Hai Rui, a native of Qiongshan County in Guangdong's Qiongzhou, earned recognition from discerning scholars after presenting his "Strategy for Pacifying the Li" at the imperial court following the provincial examination, and was appointed as the Instructor of Nanping.
Hai Rui was known for his integrity and fairness. When serving as an instructor in Nanping, he saw that other officials would kneel before an imperial inspector visiting the academy, but he only bowed deeply without kneeling. Asked why, Hai Rui replied, "The academy is where teachers instruct scholars; it should not be subjected to arbitrary humiliation."
When Hai Rui was transferred from instructor to magistrate of Chun'an County, he remained as principled as ever. Governor Hu Zongxian's son once passed through Chun'an, and when the innkeeper offered only modest hospitality, the young man flew into a rage and had the official hung upside down. Upon hearing this, Hai Rui told his staff, "Governor Hu has issued clear orders against extravagance during his inspections. This man travels with lavish luggage—he cannot be Governor Hu's son, for how could a son defy his father's teachings?" He then ordered the confiscation of the son's thousands in gold, deposited it into the treasury, and sent word to Hu Zongxian that an impostor had been caught. Hu Zongxian could only swallow his anger, powerless to retaliate. Later, when Censor-in-Chief Yan Maoging came to inspect, Hai Rui again offered only simple hospitality, offending his superior and losing his promotion to Jiaxing subprefect, instead being demoted to Xingguo prefectural judge. Only after a long time was he finally promoted to secretary in the Ministry of Revenue.
During the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Jiajing (Zhu Houcong) had already spent over twenty years rarely attending court, instead retreating to the Western Gardens to chant sutras and pray for immortality. His high officials, reading the emperor's mind, competed to present auspicious omens to win his favor. One courtier once voiced objections but was punished, so no one dared to oppose the practice again.
In February 1566, during the 45th year of the Jiajing reign, the official Hai Rui risked everything by submitting a bold memorial to the Ming emperor, bluntly criticizing his obsession with seeking immortality: "Your Majesty has not held court for twenty years, causing laws to decay, official titles to be debased, and loyal ministers to be executed on suspicion. Corrupt officials run rampant, the people suffer, floods and droughts strike without warning, and bandits grow bold." Hai Rui earnestly urged the emperor to realize the futility of Taoist rituals, writing, "If you would suddenly repent, attend court daily, and discuss the nation's ills with your ministers and advisors, washing away decades of accumulated errors, then why worry about governing the realm or settling all affairs?"
Zhu Houcong finished reading the memorial, flew into a rage, threw it to the ground, and shouted, "Go quickly and arrest Hai Rui—don't let him escape!"
The eunuch informed the emperor that when Hai Rui wrote this memorial, he had already placed life and death beyond his concern, fully expecting to die—he had purchased a coffin, bid farewell to his wife, and even dismissed his servants, making it absolutely certain he would not flee.
Emperor Zhu Houcong sighed deeply after reading Hai Rui's memorial, remarking that Hai Rui "could rival Bi Gan in loyalty." He held onto the memorial for months without arresting Hai Rui. Only after falling ill, when discussing abdication with Grand Secretary Xu Jie, did he order Hai Rui's arrest and imprisonment, demanding to know who had instigated him. The Ministry of Justice sentenced Hai Rui to death, but when the verdict reached Zhu Houcong, he again suppressed it, refusing to authorize the execution.
Two months later, Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty passed away, and Hai Rui was finally released from prison.
"Fanran huiwu," also written as "fanran huiwu," means to quickly come to one's senses.
Source: *History of Ming*, "Biography of Hai Rui"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "翻然悔悟" came to describe to quickly come to one's senses.