Hai Rui

Hai Rui (1514–1587) was a renowned civil official of the Ming dynasty from Hainan island who became an immortal symbol of spotless moral integrity, courage, and defense of the common people. Serving as a magistrate in Zhejiang and Jiangxi, he strictly enforced fair taxation, redistributed illegally seized landlord estates back to poor tenant farmers, and wore coarse cotton robes while eating only plain vegetables.

In 1565, Hai Rui committed one of the most legendary acts of moral courage in Chinese imperial history: buying a coffin and saying farewell to his family, he submitted a blistering memorial to the Daoist-obsessed Jiajing Emperor, directly condemning his neglect of state affairs, wasteful pursuit of immortality, and the suffering of his subjects. Imprisoned and sentenced to death, he was liberated upon the Emperor's death, later serving as governor of Southern Zhili to root out official graft.