Tomb of Minister Wang

　　The Tomb of Minister Wang has a history of over 500 years and is the burial site of Wang ?, a Ming Dynasty Minister of War from the local area. It is a renowned cultural landmark in northwest China and also a valuable spiritual and cultural heritage for the people of all ethnicities in Linxia. In 1994, it was designated and recognized as a county-level cultural relics protection unit by the municipal government, which allocated 7 acres of land. Gradual reconstruction by his descendants and social efforts has brought it to an initial scale. In 1999, it was established as a municipal and prefectural patriotic education base.

　　Minister Wang’s name was Wang ?, courtesy name Gongdu, and alias Xiuan. He was a native of Hezhou during the Ming Dynasty (born in 1413). As a child, he was intelligent and diligent in his studies. In the fourth year of the Zhengtong era, he passed the imperial examination as a second-class jinshi (advanced scholar), and in the eleventh year, he was appointed as an Imperial Censor in the Ministry of Revenue. He eventually rose to the position of Minister of War. He passed away in 1488 during the Hongzhi era at the age of 75. Posthumously, he was awarded the title of “Shaobao” (Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent) and given the posthumous name Zhuangyi.

　　To honor Minister Wang’s literary achievements, military accomplishments, and outstanding contributions to the court, the same year the imperial court dispatched Jiang ?, a newly appointed jinshi, to Hezhou to oversee the construction of the Tomb of Minister Wang in the northern part of the city. Eight imperial edict steles and a spirit way stele were erected, covered with wind and rain shelters. In front of the tomb, there were five pairs of stone statues including ornamental columns, civil and military officials, tigers, horses, and sheep, as well as structures such as the “Famous Ministers’ Archway.” Auxiliary buildings like side rooms and kitchens were also built. The site received worship from both the imperial court and the public. Qiu ?F, a grand secretary of the Hanlin Academy, was commissioned to write a sacrificial text, praising Wang ? for “his merits to the nation, his benevolence to the people, and his fame throughout the world,” and hailed him as “a paragon across the realm and a hero among men.” Minister Wang was the highest-ranking and most prominent official in the Linxia region during the feudal era. With remarkable political achievements and fame that resonated throughout the court and the land, his reputation spread far and wide.

　　In recent years, people of all ethnicities and descendants of Minister Wang have successively unearthed ten stone carvings. The Tomb of Minister Wang Reconstruction Committee, together with relevant leaders and experts, conducted extensive research and drew up reconstruction plans and individual design blueprints for the tomb. The site retains the style and form of the period, combining the burial area, ancient architecture, and gardens, while also emphasizing artistic appreciation. The committee plans to carry out the reconstruction in phases and complete it in three stages, with the first phase now finished.

　　Speaking of Minister Wang’s noble character, one cannot help but recall a famous poem widely circulated in Linxia: “To send a letter over a thousand miles just for a wall, what harm is there in yielding five feet? The Great Wall still stands today, yet the First Emperor of Qin is no more.” The author of this poem was none other than Minister Wang. There is a story behind this poem: during the Ming Dynasty, when Wang ? was serving as Minister of War in the capital, a neighbor in his hometown in Hezhou built a house and encroached on a strip of land belonging to the minister’s family. After multiple unsuccessful negotiations and complaints to the local authorities, the family wrote to the minister in the capital asking for his intervention. Upon receiving the letter, the minister immediately penned this widely loved and didactic poem. His family, upon reading the reply, was deeply moved and, following the poem’s advice, yielded the foundation of the wall by five feet. Touched by their generosity, the neighbor also voluntarily retreated the foundation by five feet, resulting in a lane ten feet wide, commonly known as “The Ten-Foot Lane.” To praise Minister Wang’s magnanimity and virtue of kindness and yielding, the lane was also called “The Benevolence and Righteousness Lane.” This “Benevolence and Righteousness Lane” stele now stands in Qiaotou Village, Wangjia, Nanlong Township, Linxia City.

　　There are many other stories about Minister Wang, such as “Exempting the Imperial Grain Tax” and “The Minister’s Willow.”

