Bao Zheng likes calligraphy and is quite accomplished in the art of calligraphy.
On one occasion, Bao Zheng was transferred to Duanzhou as a local official. Guangdong inkstone here is very famous.
Soon after he took office, he heard that successive local officials exploited the people in the name of paying tribute to Duanyan, and the inkstone workers were miserable.
In order to find out, one day Bao Zheng put on casual clothes and went to the village where inkstone workers were most concentrated to understand the situation.
When Bao Zheng entered the village, he heard a tinkling sound from a small hut. Inkstone workers are chiseling inkstone blanks and carving patterns.
I saw that the inkstone workers were all in rags, sallow and emaciated. While working, they complained that the government wanted more inkstones, but paid less.
Back to the yamen, Bao Zheng immediately found Zhang Kao-wen, the scribe who handled the tribute inkstone. This man bribed his boss with Guangdong inkstone to please his master.
As soon as he heard Bao Zheng ask about Guangdong inkstone, he presented a high-quality inkstone, and said that please send more good inkstones to Bao Zheng.
Originally, Duanzhou paid only ten tributes to the court every year according to the regulations, but local corrupt officials increased the number privately, pocketing their own money and hurting inkstone workers.
The more Bao Zheng thought about it, the more angry he became. His face was livid, and he slammed Zhang Kaowen of Guangdong Province to the ground.
Zhang Cowen broke out in a cold sweat, only to know that "Bao Qingtian" was really selfless, so he knelt down and kowtowed for mercy.
Bao Zheng wondered this time: Did his men take bribes behind his back and hide in the boat? He immediately called everyone together for questioning. Everyone said they were not possessed.
Bao Zheng told him to tell the truth, but Zhang Cowen didn't dare to hide it, so he confessed the facts of corruption and extortion of corrupt officials and evil gentry for many years.
Bao Zheng issued a notice accordingly, stipulating that the number of tribute inkstones should not be arbitrarily increased, and the wages of inkstone workers should not be deducted. People are very happy.
When Bao Zheng left office, Duanzhou men, women and children came to the dock to see him off. Many people brought gifts, which were declined by Bao Zheng.
The official ship went down the river with praise and soon reached the Antelope Gorge. The clear sky suddenly rolled with dark clouds, and the turbid waves vacated.
Bao Zheng felt something strange, but he wanted to be honest all his life, and God would never embarrass himself. However, after a while, the wind did not stop and the waves did not stop.
Bao Zheng repeatedly asked, when his extremely suddenly knelt down and admitted that someone had given him a piece of Guangdong Province before he left. He thought it was a trivial matter, so he privately accepted it for Bao Zheng.
Hearing this, the Bao Zheng immediately ordered extremely take out the inkstone. This Duan inkstone is wrapped in yellow cloth and carved with dragons and phoenixes. This is really a good inkstone.
Bao Zheng has a passion for calligraphy and a soft spot for stationery. But he didn't even look, so he threw Duan Yan into the river.
Strange to say, when the inkstone fell into the river, it was calm and the clouds opened the sunrise.
Shortly after the ship set sail, a sandbar appeared where Duan Yan sank. The yellow cloth wrapped around the inkstone flowed down the river, turned into yellow light and turned into a beach. Legend has it that the "Yanzhou" in Guangli Town of Guangdong Province and the "Huangbusha" in Shapu Town were formed in this way.
bao zheng