The Upright Official Yu Shilong is a fictional adaptation inspired by Yu Chenglong, a renowned official from the early Qing dynasty. After Yu Chenglong died of overwork while serving as governor-general of Liangjiang, the Kangxi Emperor praised him as “the most incorruptible official under heaven.” This novel is based primarily on the major achievements of Yu Chenglong’s life. Told in novel form, it explores the art of governing, social administration, impartial judgments, and much more, with a rich and varied plot. Here is an introduction to the protagonist, Yu Shilong:
Yu Shilong, courtesy name Beiming, was from Taiyuan, Shanxi. From a young age, he aspired to help the people and devoted himself to his studies, hoping to use what he learned to serve his family and country.
After enduring many hardships, he entered government service. His first post was magistrate of Luocheng, a remote place overrun with weeds and brush, where the people lived in poverty. The official residence was dilapidated and offered little shelter from wind and rain. The food was coarse, and there was often not enough to eat. Yet hardship never swayed Shilong from his resolve: he made caring for the people his priority. He went into the countryside himself to encourage farming and teach agricultural skills, and gradually the granaries grew full. Throughout his life, Shilong served in many places, and wherever he went, he governed for the people’s benefit. He was incorruptible, selfless in public service, and lived without fine food, splendid clothes, or luxurious homes. He worked tirelessly, rising before dawn and staying up late, always striving to improve the people’s lives. He loved the people as if they were his own children, feeling their hunger and cold as his own, and their suffering as his own. In the end, he fell ill from years of overwork and died in office.
After his death, his belongings were inspected. All they found were a few sets of old clothes and a handful of odds and ends. His colleagues and the people alike wept at the sight.
When the Kangxi Emperor heard of his virtue, he praised him as “the most incorruptible official under heaven.” Shilong’s integrity and noble character inspired countless people of principle to uphold honesty and incorruptibility and devote themselves to the people and the country.
Author’s note: This novel is entirely fictional and has no connection to historical events!
Concise and easy to understand
Why not get the whole family together? The article written by the author is too cruel 😎 Do you have to separate your flesh and blood to be an official?