Ancient tales of filial piety

Four stories from 24 Filial Exemplars, a classic Confucian text by Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) scholar Guo Jujing

Imperial example

Liu Heng was Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). His mother, Empress Dowager Bo, was once ill for three years. He attended to his mother each day after dealing with affairs of state. For safety reasons, he would test the medicine before he took it to his mother. When his mother finally recovered, he fell ill because of exhaustion. His benevolence and filial piety were praised throughout the kingdom. During his reign, the population flourished and the country prospered.