An ancient Chinese saying goes: “The Way of Heaven has no favorites; it always aligns with the virtuous.” In other words, Heaven treats all people equally, but it grants help and protection to those who do good deeds and act with compassion and integrity.
In ancient times, people believed in cause and effect. They valued righteousness over personal gain and were quick to help others in times of need. As a result, their wishes were fulfilled, and they were richly blessed. The following are true stories from the Northern Song Dynasty that illustrate this principle.
Zhu Ran shared porridge during a famine, and his son became a top scholar
One story recorded in Examples from the Supreme Book of Induction tells of Zhu Ran, a man from Shaxian County in Yanping Prefecture. Known for his frugality and generosity, he gave away porridge to the poor during a famine, saving tens of thousands from starvation.
Later, Zhu Ran had a son who was intelligent and eager to learn. When the boy went to the capital to take the imperial examination, many villagers dreamed of a messenger in yellow robes standing outside Zhu Ran’s home, holding a list of the top scorers. At the top of the list were four large characters: “Reward for Sharing Porridge.” When the results were officially announced, Zhu Ran’s son had indeed placed first in the entire country.
Huang Jianji helped the people and was honored by a divine being
Another story from the same book tells of Huang Jianji, a man from Chengdu, Sichuan, who was widely respected for his upright character. He always worked to help others, and everyone around him considered him a truly good person.
One night, Zhang Yong, the prefect of Chengdu and a respected official during the Northern Song Dynasty, had a vivid dream. In it, the True Lord of the Purple Palace — a Daoist deity — was speaking with him when a messenger suddenly announced: “Huang Jianji from the West Gate has arrived!” The deity immediately stepped down from his platform to welcome Huang Jianji and gave him a seat of honor, above that of Zhang Yong.
The next day, Zhang Yong sought out Huang Jianji and was astonished to find that he looked exactly like the man in his dream. Curious, Zhang Yong asked: “What good deeds have you done in your life to deserve such high regard from the divine?”
Huang Jianji replied modestly: “I haven’t done anything extraordinary. In good years, I would buy grain at harvest time, spending about 300 strings of coins. The following year, when grain was scarce and people were struggling, I sold it back at the original price. I didn’t lose anything by doing so, but it helped many families survive difficult times.”
Zhang Yong was deeply moved. “Then you are certainly greater than I am,” he said. He ordered his staff to help Huang Jianji to a seat and bowed to him personally in gratitude for his compassion. Huang Jianji lived a long and prosperous life, and his children and grandchildren all became respected and virtuous officials.
Lin Ji returned a sack of pearls, and fortune followed
According to The Annals of Youxi County, Lin Ji was a native of Nanjian Prefecture. As a young man, he traveled to the capital to take the imperial exam. While staying at an inn in Caizhou, he found a cloth bag in his room filled with hundreds of valuable pearls. He asked the innkeeper who had previously stayed in that room and learned it had been a wealthy merchant.
Lin Ji told the innkeeper: “He’s a friend of mine. If he comes back looking for the pearls, tell him to find me in the capital. Please don’t forget!” Still worried the message might not be passed along, he even wrote a note on the wall of the room explaining what had happened.
Not long after, the merchant realized the pearls were missing and panicked — he had spent years gathering them and feared his family’s ruin. He retraced his steps and returned to the inn, where the innkeeper relayed Lin Ji’s message. The merchant immediately rushed to the capital and found Lin Ji, who returned the pearls without hesitation.
Grateful beyond words, the merchant offered half the pearls as a reward, but Lin Ji firmly refused. Instead, the merchant sold half the pearls and used the money to build a shrine in Lin Ji’s honor, in thanks for his integrity.
Later, Lin Ji passed the imperial exam and was appointed magistrate of Xunzhou. During his time in office, he handled a major piracy case. His superior wanted to use the case to gain political favor and ordered Lin Ji to punish the suspects severely, promising a promotion in return.
But Lin Ji refused to compromise justice. After a thorough investigation, he found the evidence insufficient and declared all fifty-eight defendants innocent, releasing them immediately. His superior was later dismissed from office, while Lin Ji eventually rose to become one of the Three Ministers of the realm. His two sons also became high-ranking officials.
Goodness brings blessings that last for generations
An old saying goes: “Those who do good will be rewarded with good fortune; those who do evil will meet misfortune. A family that accumulates virtue will enjoy lasting blessings, while a family that commits wrongdoing will suffer consequences.”
A truly good person acts with compassion and thinks of others. Such noble character is respected by both people and the divine. All good things will follow them, while misfortune will stay far away. That’s why, throughout history, people have urged one another to do good — not without reason.
Translated by Eva
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