He was born into a poor family. Unable to afford school, he would crouch beneath the windows outside the classroom and secretly listen to the teacher's lessons. Thanks to his uncle's support, he was finally able to enroll. He studied diligently and mastered the art of calligraphy. After more than twenty years of taking the imperial examinations, he finally achieved the highest rank of jinshi. Once he had made his name, he did everything he could to establish schools, so that children from poor families could enjoy the right to an equal education. He was unmoved by the high office and generous rewards offered by the Japanese puppet regime, refused to curry favor with the powerful, and turned down its official posts time and again. For this, his home was ransacked and he was driven away. He died in a derelict house in his old age, unable even to afford a coffin. He left no fortune, only these words: You can write characters small, but never write the character for 'person' crooked. One year after he became the top scholar, the imperial examination system, which had lasted for more than 1,300 years, was abolished. Thus he became the last top scholar in Chinese history.
