Gong Yixiu was the prime minister of Lu in the early Warring States period. He insisted on the ruling principle of ruling the country by virtue, and kept it unchanged, which made the officials of the imperial court, large and small, self-righteous, neither competing for profits with the people nor taking small favors in vain.

Gong Yixiu has a hobby, that is, he especially likes to eat fish. The Prime Minister loves to eat fish, so naturally someone offered to send him fish. One day, a fish delivery man brought him a basket of first-class fresh fish, but he refused to accept it. The fish delivery man asked inexplicably, "I heard that the Prime Minister likes to eat fish. I don't know why you don't accept it." Gong Yixiu smiled and said to the person who sent the fish, "This is why I resolutely refuse to accept anyone to send the fish. There is a simple reason. I am the prime minister, and the salary of the prime minister is enough for me to buy fish myself. If I get fired for taking someone else's fish today, who will send me fish? That's why I don't accept fish! "

Zi Han regards greed as his wealth.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, a man in the State of Song got a beautiful jade and wanted to give it to Zicheng. Zi Han refused to accept it. The sender thought that Zi Han suspected that this jade was fake, so he said, "I invited a jade craftsman to identify this beautiful jade, and he said it was a treasure jade, so I dared to give it to you." Zi Han replied, "You regard jade as a treasure, and I regard greed as a treasure. If I accept the jade, you lose the treasure.

Sheep continue to hang fish and refuse to give gifts.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yang continued to be the prefect of Nanyang for a long time, but he always lived a simple life. Because he was an honest official, he was highly respected by people at that time, and everyone called him "the prefect of honesty."

A subordinate saw that Taishou's life was too bitter. One day, he gave some fresh fish to Yang Jian for him to taste. Although Yang Xu collected fish, he didn't eat it, but hung it on the court. A few days later, the subordinate gave it to Yang Xu. Yang Xu pointed to the dried fish hanging on the field and said, "The fish you gave me is still hanging, so I don't need to send it again!" The bearer originally wanted to ask the satrap to do something personal when delivering fish. In this case, he was embarrassed to ask. He never dared to send anything to the satrap again.

Yang Xu is so not only for his subordinates, but also for his closest relatives. He works in a state organ, and his wife and children want to live with Yang Xu and have a good care in life. Yang Xu came to his residence with his wife and son. His wife and children saw that all the property in the family was just a coarse quilt, an old jacket, several barrels of wheat and a little salt. Yang Xu said to his son, "That's how I live, and you have to live here. What should I feed you and your mother? Let's go back to our hometown and live at home. " The son said inexplicably: "His father is an official, and all three relatives and six relatives benefit, but we can't borrow any light." Or his wife knew Yang Xu and said to her son, "You don't know your father yet. You have read some books and admire honest officials. Now the upright official is in front of you. How can you be confused? "

The son bowed his head in shame. So he happily returned to the countryside with his mother.

Liu Chong's self-denial and devotion to duty.

Liu Chong, the magistrate of Huiji County (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province) in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was transferred to Beijing because of his incorruptibility and outstanding political achievements.

Before he left, I saw several white-haired old people coming together and saying that they were going to see the satrap off. Hearing this, Liu Chong thanked him immediately. The old people said, "In the past, officials were greedy for money and fetishism, which often made the people restless. Since you became the prefect, officials have been self-denying and devoted to their duties, and the people have lived and worked in peace and contentment. Today, the satrap is leaving, and everyone is really reluctant to leave, so I specially came to see them off.

Liu Chong said with great emotion: "I am really ashamed that my elders praised me so much. I accepted your kindness. I can't accept the money Please take it back! "

The old people are sincere and determined to give them away. Liu Chong had no choice but to take a penny from everyone, and the old people thanked them and said goodbye. Seeing the old man leaving, Liu Chong gently threw the pennies he received into the river.

The story spread quickly, and people praised Liu Chong in succession. Someone gave him a good name, called "a dollar is a satrap." It is said that Qianqing Town, north of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, is where Liu Chong invested his money.

Sun Lian left a suicide note.

During the period of Ming Di in the Southern Song Dynasty, Sun Gan was promoted to Badong and Jianping as a magistrate of a county because of his integrity.

Tian Jian Prison 15 years (5 16), Sun Gan is 92 years old. He had a premonition that he would die soon and was determined to remain clean after his death. He left a suicide note to his sons, saying, "I didn't want to pursue worldly wealth when I was young, so I didn't want to get ahead." Since then, I have been an official for three generations. With my qualifications and fame, I may get the court after my death. " You should immediately tie up my towel and bury it bareheaded, so as to save money. "And instruct you:" When burying me, the coffin feet should be hidden and put away. Ghosts and coffins leading the way at funerals can be omitted. The car I usually take is a hearse, the bed I usually lie on is a hearse, and rough bamboo mats are needed to prepare the necessary etiquette. Everything else can be omitted. "

Zhao Gui is as clean as water.

