Mei Zhihuan (1575-1641), whose courtesy name was Binfu and also nicknamed Xintian, was a native of Macheng, Huguang. He was a minister in the late Ming Dynasty and became the governor of Gansu. Author of the poem "Inscribed on Li Bai's Tomb".
Inscribed on Li Bai's Tomb
Mei Zhihuan, courtesy name Binfu, was from Macheng, Huguang, and was the nephew of Mei Guozhen, the minister. Became a student at the age of fourteen. The imperial censor went to the ministry to review the military equipment, and Mei Zhihuan rushed into the teaching field on horseback. The censor became angry and ordered him to compete in archery with the official. Mei Zhihuan hit nine out of nine shots, mounted his horse and rode away.
In the 32nd year of Wanli (1604), he passed the Jinshi examination and was promoted to Shujishi. Seven years later, he was appointed as an official to Shizhong. Li Jun, the eunuch of Dongchang, framed and tortured the businessman, and Mei Zhihuan impeached him for his crimes. Soon Shangshu said: "In today's country, the people are poor, the treasury is lacking, bandits are rampant, and the army is weak. Officials do not talk about national affairs, but engage in factional fights. Officials give up their jobs and make some empty remarks. All national affairs are Bound by false rhetoric. Some people tried to carry out some reforms, either to say that he was troublesome or to be extra demanding. The reforms failed but slander followed, justice was not served and a lot of enemies were made. The heroes are discouraged and the mediocre are in power, and the country's affairs can no longer be carried out. I request your Majesty to strictly examine and seek truth from facts, to strengthen organizational discipline by clearing up the channels of speech, and to cherish talents by distinguishing between praise and criticism. Only in this way can the country have hope." The ministers of the court formed cliques and fought with each other, but Mei Zhihuan stayed clean. He once said: "Those who depend on villains must be villains, and those who depend on gentlemen may not necessarily be gentlemen. A fly attached to a horse will still be a fly even if it has traveled a thousand miles." "At that time, someone was pursuing the former Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng. Mei Zhihuan said: "If someone today assessed the reputation and rectified the discipline like Zhang Juzheng did, would those shameless villains who slander and frame others dare to be so rampant?" He just upholds justice like this and does not follow the opinions. someone else’s. When he was sent as deputy envoy to Guangdong, a local strongman threw the martyred woman into the river and killed him. Mei Zhihuan captured and killed him, and the people all admired his wisdom. When the pirate Yuan Jin robbed Chaozhou, Mei Zhihuan controlled the sea passage, recruited and dismissed his accomplices, and finally surrendered to Yuan Jin. Later he was reassigned to Shandong Academic Affairs.
During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, he held the autumn festival of Chang Wenjin Academy. He traveled between Macheng and Wenjin Academy, and left many poems praising Wenjin Academy. There is a poem like "I have asked about the river through the ages, and it has driven me to pass every year." Zhihuan was a famous scholar in central Chu, and he was known as the "Three Elders of Xiling" together with Li Changgeng, the Minister of Civil Affairs in the Ming Dynasty, and Liu Zhongying, the Minister of Civil Affairs.
In the first year of Tianqi (1621), Mei Zhihuan was recalled as a general political council member and appointed as Taichang Shaoqing. He promoted Youqiandu to be the censor of Nanchang and Ganzhou. It happened that his parents passed away and he returned home to live in seclusion. At this time, Wei Zhongxian and the Hakka family disrupted the government, and Yingshan Yang Lian first exposed Wei Zhongxian's evil. Wei Zhongxian hated him so much that he beat Yang Lian to death. Since then, he has become more confident in killing good people, and he has become even more unsatisfied with the Chu people. Some people say that when Yang Lian was arrested, he passed by Macheng. Yang Lian was a guilty person, and Mei Zhihuan stayed with him for several days, crying bitterly. Mei Zhihuan's official status should be removed. In fact, Yang Lian did not pass through Macheng. Soon, the rebel Liang Keshun falsely accused him of harboring stolen money and issued an edict to pursue him for the stolen money.
Emperor Zhuang Lie (Emperor Chongzhen) came to the throne, so he was exempted from prosecution, and his official position was restored and he was appointed to patrol Gansu. They defeated the bandits in Hetao, beheaded more than 700 people, captured three tribal chiefs alive, and surrendered more than 600 people. In the spring of the next year, the enemy once again invaded the mainland on a large scale, and the Dahuang Mountain area was infected with smallpox. The generals requested to take the opportunity to annihilate them, but Mei Zhihuan disagreed. He said: "It is unkind to laugh at other people's misfortunes, and it is not brave to take advantage of others' difficulties to attack. It is better to give up their troubles and establish our kindness." So he did not attack. A month later, the bandits looked at the border city and left, slapping their foreheads and crying. In winter, the capital was under martial law, and he was ordered to defend the capital. About to set off, the enemy in the west took advantage of the void to invade Hexi. Mei Zhihuan stayed, sent troops to ambush behind Helan Mountain, and met the enemy on the way back. The large army came out of Shuiquan Gorge, won two battles in World War II, and beheaded more than 840 people. Lead the troops to the east. Soon the fierce soldier Wang Jincai killed the general Sun Huaizhong and others and rebelled and fled to Lanzhou. Mei Zhihuan then marched west to quell the rebellion, then reorganized his army and headed east. Arriving at the capital in May of the following year, he was already late. There was an edict asking Mei Zhihuan to go to court. The next day, another edict was issued to suspend Mei Zhihuan pending investigation. By this time, Wen Tiren had assumed power. When Wen Tiren attacked Qian Qianyi, Mei Zhihuan wrote a letter to protect him. At this time, Wen Tiren remembered his previous grudge and punished Mei Zhihuan.
Although Mei Zhihuan was a scribe, he had the talents of a military general and was good at archery. After being deposed, he had nothing to show for himself. There are many bandits in the mountains of his county. Mei Zhihuan was fine. He often led strong warriors to help local officials capture him. There was no way he could escape. Prior to this, there was a mutiny in Gansu. The fleeing soldiers were afraid of being arrested and killed, so they often fled to the valleys to become bandits. The bandits became even more arrogant. By this time, tens of thousands of bandits came to attack Macheng. Seeing Mei Zhihuan's military deployment, they led their troops away. The emperor recalled Gansu's achievements before and after, restored Mei Zhihuan's official position, and secretly named one of his sons, but in the end he was not summoned. He died of illness the next year.