　　Appendix I: Regarding the life of Minister Wang, a story is widely told in Linxia: One day in the eleventh year of the Yongle era during the Ming Dynasty, civil and military officials from Hezhou, riding in sedan chairs or on horseback, with gongs sounding to clear the way, passed by the Da Xia River en route to Si Jia Zui to welcome higher-ranking officials. Suddenly, thunder roared and a torrential rain poured down. The officials took shelter in a nearby watermill. At that time, Wang ?’s mother had already arrived earlier and taken cover in a side room of the mill. Soon after the officials entered, they suddenly heard the cry of a newborn baby. Everyone found it strange. Upon inquiry, they learned that a woman hiding in the mill had just given birth to a boy. They began discussing: “We came to welcome higher officials, but were driven here by the rain to welcome this child. This child must be destined for greatness—surely he will become at least a fourth-rank official.” (At the time, the governor of Hezhou was either fifth-rank or lower fourth-rank.) Wang ?’s mother, not knowing which rank was higher, remarked to herself: “No need for fourth-rank, first-rank would suffice.” The officials were shocked and even more puzzled. Later, Wang ? rose to the rank of Minister of War, a first-rank position, and the story became a much-told tale.

　　Appendix II: Although Minister Wang held a high office, he never forgot his roots and always cared for the people. During the Ming Dynasty, it was mandated that silver and grain from Hezhou Wei be transported to the capital. Transportation was extremely difficult in those days, involving long and arduous journeys, with travel expenses many times greater than the value of the silver and grain. Understanding the hardship of the people, Minister Wang once secretly instructed local officials to select individuals suffering from goiter (enlarged thyroid) to transport grain to the capital. When these people arrived in the capital, they attracted crowds of onlookers. When the emperor learned of this, he asked Minister Wang about it. Wang replied: “These are people from my hometown who have come to deliver grain to the capital. Due to the local water and soil conditions, everyone who eats the grain there develops goiters.” The emperor asked, “Then why don’t you?” He responded: “Thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, people like me are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in my hometown.” The emperor reflected: These people coming to the capital are not only an eyesore, but their condition also stems from the local grain. It would be better to have them pay the tax locally rather than send the grain to the capital. Minister Wang thus did a great service for the local people.

　　Appendix III: The Origin of the Minister’s Willow: It is said that when the Minister was inspecting the Jianghuai region, he dreamed that Erlang Shen from Dangjiamiao on the northern plateau of Hezhou was exiled to Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi. Upon seeing Minister Wang, Erlang Shen grabbed his hand and said: “I am the local deity of your hometown. For a minor offense, I angered the supreme deity above and was banished here to perform hard labor. Please pray to Heaven to show mercy and allow me to return to Hezhou to protect the people.” Erlang Shen repeatedly begged. The Minister suddenly awoke. He thought: Erlang Shen is the guardian of the safety of our fellow villagers, ensuring favorable weather and abundant harvests. Our hometown cannot be without its protector. Early the next morning, he rode in a sedan chair to the foot of Longhu Mountain, set up an incense altar, and sent a pardon petition to the Jade Emperor. The petition quickly reached the heavens, and the Jade Emperor approved Minister Wang’s request, immediately ordering Erlang Shen’s release.

　　On the night of his return from Longhu Mountain, Erlang Shen appeared in the Minister’s dream to inform him of his pardon and expressed gratitude for the Minister’s rescue. He then asked the Minister if there was anything he would like brought back for his family. The Minister handed over a willow tree from his official residence courtyard and a Taihu rock from his garden, asking Erlang Shen to take them back to Hezhou to beautify the hometown. Erlang Shen readily agreed and brought the willow and the unusual rock back to Hezhou. He planted the willow at the southeastern corner of the city and placed the rock at the northwestern corner. The willow grew taller and larger, and the place where it stood came to be known as Dayu Shu Lane (Big Willow Tree Lane). It is said that an elderly man with silvery white hair once broke off a willow branch, shouted “Taihu Rock, protect peace!” and strode to “Jiuyan Spring,” stopping in front of a temple where he planted the willow branch in the ground. Over the years, the willow flourished, becoming what is known as the “Minister’s Willow.” Several unusual rocks excavated at a resort were believed to be the legendary Taihu rocks and, resembling nine giant dragons, were also called “Nine Dragon Rocks.”

　　Appendix IV: In traditional residential architecture, yin-yang tiles (i.e., flat clay tiles with tubular tiles on top) were originally reserved for palaces and royal residences in Beijing. Because Minister Wang was upright, incorruptible, and achieved outstanding political success with widespread fame and immense contributions, the emperor specially permitted the use of yin-yang tiles in the Minister’s hometown. This is why the architectural style and planning of the traditional quadrangle courtyards, tiger-head gates in Linxia, resemble those in Beijing.