Bao Zheng was a powerful politician in the Chinese Song Dynasty. He rose in power in the reign of Emperor Renzong. This politician was born on March 5 999AD in Hefei Province. Bao Zhen was commonly known as Bao Gong and stayed on the political scene for 25 years.
Who is Bao Zheng?
Bao Zheng is a Chinese word that means to guarantee. The Chinese magistrate was commonly known for his impartial judgments. Today, this man is honored in China as a symbol of justice. The stern judge was known for his intolerance of corruption and injustice. Lord Bao or Bao Gong was born in a scholar family in Hefei. By the age of 29, Bao had passed the highest level in the imperial examination and was appointed as Jianchang County’s magistrate.
How old is Bao Zheng?
Bao Zheng was 63 years old when he died. He was born on March 5th, 999AD, and died on July 3, 1062. He was born into a middle-class family in Shenxian to a scholar father and a peasant mother who climbed the mountains to fetch firewood before she gave birth to him. Bao’s parents struggled to educate him, and in his struggles, he learned about the hardships of other people, and his passion for justice and no corruption only fueled his ambitions. Bao qualified as a Jinsi at the age 0f 29.
How did Bao Zheng die?
Boa passed away in the Capital of Kaifeng in 1062. Before his death, he left a warning that any member of his family or any of his descendants who would receive bribes or participate in acts of corruption was to be outcasted and to never be allowed back home.
This member was to seize being Bao’s descendant, and he or she was never to be buried in the ancestral land. He clearly stated that any person who did not share his values was not his descendant. Bao did not die a natural death as he was killed. These findings were reported after his body was dug and found to have been poisoned. According to rumors that ran around, any person who rose through the ranks and became powerful was poisoned by Emperor Renzong.
As Bao’s reputation included impeaching one of the Emperor’s close relatives, these rumors came close to the truth. However, the famous magistrate had begun getting ill, and the Emperor called all famous doctors to try and treat him. The last medicine he ate came from the Emperor, and that’s where the rumor began. Bao was buried at Daxingji in 1063, and his wife, Lady Dong was buried beside him in 1068.
Conclusion
Bao is undoubtedly an iconic leader who symbolizes integrity and justice. The statues and cemetery of the legendary leader remain at Bao Gong Temple in Hefei after its reconstruction in 1985. This was not the original grave, as the original was burned during the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Bao Zheng continues to be celebrated in Chinese culture.
