Bin Yuan, a famous scholar in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was born into poverty but had a firm ambition. Through unremitting efforts, he became a knowledgeable and virtuous figure. This chapter explores in depth the life stories of Bing Yuan through historical records, analyzes the legal ideas and practices reflected in his "learning and practice", and provides a unique perspective for understanding ancient legal culture.

Bingyuan Weeping Learning: The Right to Education

The chapter on the study of tears in the Han Dynasty tells the story of Han's desire to learn due to his poor family background. After his father passed away, Bing Yuan cried out of envy for other children being able to go to school. Moved by his desire to learn, his teacher decided to teach for free. In just one winter, Bing Yuan was able to recite the "Classic of Filial Piety" and "Analects". This story reflects the importance of education and care for impoverished students. Modern Chinese laws, such as the Constitution and the Compulsory Education Law, safeguard the right to education of citizens, especially minors, emphasizing the public welfare and free nature of compulsory education, and providing additional support for impoverished students.

Bingyuan quit drinking and studied hard: the act of crossing boundaries when drinking

During his study tour, Bing Yuan quit drinking to focus on his studies, demonstrating his strong self-discipline. He used to be able to drink alcohol, but to avoid affecting his studies, he chose to quit drinking. When parting ways with his mentor and friend, he made an exception and drank alcohol, but did not get drunk, demonstrating his control over alcohol. Chinese alcohol culture has a long history, but excessive drinking can lead to uncontrolled behavior and even illegal activities. The Eighth Amendment to the Criminal Law classifies drunk driving as a crime, emphasizes the protection of minors, and prohibits the sale of alcohol to them.

The dilemma of choosing between two: saving the monarch or saving the father

During Cao Cao's expedition, Bing Yuan was left behind to assist Cao Pi with Zhang Fan. Cao Pi raised the question of whether to save the monarch or his father at a banquet, and most ministers chose to save the monarch to show loyalty. However, Bing's principle was to save his father, and Cao Pi did not criticize him. In feudal society, the conflict between loyalty to the monarch and filial piety was a common problem, while modern law clarifies the legal obligations between parents and children, emphasizing the responsibility of children to take care of sick parents. The principles and virtues upheld by Bingyuan are still worth learning even after thousands of years.