In the Sui Dynasty, Zhao Gui worked as a coachman in Jizhou (now Jinan), and his neighbor in the east had mulberry trees. One year, mulberries were ripe, and big and red mulberries fell all over his yard. He asked his family to pick them up and return them to his neighbors, and warned his son, "I don't want to become famous by this, I just think."

Zhao Gui has been an official in qi zhou for four years, and his performance is the best every year. He was rewarded by the emperor and recruited to serve in North Korea. When he left, the villagers all sent him away in tears. On behalf of the people, an elderly man, holding a glass of water, paid a trembling tribute to Zhao Gui, saying, "This official doesn't drive and never accepts bribes, as if fire and water don't intersect. Now that you are leaving, we dare not send them a pot of wine. "

Later, Zhao Gui was appointed as the general manager of Yuanzhou (now Guyuan, Ningxia), paying attention to strictly restraining subordinates and doing no harm to the people in autumn. Once, Zhao Gui led a group of men who walked at night carelessly, and the horse stepped into the field, trampled the seedlings and stopped immediately. After dawn, he found the owner of the field, compensated for the loss, and then led the team to set off. When people and officials in Yuanzhou heard about this incident, they were very moved and all took Zhao Gui as the starting point.

Bao Zheng's "Refusal to Be Honest and Clean"

When I was in Song Renzong, both the government and the people gave gifts.

Bao Zheng has always opposed this kind of gift-giving and acceptance, and repeatedly appealed to the emperor, demanding that the phenomenon of gift-giving and acceptance between officials be prohibited, so as to create a clean and honest atmosphere.

This year is Bao Zheng's 60th birthday. A few days before his birthday, he ordered his son Gui Bao and Dynasty, Mahan, etc. Stand at the entrance of the yamen and refuse the gift. But who knows, the first birthday present is the current emperor, and the gift is from the eunuch at the Sixth Palace ceremony. When the old eunuch arrived at the door, he insisted on seeing Bao Zheng and asked him to accept the gift. This is a dilemma for Gui Bao. The gift from Viva was not accepted. This is not resistance.

"He is highly respected and works day and night like Wei Zhi. Today, the emperor gave him a gift and he refused. "

Gui Bao asked the dynasty to take this poem to the inner town for his father's exhibition. Soon, the dynasty brought back the original red paper and gave it to the old eunuch. I saw four sentences added to the original poem.

"Selfless and loyal, being an official is most afraid of rewarding merit."

After reading it, eunuch Liu Gongsi was speechless for a long time, so he had to go back to the palace with a gift and red paper.

Wang Ao was an honest official in the Five Dynasties.

Wang Ao was an upright official in the Ming Dynasty for five generations from Chengzu to Jingdi. He has lived in officialdom for decades, and despite his high position, he has always maintained a fair and honest quality.

He lives in the court, holding heavy power, but he is very strict with himself and often wears worn-out clothes. On one occasion, after Ming Yingzong summoned Wang Ao, Wang Ao turned and left. Yingzong saw that his clothes were torn and told him to go back and ask why. Wang Ao had to say that he occasionally wore this dress that day, but he just didn't have time to change.

Wang Ao is also very strict with his family. One of his grandchildren entered Imperial College because of his kindness. Once in the autumn exam, the grandson with average talent also wanted to try the examination room in an attempt to be the champion, so he told Wang Ao with the test paper he got from the relevant department. Wang Ao resolutely opposed it and said, "If you really have talent, of course I won't stop you from trying your hand; If you are selected from a mediocre generation, you are bound to bury a truly talented person. But there is nothing you can do, just to gain fame. " Then he tore up the test paper and threw it into the stove.

In the face of principle, Wang Ao refused to give in to his family. Wang Ao has a daughter who married Jia Jie, an official in the suburbs of Beijing. Mrs Wang Ao loves her daughter very much and often takes her home to visit her mother. Whenever his wife left, Jia Jie complained in front of her, "It's a piece of cake for my father-in-law to transfer me back to Beijing. Where is there so much trouble?" The daughter told her mother about it, and her mother thought it made sense.

Notes on Lin Zexu's refusal to accept bribes

1820, Lin zexu was appointed as Jiangnan suggestion and toured all parts of Jiangnan. Just after he went to his apartment in Penghu Islands, a man who claimed to be a "flower farmer" presented a pot of roses and said that he wanted to ask Master Lin to change a big pot of flowers. Lin Zexu knew something was different. He kicked over the flowerpot and a red envelope appeared in it. There is a golden mouse and a piece of paper in the bag.

1839, Lin zexu went to Guangzhou to ban smoking. In May, the British business representative Yi Law gave Lin Zexu a set of opium smoking sets: platinum pipe, autumn fishbone cigarette holder and diamond pipe, with a smart and elegant lamp and a golden hairpin beside it, which was dazzling and at least worth 65,438+10,000 pounds. Lin Zexu said, "Mr. Yifa, Yifa is ridiculous and has to take back the gift.

