Zhao Bingzhong

Zhao Bingzhong (1573-1626), with courtesy name of Jiqing and literary name Qiyang, was an official with the degree of Zhuangyuan in later Ming Dynasty. He was born in Zhengmu, Yidu (today`s Qingzhou). He was a diligent student and became bufu student at the age of 15. At that time, Liuyi, an educational inspector was very strict. Once in an examination in Changle county, he found a student cheated and put answers in his shoes. Therefore he ruled all students had to wait barefooted in the snow to enter the examination place. Zhao was angry and asked Liuyi why all students had to be punished just because of one`s fault. Liuyi realized his faultiness and abolished the rule. In 1598, Zhao obtained the degree of zhuangyuan in the imperial examination. At the age of 30, he became an examiner in the imperial examination and since then he had selected a lot of talented people, such as Zhang Wei, Yao Ximeng, Zhou Shunchang and Sun Chengzong. He once proposed to Emperor Shenzong to restore Emperor Jianwen`s reign title. Emperor Shenzong said: ``That is a story long time ago. We`d better not to change.`` He said: ``The state affairs should be decided by whether they are appropriate or not, but not whether they are old or new.`` In the end, he persuaded Emperor Shenzong to restore the reign title for Emperor Jianwen. Later he became vice minister of Rites Ministry. During the reign of Emperor Xizong, Wei Zhongxian, likely the worst of the evil eunuchs, virtually run the country. He had his political rivals tortured to death. He hated and distrusted Zhao and often said ill of him in front of the Emperor. But Emperor Xizong trusted Zhao. Later, Zhao was disillusioned with the situation of the court, and asked for resignation for several times. In the end he got the permission of Emperor Xizong who also promoted Zhao to be minister of Rites Ministry. With that title, he returned to his hometown. But he was soon involved in ``Liu Zhongying`s Case`` and was demoted. Later, the Wei Zhongxian faction became even corrupted and evil and more and more innocent people were jailed. In 1626, Zhao died in resentment. In the earlier year of Emperor Chongzhen, his case was redressed and he was restored the title of minister and was given a high-level funeral. In 1983, the examination paper, by which he obtained the degree of zhuangyuan, was found in Zhengmu village of his hometown. Unfortunately his tomb, grand and gigantic, was destroyed in 1958.