Hai Rui (1514 - 1587) was born in Qiongzhou, Hainan province. In 1558, he was appointed county magistrate of Chun'an County in Zhejiang province. Previously, many county officials took bribes and bent the law. They often wound up cases carelessly. Hai Rui cleaned up this notoriously corrupt county, setting an example of honest government.

In 1564, Hai Rui was transfered to an official post in the capital. Emperor Shizong was obsessed with Taoism and the research for immortaliy and completely neglected state affairs. Though only a very junior officials, Hai Rui had the courage to send a memorial to the throne, censuring the emperor. Fully convinced that the emperor would have him executed, Hai Rui bought a coffin, bade farewell to his wife, and settled his afairs. He was not, in fact, executed, but thrown into prison and not released until after Emperor Shizong's death.

In 1569, Hai Rui was appointed imperial inspector of the 10 areas under the administration of Yingtian (including Suzhou, Yingtian, Songjiang, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Huizhou and others). Yingtian was the most advanced region in both economy and culture in Ming Dynasty. Senior officials there had carved out large estates for themselves. This deprived the state of large amounts of fertile land. Hai Rui insisted unconditionally on breaking up these estates, and the returning the land to the farmers. His enemies thereupon banded together to slander him to the emperor. Muzong, and Hai Rui was stripped of his official rank.

After 10 years living in retirement, Hai Rui was employed again by the new emperor Shenzong. He held the post until his death in 1587. He was renowned far and wide as a model of an upright and incorruptible official.