(Minghui.org) Luo Lun lived in the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD –1644 AD). He went from the mountainous Yongfeng County, in today's Jiangxi Province, to the Ministry of Rites in the capital city in 1466 to take the imperial examination.
His young attendant picked up a golden armlet when they were traveling across Shandong. Five days later, Luo worried that the money they had carried might not be enough to cover the remainder of the trip.
The attendant said, “A few days ago, I found a golden armlet near a wall somewhere in Shandong. Take it to a pawn shop, it will cover our travel expenses.”
Luo became quite upset when he heard the attendant's advice. He wanted to personally return the golden armlet to the owner. The attendant counted the number of days it would take and said, “Going back and forth, I'm afraid that we won't make it to the examination!”
Luo replied, “This golden armlet must have been lost by a maid or servant. If the owner interrogates her, the maid's life is at stake. I would rather miss the examination than let someone suffer a wrongful death!”
Luo went back to Shandong. A maid had accidentally dropped the golden armlet on the ground when she was pouring water out of a basin. The hostess had suspected that the maid had stolen the golden armlet. The maid was whipped until she bled. The maid, being wrongfully blamed, tried several times to commit suicide.
The head of the household suspected that his wife had given the armlet to someone else in private. He scolded his wife severely. The hostess was angry and wanted to hang herself.
By returning the armlet, Luo saved two lives. Everybody wished that he would excel in the examination. Luo rushed to the Ministry of Rites to take the examination. Indeed, he passed the screening, and in the following imperial court test, he achieved top rank.
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Category: Traditional Culture
