1. Always "think twice before acting" when encountering problems
Ji Wenzi is a famous virtuous prime minister in Chinese history. It was precisely because of his careful thinking that he ruled the state of Lu for 33 years, assisting three generations of monarchs: Duke Xuan of Lu, Duke Cheng of Lu, and Duke Xiang of Lu. In order to stabilize the political situation of Lu State, he expelled Gongsun Guifu from the country.
He is in charge of the government and wealth of the Lu State. He has great power and is dedicated to peace and prosperity. Be loyal and honest, be diligent in your country, and be frugal in your family. "Historical Records of the Lu Family" records: When Ji Wenzi was in power, "the family had no concubines to wear silks, no horses to eat millet in the stables, and no gold or jade in the mansion."
"Guoyu·Luyu" said: Ji Wenzi was a high-ranking official in the state of Lu. He had control over state affairs and the power to command the army. He had his own land, but his wife and children did not. A man wears silk and satin clothes; his family's horses are fed only grass and not corn.
Zhongsun, the son of Meng Xianzi, looked down upon Ji Wenzi's behavior, so he asked Ji Wenzi: "You are a high official in the state of Lu, but your wife does not wear silk clothes and your horses do not use corn." Aren't you afraid that the officials in the country will laugh at you for being stingy? Don't you care about how your interactions with the princes will affect the reputation of Lu?" Ji Wenzi replied: "Of course I am also willing to wear silk clothes? , ride good horses, but I see that there are still many people in the country who eat coarse grains and wear shabby clothes. I can't let the elders and sisters all over the country eat coarse grains and wear shabby clothes, while my wife and children at home are too particular about clothing and food. I only heard that people have. Noble moral character is the greatest honor of the country. I have never heard that showing off one's beautiful concubines and good horses will bring glory to the country." When Meng Xianzi heard about it, he was angry and imprisoned his son Zhongsun for seven days. After being disciplined, Zhongsun corrected his past mistakes and imitated him. The news spread like wildfire, and under Ji Wenzi's initiative, a frugal trend emerged in both the government and the public in the Lu state, which was praised by later generations.
2. The chef slaughtered cattle
During the Warring States Period, there was a chef who slaughtered cattle for King Hui of Liang. Remove all the meat and bones from a cow. King Hui of Liang praised him repeatedly after seeing it, and said: "Your skills in slaughtering cattle are so good!"
The chef replied: "The reason why I have reached such a proficiency is not only due to my skills. I am proficient, and because I have completely understood the skeletal structure of cattle, even though I have used it for nineteen years and dissected thousands of cattle, the blade is still as sharp as if it had just been sharpened. .
Because there are always certain gaps between the joints of cows, and my blade is ground very thin, which is thinner than the gaps between the joints of cows, so I use this blade to break down the gaps between the joints of cows. , The blade of the knife is broad and has a lot of room."
3. Bian Que practiced medicine
Bian Que was a famous doctor in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China. Because of his superb medical skills, he was recognized as a "miracle doctor" by the world, so people at that time called him by the name of "Bian Que", the miracle doctor of the Yellow Emperor in ancient mythology. Bian Que established the pulse diagnosis method of traditional Chinese medicine and pioneered traditional Chinese medicine.
One day Bian Que visited King Wu of Qin. King Wu told Bian Que about his illness and asked Bian Que to treat him. King Qin Wu's minister said: "The king's disease is between the ears and eyes. Even if it is treated, it may not be cured. If not treated properly, it may cause deafness in the ears and blindness in the eyes." King Qin Wu told Bian what his ministers said. magpie.
After hearing this, Bian Que lost his temper, threw the needle stone on the ground, and said angrily: "Since the king consults with people who understand medical science to treat diseases, but he does not understand the nonsense of people who do not understand medical science." , how can this cure your illness? If this kind of law is used to manage Qin's political affairs, then as long as you hesitate on a major move, Qin will soon perish!"
4. Jia Huangzhong became an official
In the Song Dynasty, there was a very learned man named Jia Huangzhong. He started studying with his father when he was five years old. Due to his father's strict requirements, Jia Huangzhong passed the Jinshi examination at the age of fifteen and became a school secretary. Jia Huangzhong was an honest and upright official. When he was the Grand Shou of Xuanzhou, there was a famine one year and many people starved to death. Jia Huangzhong used his own rice to cook and saved thousands of people.
When he was working in Jinling, he discovered that there were dozens of boxes of gold and silver treasures hidden in the treasury, which were priceless. He immediately cleared them and reported them to the court. Song Dazong was very happy and praised him, saying that if he had not been honest and honest, these treasures of the previous dynasty would have been lost.
In addition, he specially summoned Jia Huangzhong’s mother and praised her for her meritorious service in educating her son, which can be compared to Mencius’ mother. However, Jia Huangzhong is too serious and cautious in his work, and often cannot make prompt decisions when encountering major issues.
Later he was sent to serve in other places. When bidding farewell to Taizong, Taizong warned him: "Be respectful and cautious in doing things. This should be done by both kings and ministers, but if you do If you go too far, you will lose your status as a minister." When Jia Huangzhong died, his family was very poor. The emperor specially gave his old mother three hundred thousand taels of silver in recognition of his integrity and selflessness as an official. Mothers teach their children well.
5. Ji Wenzi, a wise prime minister:
Ji Wenzi is a famous wise prime minister in Chinese history. Always "think twice before acting" when encountering problems. It was precisely because of his careful thinking that he ruled the state of Lu for 33 years, assisting three generations of monarchs: Duke Xuan of Lu, Duke Cheng of Lu, and Duke Xiang of Lu. In order to stabilize the political situation of Lu State, he expelled Gongsun Guifu from the country. He was in charge of the government and wealth of the Lu State. He had great power and was devoted to the peace of the country.
Be loyal and honest, be diligent in your country, and be frugal in your family. "Historical Records of the Lu Family" records: When Ji Wenzi was in power, "the family had no concubines to wear silks, no horses to eat millet in the stables, and no gold or jade in the mansion." "Guoyu·Luyu" says: Ji Wenzi was a high-ranking official in the state of Lu. He controlled the state affairs and the power of commanding the army, and had his own land. However, none of his wives and children wore silk clothes; he The horses at home are fed only grass and not corn.
Zhongsun, the son of Meng Xianzi, looked down upon Ji Wenzi's behavior, so he asked Ji Wenzi: "You are a high official in the state of Lu, but your wife does not wear silk clothes and your horses do not use corn." Aren't you afraid that the officials in the country will laugh at you for being stingy? Don't you care about how your interactions with the princes will affect the reputation of Lu?" Ji Wenzi replied: "Of course I am also willing to wear silk clothes? , ride good horses, but I see that there are still many people in the country who eat coarse grains and wear shabby clothes. I can't let the elders and sisters all over the country eat coarse grains and wear shabby clothes, while my wife and children at home are too particular about clothing and food. I only heard that people have. Noble moral character is the greatest honor of the country. I have never heard that showing off one's beautiful concubines and good horses will bring glory to the country." When Meng Xianzi heard about it, he was angry and imprisoned his son Zhongsun for seven days. After being disciplined, Zhongsun corrected his past mistakes and imitated him. The news spread like wildfire, and under Ji Wenzi's initiative, a frugal trend emerged in both the government and the public in the Lu state, which was praised by later generations.