Is there any connection between the real Bao Zheng in history and the image of Bao Gong in traditional Chinese opera?

The most famous judge in the history of China was Bao Zheng in the Song Dynasty. Almost all China people know Bao Gong. Bao Gong's fame has much to do with China's traditional drama. In modern novels, Bao Gong did not become the protagonist. However, Bao Gong's story is a very important theme in China's traditional operas. In all dramas related to cases and laws, Bao Gong is the protagonist.

So is the image of Bao Gong in Chinese opera related to Bao Zheng, a historical figure? The fact is that it doesn't matter.

Bao Zheng (999-1062) was born in Hefei, Luzhou (now Anhui). Different from the legend, he has a very happy family and a childhood that grew up under the care of his parents. His father Bao Lingyi, the word Su Zhi. Jinshi Ji, granted the doctor to the DPRK, served as foreign minister in the security department of Shangshu Province, and was sent to Nanjing (now Shangqiu) to join the guard army. After his death, the court made him an assistant minister of punishments. Judging by today's rank, Bao Zheng comes from a family of bureau-level officials.

Bao Zheng was educated by Confucianism since childhood and embarked on the road of imperial examination. Song Renzong sage five years (1027), Bao Zheng finally in the Jinshi at the age of 29. The court has appointed him as Jianchang county magistrate, but he refused to take office on the grounds that his parents are old and there is no one to take care of them at home.

There is no record in the history books that he has a brother. Judging from his unwillingness to take office after he was admitted to Jinshi, there is no other brother in the family who can serve his adoptive parents. He should be an only child.

Bao Zheng stayed at home for 10 years. It was not until his parents died of illness and died for three years that he accepted the appointment of the court with the encouragement of the villagers and became the magistrate of Tianchang County. This year is the fourth year of Ren Zongjing V (1037), a 39-year-old middle-aged man.

Bao Zheng's official career is very smooth, except that he was demoted once for "dereliction of duty" (the official he promoted committed a crime and was jointly punished), and Bao Zheng's rank has been upward. /kloc-served as a local official in 0/0, then transferred to the imperial court supervision system for three years, presided over the remonstrance court and acted as an agent for remonstrance. During this experience, Bao Zheng established his own reputation of hating evil. Many court officials were impeached, including the then Prime Minister Song Yao, his younger brother Song Qi and the famous minister Zhang.

In the second year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (1050), Song Renzong decided to appoint his favorite Tang Bo Zhang Yao as the ambassador of Zuo Wei Xuanhui South Hospital, Huai Kangjun as our time, Jingling Palace as our time, and Tongqun Pastoral as our time. The other three official posts are of little significance. The Xuan Hui Ambassador originated in the Tang Dynasty and presided over the court meetings. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the envoys of Xuanhui often served as envoys of the Tang Dynasty and held military command.

In the Renzong dynasty, this official position had no practical significance, but in court etiquette, it was second only to the prime minister and the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Bao Zheng presided over the remonstrance court and led the remonstrance officer to remonstrate. He believes that according to the practice of the Song Dynasty, the relatives of empresses are not allowed to serve as prime ministers and military posts. This time, the Prime Minister failed to stop them in time and "repeated hundreds of words". Bao Zheng's words were fierce, and he splashed a spittle star on Emperor Injong's face until the emperor mistook him. (Song? Zhu bian: Old News of Quyi (Volume 1)

In December of the third year of the lunar calendar (1056), Bao Zheng was appointed as the "Governor of Kaifeng", and Jia V was dismissed in June of the third year of the lunar calendar (1058). In fact, Bao Zheng's time in Kaifeng was only a little over 18 months. When they first arrived at the imperial court, in order to test Bao Zheng's ability, the book collectors gathered together on purpose and reported things with official documents. Bao Zheng listened and read one by one, and broke it dozens of times on the spot. Those that have not been completed will be urged one by one in a few days, and those that have not been completed will be checked immediately. Booksellers dare not fool officers any more. Originally, the civil prosecution was going to the "licensing department" controlled by the bookkeeper at the yamen entrance, so Bao Zheng ordered the door to be opened and the case was accepted directly by himself.

During his tenure in Kaifeng, Bao Zheng also rectified the illegal buildings along the river, and did not shy away from the powerful ministers in law enforcement. Bao Zheng's character is absolutely beyond reproach. He is an honest official, and his six relatives deny him. He is extremely serious. History called him "unsmiling", while Kaifeng people called Bao Zheng "laughing more than Huang Heqing" and praised him for "never flattering others". He is extremely frugal and a high official. "He is very frugal."

Later, Bao Zheng mainly served as an official in the financial system, served as a transshipment ambassador for four times (the highest local financial officer), and was finally appointed as a three-emissary. This official post was specially created in the Northern Song Dynasty, numbered "Auspicious Prime Minister", and was in charge of financial auditing, ranking second only to domination (Prime Minister and Privy Council). Bao Zheng's final outcome is to enter the ranks of "rule".

1060, Song Renzong appointed Bao Zheng as the deputy envoy of the Tang Dynasty, and Bao Zheng began to formally enter the decision-making team of the imperial court. However, at this moment, Bao Zheng's health began to go wrong, and he basically didn't arrive as a council deputy, and he died after more than a year's delay. Bao Zheng's personal family life is also very dull. He married Dong Shi, who is also the son of an official. Bao X, the eldest son, became a judge in Tanzhou and died in his post.

Bao Gong lost his son in middle age and was heartbroken. Bao X is married and childless, and his wife Cui Shi insists on being a widow in Bao's family despite Bao Zheng's persuasion and his mother's bullying. After Bao Zheng's death, Cui Shi heard that Bao Zheng's concubine, who was driven out of the house by Bao Zheng, gave birth to a son after returning to her mother's house, so Cui Shi took the child back to Bao Zheng's house and named it Bao, as a descendant of Bao Zheng.

Bao Zheng Drama of Bao Gong's Real Image