The following excerpt was originally in Chinese on the [ http://www.nanchens.com/hk/nc01/nc01012.htm ] website and was translated into English by Gene M Chin. His own comments are in square brackets [ ].
Chén Shí (104 – 187 AD) had a courtesy name of Zhòng Gōng (仲弓). He was a Xǔ (許) person from Yǐngchuān (in today’s Henan Province, Xǔchāng District, Chánggé Market, Gǔqiáo Town, Chéngù Village). When he was young, his family was very poor. He became a minor official in his district. He worked hard and endured criticism. He loved learning. The country magistrate recognized his talents and sent him to the Imperial College. He was a county inspector and executive. He had a firm grasp of what is right and wrong. He humbled himself extensively: When a good deed is done, he praises others; when a misdeed is done, he takes the blame himself. People from far and near gasped in admiration for his natural tendency toward moral integrity and conduct.
The Minister of Public Works Huáng Qióng (黃瓊) during the reign of Emperor Huán (151 AD) selected him to be the County Director of Wénxǐ (聞喜) county. Later he was promoted to be County Director of Tài Qiū (太丘) [in today’s Henan Province, Yǒngchéng City (永城)]. In his job, Chén Shí used kindness in government and cherished the common people. Because of this people from neighboring districts moved to his area. Subsequently, Pèi, a high-level minister, levied taxes illegally causing a heavy burden on the common people. Chén Shí could not stop him and resigned from his official position.
At the zenith of his career, among the masters of great learning, he was considered to be the head master of them all. Among his disciples were Xún Shuǎng (荀爽 128 - 190 AD, political commentator and historian), Jiǎ Biāo (賈彪), Lǐ Yīng (李膺 – 169 AD, governor of Henan Commandery, killed in the second Disaster of Partisan Prohibitions), Hán Róng (韓融), Wáng Liè (王烈 140 – 218 AD, filial obedient and benevolent scholar), Guǎn Níng (管甯 158 – 251 AD, scholar), Huá Xīn (華歆 157 – 231 AD, minister over letters of Cáowèi曹魏), Bǐng Yuán (邴原) and others. [Huá Xīn, Bǐng Yuán, and Guǎn Níng were considered to be “three people making one dragon”. The head of the dragon was Huá Xīn; the belly of the dragon was Bǐng Yuán; and the tail of the dragon was Guǎn Níng.] People everywhere were paying close attention to the movements of Chén Shí and his group of literary celebrities. According to wise soothsayers of olden times, whenever a bright star appears a talented person will also appear. When Chén Shí appeared, the minister in charge of astronomy and calendars said that he had foreseen this event by observing Jupiter, the star of major auspicious omens.
At the end of Eastern Han dynasty the eunuchs abused their powers. They persecuted the gentry and literary celebrities causing what was termed the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions. In 166 AD Lǐ Yīng (李膺) together with 200 others were falsely accused of being Partisans. They were all arrested and imprisoned. The majority of the people wanted to avoid imprisonment. Chén Shí said in a stern manner and with a sense of righteousness, “I want to go to prison to support the other prisoners.” So he became one of the 200 prisoners. Two years later, they were all pardoned and left prison. In 168 AD Líng Dì (靈帝) was enthroned. General Dòu Wǔ (竇武) [Dòu Wǔ was the father of Empress Dou, who served as regent to Emperor Ling (靈帝).] conspired to remove the eunuchs. He appointed Chén Shí as an aide to help and plan a strategy together. Not long after this the strategy was defeated and Dòu Wǔ and others were killed. The eunuchs began a large-scale effort to seize and arrest the Partisans. The dead and injured reached 600 to 700 people. Chén Shí again suffered from the Partisan Prohibitions. He lived in seclusion in his home town of Jīng Shān (荊山).
Back in his native village, Chén Shí pays attention to his people by using persuasion and examples of prevailing customary morality and ethics. He gained popular trust and people took his views and suggestions very seriously. He believed that, “Either add more punishment or explain their shortcomings.” Once there was a petty thief hiding in the roof beam preparing to steal when night came. After Chén Shí became aware of this, he did not cry out. Instead he asked his children and grandchildren to come to his house to teach them to work hard in order to make progress. To act properly and decently one should not practice bad habits like the gentleman in the roof beam. The petty thief in the roof beam was so touched that he jumped down and humbly apologized. After this story spread, others also learned from this story. Crime rate was reduced. That was how the idiom, “Gentleman in Roof Beam” came to mean a thief nowadays.
After the Second Disaster of Partisan Prohibitions ended, high officials, one after another, recommended Chén Shí to be a minister. The imperial court also summoned him several times to be a minister. However, he declined. In 187 AD he became sick and died at home. He was 84 years old. More than 30,000 people came to pay their respects. General Hé Jìn (何進) sent an envoy to attend the funeral services. A stone monument was set up. His posthumous name was Wén Fàn (文范).
Chén Shí had six sons. Among them Chén Jì (陳紀) and Chén Chén (陳諶) were the most famous. At that time, the father and his two sons were known as “The Three Gentlemen” (三君).