Hu Ze served as an official in the Northern Song Dynasty, such as the squire of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, and was also the first person in the history of Jinhua, Zhejiang Province to be admitted to the Jinshi.
However, he was not very famous compared to the famous ministers in history, but the people of the time regarded him as a god.
Why did the people think of him as a god? There are two reasons for this.
1. Be diligent and honest
Hu Ze is diligent and honest, and he is very popular with the people.
After Hu Zezhong became a sergeant, he successively went to ten prefectures and counties as officials. No matter where Hu Ze is an official, he is conscientious, and he has to personally inspect and inquire about all local situations; No matter how big or small the matter is, he will handle it seriously and will never let go of any detail.
The deep trust of the people made Hu Ze establish a deep good impression in the hearts of the people.
2. Do things for the people
Hu Ze did things for the people, so that the people were grateful to him, thinking that as long as Hu Ze was there, they would have a good life.
Whether Hu Ze is an official in the imperial court or an official in the local government, he is doing things for the people. For example, he asked the imperial court to retract the unjust act of selling Guanzhuang land at a price, changed the salt law, and proposed to exempt the people of Qu and Wu Prefectures from the people's tax.
In this regard, the people were grateful to Hu Ze, so everyone built a temple in Fangyan Mountain to commemorate him. The people believed that as long as Hu Ze was there, things could be done, so everyone worshipped him as a god.
Of course, Hu Ze is not a god, but the people's idea is very simple, whoever can do things for them is a god.
"Hu Ze is deified" shows that as long as a person is dedicated to the public and does not seek personal gain, he can be admired by people.
Bibliography:
History of the Song Dynasty · Biography Fifty-Eight