‘Iron man’ of yore fought corruption without fear
Print Edition
SONGJIANG native Feng En (1496—1576), a royal court official during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), earned his reputation as a “four-iron official” because of his “iron mouth, iron knees, iron bones and iron guts.”
Appointed as yushi, Feng had the duty of overseeing government officials and combating corruption. While working on one corruption case, he was framed by his enemies and imprisoned. He refused to kneel down in the jail.
At that time, the Jiajing reign was notorious for corruption in government and the extravagant lifestyle of officials. One winter night in 1532, when the Jiajing emperor and his queen were taking a stroll in the royal garden, a comet with a long, dazzling tail flashed across the sky.
The superstitious emperor was frightened. In ancient China, comets portended bad things ahead. The emperor convened his officials and asked if it was an ill omen. His minions dared not speak the truth lest they incur the sovereign’s wrath. Only Feng was brave enough to speak out.
He wrote a letter to the emperor, saying bluntly that the comet was a warning from the heavens that corruption would be punished. He recommended a thorough housecleaning to remove all corrupt officials from the government and court.
The emperor reacted angrily and condemned Feng to death. The execution was delayed a year. Feng’s 13-year-old son gashed his own arm to write a letter in blood to the royal court, begging that he be allowed to replace his father and take the death sentence. The emperor, upon reading the entreaty, relented and commuted Feng’s sentence to lifetime exile in a remote area.
In old age, Feng was allowed to return to his home in Songjiang. When the “iron man” finally arrived, he was carrying only two boxes of bricks.
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