| | Song Jun, courtesy name Shuxiang, was a native of Nanyan. He was transferred to serve as Tai Shou of Jiuhu. The commandery had many tigers, which frequently caused harm to the people. Officials often recruited hunters and set traps, yet injuries still occurred frequently. When Jun arrived, he issued an order to the subordinate counties: "Tigers and leopards in the mountains, soft-shelled turtles and giant crocodiles in water—each has its natural habitat. Moreover, fierce beasts in the Jianghuai region are no different from chickens and pigs in northern lands." "Now that they have become a threat to people, the fault lies with corrupt officials. To exhaustively hunt and trap them is not the fundamental way to show concern for the people." "Therefore, you must remove corrupt and greedy officials and promote loyal and virtuous ones. We should dismantle all traps and abolish these burdensome regulations." After this, rumors spread that the tigers had traveled eastward together across the river. In the first year of Zhongyuan (56 AD), when the mountainous regions were governed by a certain Gong Yangchu Pei, locusts plagued many areas. Those flying into Jiuhu's territory would scatter to the east and west. Because of this, Jun gained renown near and far.
|
