Baoding History | “Integrity Stories at the Viceroy’s Office”: “This Place Is Indeed Qingyunpu”

The Zhili Viceroy’s Office, also known as the Zhili Governor-General’s Office, is one of China’s best-preserved provincial government offices from the Qing Dynasty. The original buildings were first constructed in the Yuan Dynasty, served as the Baoding Prefectural Office in the early Ming Dynasty, were converted into the Daning Regional Military Command during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, and later became the Residence of the Assistant Regional Commander in the early Qing.

Li Fu (1673–1750), courtesy name Julai, pseudonym Mutang, was a native of Rongshan Town, Linchuan, Jiangxi. He navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, serving as a high-ranking official under the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors—a rare feat in the Qing Dynasty. Li Fu’s lasting success rested not only on his diligence and outstanding achievements but, more importantly, on his unyielding integrity, impartiality, and incorruptibility. His political rivals could find no fault to exploit, while the emperor always found him indispensable for state affairs.

Portrait of Viceroy Li Fu

Ambition Among the “Blue Clouds” (Qingyun)

Li Fu earned his xiucai degree at twenty, but repeatedly failed the higher imperial examinations, partly due to interference by corrupt officials. This fueled his determination to pursue his studies and become a man of resolute integrity. He drew inspiration from ancient worthies. During a break after the provincial-level examinations in Nanchang, Li Fu visited the renowned scenic site Qingyunpu, specifically the Temple of Immortal Mei. Immortal Mei was Mei Fu, the county commandant of Nanchang in the Western Han, renowned for his noble character and deeply revered by later generations. Standing before the shrine, Li Fu was overcome with emotion and wrote the poem “Paying Respects at the Temple of Immortal Mei in Qingyunpu” to express his feelings:

You, sir, share Yan Ziling’s and Mei Wen’s spirit,

An official post lighter than a garrison at Wu Gate.

Pure as ice, lustrous as jade—how unsullied!

How can such high blue clouds be easily joined?

In the seas of officialdom since old, hard to navigate;

Hands turn—blue clouds become overcast rain.

With whom can I bind a heart of simplicity?

This place is truly Qingyunpu!

The first four lines praise Mei Fu and Yan Guang (Ziling) as flawless and noble officials. The last four declare his resolve to bond with the virtues of past sages, valuing integrity over worldly gain. In 1708, Li Fu placed first among all examinees in Jiangxi’s provincial examination (achieving jieyuan), and the following year he passed the metropolitan examination, becoming a jinshi.

After his jinshi, Li Fu was selected as a shujishi of the Hanlin Academy. After a period of tempering, he went on to serve as a high-ranking official in five ministries—Rites, Personnel, War, Works, and Revenue—and also held key posts such as Governor of Guangxi and Viceroy of Zhili. But Li Fu’s career was far from smooth; he endured four major setbacks. Yet in every post, he achieved extraordinary results, earning high praise from emperors and commoners alike.

In 1720, Li Fu was promoted to Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat and appointed Vice Minister of Rites and Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief. The next year, as deputy chief examiner of the metropolitan examination, the day results were posted, a dense haze shrouded the sky. Emperor Kangxi declared, “This examination must have selected mediocrities or overlooked true talents, for resentment rises to the heavens.” He ordered the exam papers re-evaluated. Failing candidates, hearing this, gathered to make trouble outside Li Fu’s gate. Opportunistic censors also seized the chance to impeach him. Li Fu was dismissed and sent to labor at the Yongding River works. Clearly wronged, Li Fu bore no grudge but wrote a poem to reaffirm his purpose: “Knowing only that affairs of state are like family affairs, how dare I resent clear currents turning muddy?”—vowing to continue sharing the empire’s burdens.

In the first month of 1723, Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne and summoned Li Fu back to the capital, appointing him Right Vice Minister of Personnel. At that time, when the son of the powerful general Nian Gengyao needed to build barracks, customary practice dictated priority. Li Fu insisted on following the rules and refused preferential treatment. Nian bore a grudge and submitted memorial after memorial, forcing Yongzheng to reassign Li Fu as Imperial Lecturer.

