奉公守法

Origin and story

The related expression feng gong ru fa appears in the Records of the Grand Historian's account of Zhao She. While collecting taxes, Zhao She punished retainers of Lord Pingyuan whose household refused payment. When the lord threatened him, Zhao She argued that privilege should support public order: if someone so influential followed the law, people of different ranks would be treated fairly and the state would become stronger.

That argument supplies an early allusion to the idiom's governing ideal, although its wording differs. The exact modern form is also documented in Zeng Rui's Yuan play Liu Xie Ji, where an official describes his integrity and public service.