Fourth, know the refusal of money

There is a famous story in history that Yang Zhen, a native of the Eastern Han Dynasty, made the history of Jingzhou Thorn, and was later transferred to Donglai Taishou. When he went to Donglai to take office, he passed by Changyi, and Wang Mi, the commander of Changyi County, was an official recommended by Yang Zhen when he was serving as the assassin of Jingzhou. Wang Mi heard that Yang Zhen was passing by, and in order to repay the kindness of the year, Bai Tianshou went to see Yang Zhen, and prepared ten catties of gold to give to Yang Zhen in the evening. Wang Mi said: "It's late at night, and no one knows. Yang Zhen said, "God knows, the earth knows, I know, you know, how can you say that no one knows?" Wang Mi was ashamed when he heard this. Yang Zhen is an honest official, and some old friends and elders persuaded him to buy property for his children and grandchildren, Yang Zhen said: "Let the future world call them the descendants of Qing officials, and I will use this to leave to them, isn't it also very rich?" "That's an awakening.

β€”β€”Speech at the Seventh Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (January 6, 2017)

Further reading:

Since ancient times, there have been many good stories of honest officials in China, such as Yang Xu's "hanging fish and refusing bribes", Zihan's "taking non-greed as a treasure", Kong Fen's "not being self-moistened in grease", Bao Zheng's "not holding an inkstone", and so on. The story of Yang Zhen's "Four Knowledges and Rejection of Gold" and "Innocent Officials' Descendants" is also famous in history.

Yang Zhen, a native of Huayin, Shaanxi, was a famous scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He entered the government at the age of 50, was an honest official, and his sleeves were clean, and he was later promoted to the third duke. The matter of "four knowledge refusal of gold" was first published in "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Yang Zhen". Wang Mi said late at night with a golden gift, "The ignorant at night". But Yang Zhen refuted sternly: "God knows, the earth knows, I know, and the son knows." What is ignorance? Wang Mi "came out in shame". The Book of the Later Han Dynasty also records that Yang Zhen "is honest and honest, and is not subject to private advice." Children and grandchildren often eat vegetables and walk, so the old elders may want to order to open an industry, but they refuse, saying: 'Let the future generations be called innocent descendants, and leave them behind, not too thick!' ’”

Because of the story of "Four Knowledges Reject Gold", later generations called Yang Zhen "Yang Sizhi", "Four Knowledges Taishou" and "Mr. Four Knowledges", until the gate of the Laizhou Mansion in the Ming Dynasty, there were Yang Gong Ancestral Hall and Four Knowledges Hall. Tang Dynasty Hu Zeng's "Song Epic: Kansai" praised: "Yang Zhen's ghost went to the north, and the traces of Guanxi became desolate. The reputation of the four knowledge leaves the world, and it should be with Qiankun for a long time. ”

Yang Zhen not only kept himself clean, but also dared to stand up and criticize the vices of officialdom. For the royal relatives and nobles, he also dared to speak out. Emperor An of the Han Dynasty's uncle Geng Bao, the empress's elder brother Yan Xian, etc., recommended their relatives and friends to Yang Zhen to become officials in the court, Yang Zhen knew that these people were not talented and virtuous, so they all categorically refused.

Such a character and family style have become the best gift for children and grandchildren. According to historical records, Yang Zhen's family was innocent and honest. His son Yang Bing originally lived in seclusion in the countryside to teach, and only came out to be an official when he was in his forties, and he had the style of his father. For the sake of old subordinates, he gave millions of dollars, and he "closed his door and called him honest". Yang Bing's son Yang Ciguan Ju Taiwei, Yang Zhen's great-grandsons Yang Qi and Yang Biao, all have the style of honesty and honesty of their ancestors. Yang Zhen's family style of "innocent descendants" has been praised through the ages.

At the Seventh Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Xi Jinping emphasized: "The party's leading cadres must be conscious and conscious. When you have enlightenment, and your consciousness is high, you will be able to find the crosshairs of your own behavior. He told the story of Yang Zhen's "four knowledge of refusing money" and leaving honesty to his children and grandchildren, precisely to illustrate the importance of consciousness to a person's career, his words and virtues. Only when we are conscious can we distinguish between right and wrong, between public and private, and only when we are conscious can we cultivate righteousness and dispel evil spirits. Consciousness is the "touchstone" for testing a person's ideological quality, and in the face of the contradictions between public and private, righteousness and profit, right and wrong, good and evil, suffering and happiness, whether to choose the former or the latter depends on enlightenment.