In a cold village north of the Wei River, Xiao Yan was the youngest of five sons. His family owned nothing but the bare walls of their home, yet he was always crouching outside the village school window to eavesdrop, and no one could chase him away. That shamelessly tenacious streak touched Su Lian, a former imperial censor who had retired from public life. Su taught him everything he knew and gave him a bronze tablet engraved with the strength of an upright character.
At twenty, Xiao Yan entered officialdom and made his way to Chang’an, armed with a talent for being “outwardly flexible, inwardly principled, brilliantly clever, and shameless to boot.” Faced with the deep-rooted ills of the bureaucracy, he risked his life to remonstrate with the tablet in hand, once making Emperor Taizong Li Shimin smash his desk in fury. Then he would turn around with a broad grin and say, “Your Majesty is wise,” leaving everyone speechless. He investigated cases with unwavering resolve, refusing to yield even when members of the imperial family pleaded for leniency. Yet he was so adept at working within the rules that the powerful, who hated him to the bone, could never find grounds to bring him down.
From county commandant to duke, he forged a path unlike any other. He stood alongside Wei Zheng, becoming the “mirror of the people” whom the emperor both loved and loathed. He gathered retainers and welcomed heroes, building a following of his own. Several remarkable women also stood by his side, some gentle, some spirited, and some clever, lending warmth to his legendary life.
This is the story of a poor young man who wrapped his integrity in wisdom and used sheer stubbornness to break through the barriers of class. In the glorious age of Zhenguan, he fought for the people, for his mentor, and for his belief that “the pure can stand tall in this world.” In the end, as Duke Zhongyi, he left behind an enduring legend: “His iron bones forged a spotless name, his loyal heart shines through history.”
He proved to the world that an incorruptible official need not live a tragic life, and an outspoken minister can live brilliantly too.
I Use My Iron Bones to Hold Down Mountains and Rivers
Biography of Jing Yan: Zuo Yingzheng Supported Su and Opened Kyushu
Exiled to the Borderlands from the Start, with Emperor Wu of Han as My Father
Great Tang: I, Li Chengqian, Keep Powerful Ministers in Line
Great Tang: I Stole the Imperial Seal and Declared Myself County Magistrate from the Start
The Poor Soldier’s Edge: From Border Recruit to Great Xia’s God of War
Is it an AI article? Chapter 28, do you want to see what is written? The Northern Song Dynasty articles are all out 😂
The chapters are too confusing and do not line up with each other, and some of the titles are not consistent with the Tang Dynasty and are not rigorous.
Not bad, I can watch it