Father Qing Zi Lian maintained a good reputation.

During the Three Kingdoms period and the early Western Jin Dynasty, both Hu Zhi and Hu Wei were famous for their incorruptibility.

Influenced by his father Hu Zhi, Hu Weiwei was keen to inherit and carry forward his father's virtue of incorruptibility since childhood. One year, Hu Weiwei went from Luoyang to visit his father who was a secretariat in Jingzhou. After staying in Jingzhou for a few days, Hu Weiwei said goodbye to his father. Hu Zhi wants to take something to show his father's mind. After tossing and turning, Hu Zhi finally dug up a silk book from home. Hu Zhi looked at his departing son and said affectionately, "Son, take this silk money as your father's travelling expenses." Unexpectedly, Hu Wei not only didn't appreciate it, but scolded his father: "People say that you are honest and don't want to be a corrupt official. I don't know where this silk came from. " Hu Zhi paused for a moment, then explained, "This is the money I saved for you." Hu Wei was relieved.

When Emperor Wu of Jin heard of the reputation of Hu's father and son as honest officials, he summoned Hu Weiqi. He admired their honesty and loyalty to their duties very much and casually asked, "Who is more honest than your father?" Hu Weiwei replied, "I am not as honest as my father." Emperor Wu of Jin also asked, "Why?" Hu Weiwei replied, "My father is honest and doesn't want anyone to know. I am afraid that others don't know, so I am far from my dad! "

Tang Kan prepares coffin to refuse corrupt officials

Tang Kan, a native of Dantu, Jiangsu Province, studied hard since childhood and has a good character. In the eighth year of Ming Dynasty (A.D. 15 14), Tang Kan was a scholar and awarded the magistrate of Yongfeng. At his post, he didn't marry, lived with a nerd and lived a simple life. Over time, local people were convinced that he was honest and clean.

After the death of Empress Zhang Mingsheng, she was buried far away. Everywhere eunuchs go, they extort money and say that Zhang is dead, but they don't do it. Rich local officials pay money to save their lives, and flattering officials take the opportunity to search. Most state and county officials who have no money have fled. Tang Kan prepared an empty coffin in advance, and when the funeral was over, the officials asked for urgency. Tang Kan took the corrupt official to the coffin, pointed to the coffin and said, "I'm dead."

In the Ming dynasty, bribery became the norm and the climate was unclean. In the officialdom of "officials get money and politicians get bribes", Tang Kan abides by morality and maintains integrity, which can be called "real celebrities have a romantic life".

Hou Mingke's wife refused to take bribes.

In the spring of Tongzhi four years, Hou Mingke was transferred to Xiaoyi Hall to help the people get to know each other. Yu Yanji, a small official in the hall, is unwilling to put up with coarse grains without oil. He extorted 65,438+00 kilograms of lard from a common people, earned 5 kilograms, and secretly sent the remaining 5 kilograms to his wife Yang Zhixiang. Mingke was furious when he learned that Yanji was about to be demoted to the common people. He ordered his wife Yang Zhixiang to return 5 kilograms of lard to the common people and beat him 40 times with a stick for accepting bribes.

In September of the sixth year of Tongzhi, Yang Jianwu, the guardian of Chejiahe, was exposed for corruption and donation of silver. During Hou Mingke's visit, Yang Jianwu had five taels of musk stolen from his bag, and attached a letter that read: "Hou's adult: I received eight hundred taels of silver in the names of my brother, brother and sister, and I would like to share it with adults. Please don't die. "

In the late feudal society of "three years to clear the magistrate, 100 thousand snowflakes and silver", Hou Mingke emerged from the mud without dyeing, which was greatly praised by the people. When he left office, he sent a big plaque with "benevolence like spring", and nearly ten thousand people sent it with tears.

The landmark "Shi Lian" will be immortal.

Lu Ji, the word, was born in Wuxian (now Suzhou) of the Three Kingdoms, and the official was the magistrate of Yulin (now Guangxi). During the Three Kingdoms period, Yulin had a vast territory. At that time, when the Yulin magistrate left office, he was full of treasures, but his Lu Ji was an honest official and did not take ill-gotten gains. When his term of office expired, when he left his hometown, his luggage was empty and all his belongings were loaded on the ship. What if something goes wrong? "Luigi asked," What are you afraid of? " Gong Li said, "The boat is too light, and it is easy to capsize when encountering strong winds and waves. Your family of four is worse than a poor man. This ship is too light, so we must find a way to increase its weight. "

Lu Ji discussed with the ferryman and his family and bought two jars of pickles and a load of dried bamboo shoots on board. However, the ship is still too shallow to sail. After buying more goods, there is not much money left in the land machine. What should I do? Suddenly, when I was in a hurry, I saw a big stone on the shore, weighing seven or eight hundred pounds. Lu Ji heard that it was a stone without owner, so he told people to put it on the boat and press it back to their hometown.