Lead by example and cultivate virtue through frugality

Zhuge Liang usually lives a very frugal life, and as the prime minister of a country, he "accumulates no wealth and has no concubines to serve him". When Zhuge Liang was seriously ill, he presented Liu Chan with a memorial about the family's financial situation, "I first served the late emperor, relied on officials, and had no self-control. Today, Chengdu has 800 mulberry trees and 15 hectares of thin fields. My children have enough food and clothing. I have plenty of spare time. As for my ministers who are away from home, I have no other arrangements. I carry all my food and clothing with them, and they rely on the officials. I do not care about my life. If I die, I will not have any silks inside or money outside to bear down on your majesty. ". This is not only a true portrayal of Zhuge Liang's honest political life, but also a family property declaration form for a senior official in ancient times. After Zhuge Liang's death, the Prime Minister's Mansion took stock of his property and found that "he died as he said." Integrity in politics is often supported by a frugal life style. Zhuge Liang advocated frugality throughout his life. In fact, Zhuge Liang's salary and rewards were abundant. He claimed to be "given tens of billions in salary" ("Reply to Li Yanshu"), but he advocated "Don't be stingy", saying: "If you are stingy, you will not be able to reward, and if you are not rewarded, you will not be able to reward." If it is not fatal, and the soldiers are not fatal, the army will have no merit." Most of the property he obtained was used to reward meritorious soldiers ("Zhuge Liang Ji·Jiang Yuan"). In the process of pacifying the rebellion in the Nanzhong counties, "going deep into the barren area and eating the sun", eating only one day's food for two days, the arduous process can be imagined. Zhuge Liang spent his whole life conquering the north and south, and his army was ruthless. He devoted his whole life to the great cause of national reunification. Until his death, he had "no silk inside and no money outside", leaving behind a model of political integrity for future generations. Zhuge Liang not only lived a frugal life during his lifetime, but was also an advocate and leader of simplicity in funerals. He "decided to be buried in Dingjun Mountain in Hanzhong, because the mountain is a tomb and the tomb is large enough to hold a coffin. It can be used for burial and no utensils are needed." This was commendable in the Han and Wei dynasties when thick burials were prevalent.

Classic quotations:

· Without learning, you cannot expand your talents, and without ambition, you cannot achieve learning.

· Aim high.

· A gentleman’s journey is to cultivate one’s character through tranquility, and to cultivate one’s virtue through frugality. If it is not indifferent, it will not clear its aspirations, and if it is not peaceful, it will not lead to far.

· Quietness cultivates one’s character, frugality cultivates virtue.

· Only when you are not arrogant can you be arrogant, not because you are favored and are powerful.

· It is not advisable to belittle oneself in a spirit of great lofty ideals.

· If you want to think about its benefits, you must think about its harms; if you want to think about its successes, you must think about its failures.

· Be noble but not arrogant, win without being disobedient, be virtuous but capable of subordinates, be strong but be patient.

· There is no learning without tranquility.

· If you don’t love the ruler and the jade but rather the inch of shade, it will be difficult and easy to lose.

· Scholars know each other, the temperature does not increase the flowering, the cold does not change the leaves, it can survive all seasons, and it will strengthen after surviving the dangers of the barbarians.