Ning Xuanzhou was born in a dungeon. His parents were wrongly convicted and died in prison, leaving him to grow up with only their two skeletons for company. When the new emperor ascended the throne, he cleared the Ning family’s name and granted a general amnesty. The court offered Ning a generous reward and summoned him to take up the post of magistrate in Linshui County. Knowing all too well how fickle officialdom could be, he refused every reward and took only the five taels of silver the court had confiscated from the Ning family years ago. Carrying his parents’ remains into the world, he served as an incorruptible official with an unbending spirit, staying true to himself and protecting the people.