In the seventh month of the same year, Li Fu became Right Vice Minister of War. In the ninth month, he was ordered to expedite grain transport. Adapting to circumstances, he escorted grain from Hunan and other regions to Tianjin, and as instructed, sold the stored grain at assessed prices, yielding a surplus of 5,000 taels of silver. Yongzheng personally inscribed the words “Serving the Nation with All One’s Heart” to commend him.

In the fourth month of the next year, Li Fu was appointed Governor of Guangxi. He conducted in-depth investigations, employing a mix of benevolence and authority to pacify conflicts and blood feuds between ethnic groups in Guangdong and Guangxi, bringing social stability. At the same time, he rectified local governance, cracked down on corrupt officials, and closed a long-standing case—the embezzlement of 824,700 taels of silver by former Governor Chen Yuanlong.

Li Fu’s Memorial on Temporary Tax Collection Exemptions

In the eighth month of 1725, Li Fu was appointed Viceroy of Zhili. In the third month of 1726, severe flooding struck the outskirts of the capital. Li Fu immediately ordered all counties and prefectures to open granaries for relief, then submitted a memorial admitting his unauthorized action and requesting punishment. Yongzheng deemed his actions correct and exempted him from penalty. Later, Li Fu impeached Henan Governor Tian Wenjing for running roughshod over his jurisdiction, corruption, and harming the people. Tian retaliated, and Li Fu was transferred to Vice Minister of Works. Tian repeatedly filed memorials, falsely accusing Li Fu of protecting a private faction and listing 21 charges. Li Fu was stripped of rank and handed over to the Board of Punishments for trial. In prison, he was led twice to the execution ground to witness executions; his expression never changed. Fellow inmates called him a man of iron. When the authorities searched his home, they found only a humble dwelling—even his wife’s jewelry was made of copper. Emperor Yongzheng finally believed in Li Fu’s honesty and uprightness, pardoned him, and assigned him to compile the “Banners Comprehensive Gazetteer.”

Although Li Fu spent long years away from home serving the empire, whenever he could, he did good deeds for his hometown. To commemorate him, in 1933 the people of Fuzhou renamed the old Tanggu Miao Street west of the Ten Streets as Mutang Road.

While Governor of Guangxi, Li Fu sent over a thousand taels of his saved salary back to Rongshan to establish a community granary, storing grain to aid the poor. During the lean months between harvests, the bitter cold of winter, or times of disaster, the granary was opened to help those lacking food and clothing.

In 1737, Li Fu returned home to observe the mourning period for his mother. Together with county magistrate Li Tingyou, he donated funds to found the “Qingyun Academy,” making a significant contribution to local education. He personally oversaw teaching, and a galaxy of renowned scholars gathered. After retiring in old age, he took up the post of headmaster (shanzhang) of Xinglu Academy and personally lectured. Li Fu made talent cultivation his mission, greatly revitalizing the educational spirit of his hometown, known as the “Land of Talent.” In 1743, due to illness, he retired and returned home, residing at Shizhi Garden near Shangqiao Temple in Fuzhou (now part of Jinggong Road).

Li Fu was profoundly learned, renowned for his poetry and prose. The leading poet and scholar of his age, Wang Shizhen, praised Li Fu as possessing “the talent of ten thousand men.” Li Fu‘s extensive works include “The Right Way of the Spring and Autumn Annals,” “Academic Genealogy of Master Lu,” “Complete Discussions on Zhu Xi’s Later Years,” and “Mutang’s Drafts, Continuations, and Additional Pieces.” He also served as chief editor for the “Banners Comprehensive Gazetteer,” “Guangxi Comprehensive Gazetteer,” “Tingzhou Prefectural Gazetteer,” and “Linchuan County Gazetteer.”

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