In the third year of Jiayou reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Bao Zheng, the censor Zhongcheng, celebrated his sixtieth birthday (59 years old). Sixty years passes. This birthday is very important in the eyes of the ancients. They usually try their best to prepare a banquet for relatives and friends to come to celebrate the birthday. However, Bao Zheng’s birthday seemed very miserable.
Six years ago, his only son Bao Qi unfortunately died young, leaving behind a several-month-old child Bao Wenfu. When he lost his son in old age, the white-haired man gave away the black-haired man. Bao Zheng endured the severe pain and guarded his little grandson. Unfortunately, God is not blind. Five years later, one year before Bao Zheng's 60th birthday, Bao Wenfu, who was only five years old, died young again, killing the last bit of the Bao family's blood.
In the past five years, his only son and grandson passed away one after another. Master Bao, who had been honest and upright throughout his life, was about to cry without tears. Although he could celebrate his sixtieth birthday, he was no longer in the mood to celebrate his birthday.
What warmed Bao Zheng's heart was that his daughter-in-law Cui strongly advocated organizing a birthday party for his father-in-law. This Cui family is the granddaughter of Lu Mengzheng, the prime minister of the Zhenzong Dynasty. She is well-educated, virtuous and upright. After Bao Wei and Bao Wenfu passed away, Bao Zheng couldn't bear to see his daughter-in-law become a widow, so he advised Cui to remarry while she was still young. Mrs. Cui refused flatly, wishing to fulfill her filial piety on behalf of her husband and never leave the Bao family.
Bao Zheng couldn't bear to refuse his daughter-in-law's kindness. But Lord Bao never expected that at the banquet, Mrs. Cui gave Bao Zheng and his wife a huge surprise.
During the banquet, Mrs. Cui suddenly brought in a baby boy who was less than one year old. She knelt down in front of Bao Zheng and said, "This child is your flesh and blood, my brother-in-law!"
The words shocked Bao Zheng so much that he could hardly sit still. He was stunned for a moment and couldn't say a word for a long time!
Fortunately, Bao Zheng’s wife, Mrs. Dong, knew her husband’s character well. After questioning, the truth came to light, and there was a twists and turns in the story.
It turns out that Mrs. Dong was not Bao Zheng’s first wife. Bao Zheng’s first wife, whose surname was Li, unfortunately died young. Mrs. Dong was Bao Zheng’s second wife. When Mrs. Dong married Bao Zheng, according to custom, she would marry a concubine. The so-called concubines are generally the young lady's personal maid before she gets married, or the sisters in the clan. After arriving at the husband's house, they serve as the male master's concubine and can accompany the young lady.
The concubine Mrs. Dong brought here is named Sun, and she should be her personal maid. A few years later, she didn't know what she had done wrong, which made Bao Zheng very angry. In a rage, she kicked Sun out of the Bao family and sent her back to her parents' home. Bao Zheng didn't know at that time that Sun was already pregnant.
When Ms. Cui learned about this, she was afraid that her father-in-law would be angry and did not dare to tell the truth. On the other hand, her husband had passed away and what she was carrying was the only flesh and blood of her father-in-law. She could not ignore it. So, without telling her parents-in-law, Cui secretly sent people to send money and rice to the Sun family, and hired people to serve the Sun family.
Soon, Mrs. Sun gave birth to a son. Around this time, Cui's only son Bao Wenfu unfortunately died. This great woman was not knocked down by the death of her husband and son, and gave all her love to her newborn brother-in-law.
Later, she simply took the child to her, secretly raised her in her room, and told the truth at her father-in-law's birthday party.
For a time, Bao Zheng was in tears. He did not expect that after he suffered the heavy blow of losing his son and grandson, God would favor him so much and give him a younger son.
Bao Zheng named the child Bao Jiao, Jiao, the ancient Chinese character for "yan". Bao Zheng's meaning was very clear. This child continued the bloodline of his Bao family. The only thing that makes Bao Zheng regretful is that he is already over sixty years old and his time is running out. Four years later, the famous Bao Zheng and Bao Qingtian died of illness, and little Bao Jian was only five years old.
In view of Bao Zheng's reputation, Song Renzong attended the funeral in person. When Song Renzong visited the Bao family, he couldn't help but feel a sore nose. There was nothing valuable in the Bao family. It was completely unlike the home of an acting Privy Councilor (the Privy Councilor was the Deputy Prime Minister). The only male in the family was only five years old. .
Song Renzong decided on the spot to confer the title of General Bao, Shilang, and Taizhu of Taichang Temple. Both of these official positions are from the ninth rank, which are low-level staff of the palace, and their salaries are paid by the royal family. Obviously, Song Renzong wanted to provide some living allowance to the Bao family.
After the mourning period was over, Song Renzong gave Bao Zheng the title of Chenglang and Dali Temple judge, and he was promoted to the eighth rank official, which was equivalent to Bao Zheng's starting point when he entered the officialdom.
From this year onwards, Ms. Cui invited a Kaimeng teacher for Bao Shou and changed his name to Bao Shou. Another year later, his aunt Dong died of illness.
Bao Shou is unfortunate, having lost his parents since childhood. Bao Shou was lucky again. He was protected by his father's kindness. From the emperor to local officials, as well as his father's relatives and friends during his lifetime, they all extended their warm hands to the Bao family. What warmed his heart the most was that he had a good sister-in-law, Cui's eldest sister-in-law, who was like a mother and raised him single-handedly.
At this time, we learned that the folk story about Bao Zheng being raised by a widowed sister-in-law and calling her sister-in-law sister-in-law turned out to be a real thing that happened to his son.
In the first year of Shaosheng reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty, Cui passed away at the age of sixty-two. Bao Shou returned home from the Imperial College and buried Cui with the etiquette of treating his mother.
Bao Shou, who grew up in care, completely inherited his father's great character. Although he was not of high rank throughout his life, he was strict with himself, honest, fair and selfless, just like Bao Qingtian was reincarnated.
In the fourth year of Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, 48-year-old Bao Shou was transferred to Tanzhou Tongpan. When he left Ruyang, the villagers helped the old and the young to see him off, and gave him their best wishes: "Please return home with kindness, Taige is now waiting for you!" ?Hope he can reach a higher level than his father and become the prime minister.
However, what is unexpected is that Bao Shou, who had always been in good health, suddenly fell ill on the way to his appointment and died on a boat ten miles away from Huangzhou.
In addition to official documents and books, people carry nothing in their bags for future use. It turned out that he died of illness and hunger!
The death of Bao Shou made the villagers sigh greatly. They all said: "The death of a good man is a sad thing for a good man." ?Because the Bao family was too poor, Bao Shou's coffin was not transported back to his hometown until the sixth year of Emperor Huizong Zhenghe of the Song Dynasty eleven years later, and was buried with his wife Wen Shi.
Hu Shi said: Bao Zheng is an arrow-stack-like figure. Since ancient times, there have been many exquisite prison breaking stories, either recorded in history books or spread among the people. Most people don't know their origins, so these stories can easily be piled up on one or two people. Among these detective-style upright officials, folk legends somehow selected Bao Zheng of the Song Dynasty to be a butt of arrows, and shot many strange cases that led to prisons on him. ?
Yes, Bao Zheng in folklore is far beyond the image in historical facts, but the origin of "Arrow Stack" is by no means groundless. Doesn't it reflect a kind of public opinion? Isn’t it a call from the national spirit?