Throughout history, the values of righteousness, loyalty, and moral integrity have been cherished and revered across cultures. These virtues are exemplified in timeless tales that showcase individuals who, regardless of their circumstances, chose to uphold what was right, often at great personal cost. The following stories from ancient China illustrate how these values were embodied by ordinary people who became extraordinary through their actions.
Father and son united in chivalry
Fan Zhongyan, a renowned scholar and official, once sent his young son Fan Yaofu on a mission to transport fifty barrels of wheat from Suzhou. During his journey back, Fan Yaofu’s boat stopped in Danyang, where he encountered his friend Shi Yannian.
“How long have you been staying here?” Fan Yaofu asked.
Shi Yannian replied: “I’ve been here for two months. I’ve handled three funerals, but the coffins are buried in shallow earth. I want to return to the northwest to provide a proper burial, but I have no one to help.”
Hearing this, Fan Yaofu immediately decided to help. He handed over the wheat transport boat to Shi Yannian and then rode his horse alone, taking a shortcut through Changlu. He quickly returned home and paid his respects to his father.
“Did you see any old friends when you visited Suzhou?” Fan Zhongyan inquired.
Fan Yaofu replied: “I met Shi Yannian. He was stranded in Danyang because he could not properly bury his deceased relatives. He hadn’t encountered chivalrous people and had no one to turn to.”
Fan Zhongyan asked: “Why didn’t you hand over the wheat transport boat to him?”
“I have already done so,” Fan Yaofu answered.
Fan Zhongyan nodded repeatedly, pleased with his son’s decision. This act of chivalry, where loyalty to a friend was placed above personal gain, reflects the deep-seated values of righteousness that Fan Zhongyan had instilled in his son.
Righteous and loyal servants
Li Yu saves the master’s son
Similar acts of righteousness and loyalty can be seen in the story of Li Yu, a man who risked his life to save the orphaned son of his master, Lu Yan, after their family was massacred during an attack on Cangzhou. Despite the danger and his own impoverished circumstances, Li Yu carried the young Lu Qi on his back, relying on begging to provide for him. The local people lauded Li Yu as a righteous man for preserving the last of the Lu family. After growing up and rising to prominence, Lu Qi repaid the kindness by ensuring that Li’s son, Li Du, succeeded in the imperial examinations, thus securing his future.
The unwavering loyalty of Zhao Yansi
Another tale of unwavering loyalty is that of Zhao Yansi, a servant who devoted his life to caring for the family of his deceased master, Zhao Linji.
Zhao Linji was a diligent scholar and a skilled writer. Emperor Taizong of Song promoted him to Chief Draftsman, but he died after just a year. His son, Zhao Laizhi, was also talented in literature, but died on official duty at the frontier. The Zhao family was impoverished, with three young daughters, no land to support themselves, and no place to live.
Zhao Yansi, who had served the family for years, found himself unable to abandon them out of a sense of duty. Therefore, he devoted himself to providing clothes and food for the family, enduring all hardships without complaint. In this way, 10 years passed.
At this time, Zhao Yansi traveled to the capital to seek out Zhao Linji’s old friends, hoping they would help arrange marriages for the three daughters. He broke down in tears when he met them, explaining the situation in detail. Moved by his selfless dedication, they arranged for the three daughters of the Zhao family to come to the capital where they found outstanding scholars to marry them. Once the three daughters found their homes, Zhao Yansi finally departed.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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