In the later period of Ming Shenzong, an official named Gu Xiancheng offended Ming Shenzong and was dismissed because of his integrity and daring to remonstrate. After he returned to his hometown in Wuxi (now Wuxi, Jiangsu), he invited some like-minded friends to give lectures at Lindong Academy outside the East Gate. Some scholars nearby heard that Gu Xiancheng was eager to learn, so they all rushed to Wuxi to listen to his lectures and booked a small Donglin Academy. Gu Xiancheng hated the darkness of the imperial court, and when giving lectures, he inevitably talked about the failure of state affairs and criticized some ministers in power. Everyone who attended the lecture said that Gu Xiancheng was right, and there were ministers in Beijing to support him. Donglin Academy is becoming more and more famous. Some criticized bureaucrats hate Gu Xiancheng very much, calling those who support Donglin Academy "Lindong party member".
When Ming Xizong ascended the throne, some ministers who supported Lindong Party came to power, the most famous of which were Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou.
On one occasion, the court sent Zuo Guangdou to inspect the vicinity of the capital and was also responsible for the imperial examination there.
One day, the north wind was blowing hard and it was snowing heavily. Zuo Guangdou had a few drinks in the official residence and suddenly became interested. With a few followers, he rode his horse to the suburbs to tread the snow. They walked and saw an ancient temple, and the environment was very quiet. Zuo Guangdou decided to have a rest inside.
They got off the horse, pushed open the door left unlocked and walked into the ancient temple. In the small room on the left side of the corridor, a scholar fell asleep at his desk with several volumes of manuscripts on it. Zuo Guangdou stepped forward, picked up the manuscript on the table and read it carefully. This manuscript is not only beautifully written, but also brilliantly worded, and Zuo Guangdou can't help secretly admiring it. He put down the manuscript and was about to turn back. Suddenly, he thought that it was snowing heavily outside and it was very cold. The scholar wears thin clothes so that he won't catch cold when he sleeps. Without hesitation, he took off his mink cloak and gently covered it on the scholar.
Zuo Guangdou exits the door and closes it. He sent his entourage to the monks in the temple to inquire, only to know that the scholar's name was Shi Kefa, and he had just come to Beijing to catch the exam. Zuo Guangdou secretly remembered the name.
On the day of the exam, Zuo Guangdou entered the hall. The clerk in the class sang the names of the candidates. When the beadle sang Shi Kefa's name, Zuo Guangdou noticed the examinee who sent the paper. It was the scholar that he saw in the temple that day. Zuo Guangdou took the paper and rated Shi Kefa as the first on the spot.
After the exam, Zuo Guangdou met Shi Kefa in the official residence, encouraged him, and took him to the kitchen to see Mrs. Zuo. He praised in front of Mrs. Zuo: "None of my children have any talent. Inherit my career in the future. It all depends on this young man. "
After that, Zuo Guangdou and Shi Kefa established a close teacher-student relationship. Shi Kefa was born in a poor family, so Zuo Guangdou let him live in the government and personally guided him to study. Sometimes, Zuo Guangdou went to Shi Kefa's room late at night to handle official business. They chatted happily and didn't want to sleep at all.
Zuo Guangdou and Yang Lian were bent on rectifying state affairs, while Ming Xizong was an out-and-out fatuous person. He trusted a very bad eunuch, Wei Zhongxian, and put Wei Zhongxian in charge of the Secret Service East Factory. Wei Zhongxian, by virtue of his privilege, helped the clique to seek personal gain, sold officials and titles, and committed all kinds of evils. Some bureaucrats who opposed Lindong Party took refuge in Wei Zhongxian and formed a group. Historically, they were called "eunuchs". Yang Lian was angry with Yan's misconduct, but he boldly wrote a letter to expose Wei Zhongxian's 24 crimes. Zuo Guangdou also strongly supported him.
That was a mistake. In A.D. 1625, Wei Zhongxian colluded with eunuchs, attacked Zuo Guangdou on charges of party harmony, put them in jail and tortured them to extract confessions.
After Zuo Guangdou was arrested, Shi Kefa was so anxious that he didn't know what to do. He wandered around the prison gate from morning till night every day, looking for an opportunity to visit his teacher. But the eunuchs kept Zuo Guangdou under strict supervision and did not let people visit him.
Zuo Guangdou was in prison, and no matter how tortured the eunuch was, he refused to give in. Shi Kefa heard that Zuo Guangdou was tortured to death. Regardless of his personal safety, he took 520 pieces of silver and begged the jailer for the last time.
The jailer was finally moved by Shi Kefa's sincerity and tried to give Shi Kefa a chance to visit the prison. That evening, Shi Kefa put on a tattered coat, dressed as a dung collector, wearing sandals, carrying a bamboo basket and a long shovel, and was led into the prison by the jailer.
Shi Kefa found Zuo Guangdou's cell and saw him sitting in the corner, black and blue, his face burned beyond recognition, and his left leg rotted to show his bones. Shi Kefa was very sad when he saw this scene. He stepped forward, knelt down, hugged Zuo Guangdou's leg and kept sobbing.
Zuo Guangdou's face was bruised and he couldn't open his eyes, but he recognized Shi Kefa from his crying. He raised his hand and opened his eyelids with all his strength. His angry eyes seemed to burst into flames. He cursed and said, "Idiot! What is this place? What are you doing here? Things in the country are terrible. I'm finished, and you're still desperate to get in. If they find out, who will do it in the future? "
Shi Kefa still sobbed. Zuo Guangdou said bitterly, "If you don't leave, I'll punish you now, so as to save the traitors." Say that finish, he really touched the shackles around him, and made it look like it was going to be smashed.
Shi Kefa was afraid to speak again, so he had to hold back his grief and quit the prison.
A few days later, Zuo Guangdou and Yang Lian were finally killed by Wei Zhongxian. Shi Kefa paid the jailer a sum of money and buried Zuo Guangdou's body. Thinking of the prison scene, he couldn't help crying and said, "My teacher's heart is really made of stone!" "