Ning Cheng
Encyclopedia
Ning Cheng was an official of the western Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

 under Emperors Jing
Emperor Jing of Han
Emperor Jing of Han was an emperor of China in the Han Dynasty from 156 BC to 141 BC. His reign saw the limit and curtailment of power of feudal princes which resulted in the Rebellion of the Seven States in 154 BC. Emperor Jing managed to crush the revolt and princes were thereafter denied rights...

 and Wu
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...

. He was known for his harsh application of the law, such that officials travelling to and from his area of governance would say to each other "Better to face a nursing tigress than the wrath of Ning Cheng!"

Ning Cheng initially served under Emperor Jing as a palace attendant and master of guests. He employed dishonest means to reach positions of power, eventually being appointed as chief commandant of Jinan
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...

. His predecessors in the post had all approached Zhi Du, the governor of Jinan, as though they were mere county officials owing to their fear of him, but Ning Cheng considered him an equal and sought to outdo him. Having known Ning Cheng by reputation, Zhi Du befriended him. Years later, after Zhi Du's death, Emperor Jing appointed Ning Cheng as a military commander in Changan in order to stymie the large number of crimes committed by imperial relatives. Ning Cheng emulated Zhi Du's style of governance and soon became an object of fear to everyone in the imperial family.

Upon Emperor Wu's ascension to the throne, he made Ning Cheng prefect of the capital. However, the emperor's in-laws took every opportunity to slander Ning Cheng, ultimately resulting in his conviction. Despite it being customary for high officials of the time to commit suicide when charged with a capital offence, Ning Cheng submitted to even the most severe of punishments. Eventually, he escaped and made his way home, forging papers in order to get through the pass.

Declaring that "An official who can't advance to a salary of 2,000 piculs or a merchant who can't make at least 10,000,000 cash is not fit to be called a man!", Ning Cheng borrowed money and bought over 1,000 qing (equivalent to about 600 million square feet) of farmland on which he employed several thousand poor families to work. By the time a general amnesty was declared years later, he had amassed several thousand pieces of gold and exerted more power over the populace than the governor of the region did. Later, Emperor Wu took him out of retirement and made him chief commandant of Hangu Pass
Hangu Pass
Hangu Pass was a strategic pass in ancient China just south of the great eastern bend of the Yellow River in today's Lingbao, Henan Province...

 after Gongsun Hong's protests that he was like a "wolf driving a flock of sheep" had prevented Ning Cheng from becoming a provincial governor.

When Yi Zong was travelling from Henei
Henei
Henei can refer to:# Hanoi, a city of Vietnam ;# Henei, an ancient province in China, currently in the north of modern Henan....

 to Nanyang
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...

to take up a post of governor at the latter, Ning Cheng had retired again and was living in Nanyang. Despite meeting Yi Zong at the pass and escorting him on his way, Ning Cheng's courtesy was not reciprocated. Instead, Yi Zong pressed charges against the Ning family forthwith and utterly demolished their homes. As a result, Ning Cheng was convicted of an offence.
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