Home News Express Historical and Cultural cities Shanghai Guide Photos & Videos Editors' Picks
 
  Celebrities  
Fang Xiaoru - An Orthodox Confucian Scholar of the Ming dynasty

Fang Xiaoru (方孝孺) (1357—1402), an orthodox Confucian scholar of the Ming dynasty, famous for his loyalty to the Emperor Jianwen (Ming Huidi), of whom he had been a tutor.

After Prince of Yan, Zhu Di usurped the throne in 1402, he addressed Fang Xiaoru, an outstanding literary figure of the time, demanding to write an inaugural address, but was refused.

Threatened with the capital punishment of Mie Zu, Fang Xiaoru is reported saying: "Nevermind nine agnates, go ahead with ten!". Thus he was granted his wish with perhaps the only case of "extermination of ten agnates" in the history of China. In addition to his own execution, the blood relations from his nine-agnates family hierarchy were killed; as if that was not enough, his students and peers were added to be the 10th group. Altogether 873 people are said to have been executed.

Before death, Fang Xiaoru was forced to watch his brother's execution. Fang Xiaoru himself was executed by severing-waist technique. The legend goes that prior to his death he dipped his finger in his own blood and wrote on the ground the Chinese character "篡", which means "usurp(er)".

Source:history.cultural-china.com

Editor: Feng Hui

 
 

Largest Zhuang embroidery shines in Shanghai

 

Expo Anhui Week preparation into sprint period

 

Qinghai impresses Expo visitors

Key Words

Tea   West Lake   

Temple      Su Dongpo 

zhouzhuang

Fans   Embroidery

Garden     Fuzimiao

Zhonghua Gate

Nanjing Salted Duck

 
 
| About us | E-mail | Contact |
Constructed by Chinadaily.com.cn
2003-2010 Ministry of Culture, P.R.China. All rights reserved