby, making daily inquiries about his relative’s disposition from neighboring locals. A butcher, noting Fang’s demeanor and intelligence, candidly advised him against seeking assistance from the relative, known for his lack of familial empathy.
Disheartened yet pragmatic, Fang Guancheng pondered his next steps. The butcher, recognizing Fang’s scholarly background, proposed an arrangement: Fang Guancheng would assist with the year-end accounts in exchange for lodging. This collaboration not only yielded successful debt collections, but also fostered a warm bond between Fang Guancheng and the butcher’s family, culminating in a generous offer of clothing and travel funds from the butcher.
A twist of fate in Hangzhou
Fang Guancheng’s subsequent travels brought him to Hangzhou, where he happened to come across a fortune teller at West Lake. The fortune teller, upon seeing Fang, hailed him as a “noble guest,” foreseeing a future of high officialdom for him. Fang Guancheng, taken aback, dismissed the notion humorously, citing his background as a criminal’s son, which he believed barred him from officialdom.
The fortune teller, unfazed, insisted on a private conversation, where he confidently predicted Fang Guancheng’s rise to significant positions, but also warned that he “would not die well.” He also asked for a favor: “When you become the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu in the future, if a military general delays military affairs and deserves to be executed, please save him, which will be considered as a reward for me.”
Despite Fang Guancheng’s initial skepticism, the seer’s insights and generous aid propelled him toward Beijing, armed with a prophecy and a name to remember for a future act of mercy.
Navigating adversity
Fang Guancheng’s journey to the capital was marred by misfortune when bandits stripped him of his belongings, leaving him stranded and penniless. This setback left him with no choice but to head to Baoding, where he sought refuge with an old acquaintance.
Yet fate had more trials in store. En route, a severe snowstorm engulfed him, rendering him unconscious and nearly frozen to death outside a dilapidated temple. He was only saved by the timely intervention of a compassionate monk who discovered him, giving him shelter and nursing him back to health with warm broth.
This chance meeting blossomed into a profound friendship, and the monk offered Fang Guancheng sanctuary for several months. Recognizing Fang Guancheng’s dire circumstances, the monk entrusted him with selling a collection of valuable seal carvings, a task that brought him to the bustling streets of Baoding.
When he arrived, Fang Guancheng set up a stall in front of the Governor’s office to sell the seal carvings. However, when the Governor came out from his office, his attendants, impatient with how much time Fang Guancheng took to pack up his stall, brutally whipped him. In a fit of anger, Fang Guancheng threw the seals away and decided to travel on to Beijing to set himself up at Donghua Gate and try to make a living as a fortune teller.
A new chapter in Beijing
One day, Prince Ping happened to pass by, taking notice of the elegant calligraphy on Fang Guancheng’s signboard. He inquired and learned that Fang had written it himself. Greatly impressed, Prince Ping then invited him to his estate to serve as his secretary. This position not only provided him with stability, but also ushered him into the circles of the elite.
Fang Guancheng’s reputation as a talented calligrapher and scholar quickly spread, eventually catching the eye of Emperor Yongzheng during a royal visit to Prince Ping’s residence. Impressed by Fang Guancheng’s articulate brushwork, the emperor summoned him, bestowing upon him a prestigious position within the imperial bureaucracy. From then on, his career prospered, and within less than 10 years, he rose from a humble scribe to a high-ranking official.
Repaying past kindness
After Fang Guancheng rose to prominence, he summoned the butcher from Ningbo. He gifted him with a substantial sum of silver and arranged a good marriage for the butcher’s daughter. He also sent someone to the Xugu Temple to repay the monk for saving his life.
Later, Fang Guancheng became the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, in charge of military affairs outside Jiayuguan Pass. When an army general was found guilty of delaying military affairs and faced execution, he remembered the fortune teller’s request and made every effort to forgive him. To his surprise, the general turned out to be the fortune teller’s son.
Seeking to change fate
After achieving high officialdom, just as the fortune teller predicted, Fang Guancheng became worried about the other prediction he had made, that he “would not die well.” Therefore, he arranged for someone to bring the fortune teller to him in order to seek a way to avert disaster. The fortune teller said: “Fate is difficult to change. Unless you perform a great deed, saving the lives of millions of people, it is not likely you can move the heavens.”
Fang, however, took it as a challenge. He searched through the government records and learned that hundreds of refugees died on the roads in his province each year. He then decided to establish a relief agency for them.
Upon seeing him the following day, the fortune teller congratulated him, saying: “Sir, your face is full of a newfound radiance. It is an auspicious sign indicating that you must have performed a deed of great merit. Not only have you been spared from a bad end, but you also have the prospect of seeing your descendants rise to prominence. What have you done?”
Fang Guancheng explained his plan in detail to him and then implemented it, thereby saving many people. Later, a crisis occurred in the military camps of Shaanxi and Gansu, where two governors and a general were executed. According to military law, Fang should have also been executed, but the Emperor specially decreed that he receive a pardon.
Fang Guancheng’s life was filled with legend. In his early years, he encountered his guardian angels and went through ups and downs. Later, he escaped the destined calamity due to his good deeds. “Heaven’s way is impartial, always favoring the virtuous.” By cultivating virtue and doing good deeds, one will receive the protection of the heavens, enabling one to seek good fortune, avoid disasters, overcome dangers, and receive continuous blessings.
Translated by Joseph Wu
