Jiang Chunlin: the Last Iron Censor

This book takes "Keep it straight, don't break it" as its spiritual backbone, and unfolds the soul-stirring life of Jiang Chunlin, the "iron censor" of the late Qing Dynasty, in a panoramic manner. Under the willow-shaped "Innocent Heirloom" plaque at the ancestral house in Meiyang Village, the young Chunlin used charcoal drawings to judge the judge's will, and his green anger against the tax collectors in the rainstorm had already planted the seeds of petitioning for the people. The purple stone inkstone handed over by his grandfather was engraved with the four words "Be firm and do not break", which became his spiritual totem throughout his life. Carrying a suitcase and going to Beijing, he wrote down the shocking policy under the lights of the Gongyuan, and was strongly recommended by Weng Tonghe to enter the official career. After ten years in the Han Dynasty, he discerned the current shortcomings in the pile of old papers, made secret reports on snowy nights, wrote impeachments with hanging wrists, and played with blood and ink in the darkness of the court. During his six years as Censor, he carried out "twelve charges" against Yuan, carried a blood book to knock on doors to investigate corruption, and impeached powerful officials eight times in six years. Even Cixi lamented his "honesty", and the name of "Iron-faced Censor" resounded throughout Kyoto. After resigning and returning to his hometown, he did not relinquish his responsibilities for the people: he burned fake deeds and built the "Jianggong Embankment" so that Hagilu River would no longer devour people's livelihood; he created the "Half Plowing Study Room" and erected the monument of "Returning to the Public", using inkstones to pass on skills and using rice waves to educate people. When he was ill in his later years, he sold his mentor Weng Tong and his calligraphy treasures to pay for bridge repairs. Before his death, he refused to be named "Yu Shi Bridge" and insisted on naming it "Min Bridge" - "This bridge belongs to the people and should be engraved with the names of the people." The 60 chapters in the book connect the life trajectory from youthful determination to return to hometown. Using "Inkstone - Green Bamboo - People's Bridge" as the image chain, Jiang Chunlin's upright character goes from admonishing in the court to practicing in the countryside, and finally turns into the eternal shadow of the bridge on the Hagi River. It confirms the thousand-year motto of "Integrity will last forever, and love for the people will last forever", becoming a monument to honest officials that will never fade in troubled times.