Fu Bi, courtesy name Yanguo, was from Luoyang in the Northern Song Dynasty. Born into poverty, he studied diligently from childhood, amassed profound knowledge, and carried himself with magnanimity and extraordinary bearing. After meeting him, an elder exclaimed, "This is a sage talent fit to assist an emperor!"
At 26, Fu Bi began his official career, and over the next 40-plus years, he served the Northern Song Dynasty with unwavering loyalty, achieving remarkable success in diplomacy, border defense, judicial oversight, and disaster relief, earning promotions and eventually serving as prime minister under three emperors—Renzong, Yingzong, and Shenzong—becoming a trusted advisor to the throne and a revered figure among all officials.
In 1042, during the second year of Emperor Renzong's Qingli reign, the Khitan Liao dynasty massed troops along the border, demanding that the Song dynasty cede the vast Guannan region. The court appointed Fu Bi as an envoy to negotiate at the enemy camp. During the talks, risking his own safety, he spoke with passion, recounting decades of alliance and friendship between the two nations, persuading the Liao ruler to abandon the land demands and successfully defending his country's interests. He undertook two missions; on the first, his daughter died of illness, and on the second, he learned of his son's birth—yet he never returned home to see them. Upon his return, the court honored him with key posts like imperial advisor, Hanlin academician, and vice grand councilor, but he humbly declined each time, refusing to take office.
In 1048, the Yellow River burst its banks at Shanghu, sending 600,000 refugees from Hebei fleeing south to the Jingdong region. At the time, Fu Bi, demoted to Qingzhou after slander from political rivals, quickly arranged over 100,000 public and private rooms to house the displaced. He posted notices to collect grain from locals and emptied official granaries, distributing supplies across the area. When the Hebei wheat ripened the next year, most refugees returned home with their families. Fu Bi also recruited over 10,000 soldiers for the state, earning widespread praise. The emperor sent an envoy to commend him and offered the post of Vice Minister of Rites, but Fu Bi declined, saying, "This was merely my duty."
Fu Bi was known for his humility and kindness, never flaunting his power even as prime minister, treating all visitors—officials or commoners—with equal respect. In 1072, during Emperor Shenzong's reign, he retired to Luoyang. One day, while riding a small sedan chair across the Tianjin Bridge, citizens spotted him and flocked to follow, emptying the bustling market in moments. Sima Guang praised him, saying, "A minister for three reigns, your virtue is high and your prestige great." This tribute was well-deserved.
Later, the idiom "High Virtue, Great Prestige" came to be used to praise elderly people of noble character and high reputation.
Source: Sima Guang (Song Dynasty), *Memorial on Declining an Audience in the Small Hall*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "德高望重" came to describe praise elderly people of noble character and high reputation.