Li Wenbo, from Boling, is known for his integrity and is particularly dedicated to studying Confucian classics and the principles of governance. When he reads, he often reflects deeply on stories of dynasties' rise and fall, loyal ministers, and righteous scholars. During the Kaihuang era of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, he was appointed as a Yuqi Captain and was highly regarded by Xue Daoheng, the Minister of Personnel. Xue Daoheng often had him read historical texts in the audience chamber to assess his abilities. Whenever Li Wenbo encountered a good way to govern the country, he would quickly jot it down; if he found mistakes in selecting officials, he would point them out directly. Xue Daoheng was always pleased to take his advice.
Later, Li Wenbo was transferred to the Secretariat and was tasked with proofreading classic texts. He was honest, led a simple life, yet remained content. Although he often lacked food and clothing, he still maintained noble integrity, never made friends lightly, and always bound himself by etiquette and laws. His colleagues respected him and also held a certain fear of him. Knowing his poverty, Xue Daoheng often invited him to his home to help him with living expenses. Li Wenbo had an in-depth understanding of historical governance, as if he had it all figured out, but he never resorted to flattery or scheming for advancement in the bureaucracy. He slowly rose to the position of Xiaoshulang, then was transferred to be a county magistrate, but his performance was lackluster, and he remained unpromoted for several years.
Later, Xue Daoheng became the Grand Master of the Registrar in the Eastern Capital and met Li Wenbo in the Ministry of Personnel in the Eastern Capital. He sympathized greatly with Li Wenbo's plight, so he submitted a memorial to the court recommending him for an official position. Xue Daoheng happily said to Prince Qi, Li Gang, "Today I finally met Li Wenbo, and I recommended him!" This shows that Xue Daoheng held Li Wenbo in high regard. When Li Wenbo was in Luoyang, he once visited Fang Xuanling, who accompanied him to the crossroads. Fang Xuanling asked him, "You've pursued righteousness your whole life, and now as an official, you should have the chance to realize your ambitions, right? What have you done lately to address the issues at hand?" Li Wenbo immediately exclaimed excitedly, "To govern the river well, we must first clean up its source; to correct the outcomes, we must first rectify their fundamentals. Right now, the root causes are in disarray. Even if we fired ten corrupt county magistrates every day, what good would it do?" This was reflective of his outspoken and uncompromising character. At that time, the government was growing more and more corrupt, with rampant embezzlement and bribery. Only Li Wenbo consistently upheld his noble integrity, which earned him even greater respect from the people. Later, he faced war and was displaced, ultimately vanishing without a trace.
At first, Wenbo was an official historian in the palace, and Yushi Ji's son was also there, dressed to the nines and completely lacking in subtlety. Wenbo casually asked him how old he was, and he replied, "Eighteen." Wenbo then said to him, "When Jia Yi was eighteen, what national affairs were being discussed? Now you are only concerned with dressing yourself up, what's your end game?" Also, when the concubine of Qin Shihuang gave birth to a son, Gaozu was overjoyed and rewarded the courtiers differently. Wenbo's family had always been poor, and when someone said he was happy, he replied, "The system of rewards and punishments is used to measure merits and demerits. Now that the concubine has given birth to a son, what's that got to do with us officials? Why should we receive rewards for nothing?" He was someone who really valued the alignment of words and actions, meticulously weighed merits and demerits, and always ensured that rewards and punishments were fair and just, without any concealment. Wenbo originally studied Confucian classics, then read historical books, and was well-versed in the doctrines and debates of various philosophical schools. He was straightforward by nature, liked to discuss, and was also very good at writing. He wrote a ten-volume book called "The Collection of Governing Principles," which gained widespread popularity. Historical records describe him as follows: people like Ming Ke Rang and Wei Dan, some were exceptionally knowledgeable and widely experienced, wrote magnificent and fluent articles. They were celebrated as talents from the Yan and Zhao regions as well as the southeast. Wherever they went, they were highly valued and obtained official positions. While not everyone followed the path laid out for them, they did have their own reasons. Wei Dan's "Book of Wei" was considered concise, clear, and worthy of being passed down to future generations. The others also had their own writings, with varying degrees of success, but they all worked hard to leave behind their words. That’s pretty impressive!
