Benevolence and Virtue Can Change People
 
Lu Gong, courtesy name Zhongkang, (32 – 112 AD) lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 AD). He studied the Five Classics and Lu Poetry when he was very young. Given his studies, he became well-known for his wealth of knowledge, etiquette and propriety. The county magistrate knew that his family was poor and therefore sent him grain every year, but Lu Gong did not accept them. The magistrate admired his noble character and wanted to give him an official title, as he was too young to be a real official. Lu Gong politely declined.
 
After Lu Gong came of age, he became the magistrate of Zhongmou County. At the beginning of his term, he demonstrated his great virtue and moral behavior. Lu applied virtue to change people, and instead rarely used punishment. During his time in office, the people of Zhongmou were honest and lived peacefully.
 
On one occasion, someone complained to Lu Gong that a neighborhood official had borrowed his ox and refused to return it. Lu Gong thus summoned the official for questioning.
 
Lu Gong said, "You borrowed someone's ox and you should return it after the work has been done. Now the owner has come to me to complain. You should immediately return the ox and apologize to the owner."
 
The official cried, “Your honor, when did I borrow his ox? That is my ox!"
 
The owner of the ox said, "This is not true! You borrowed my ox, but why don't you admit it?"
 
The official responded, "He is fabricating things! Why would I borrow an ox from him?"
 
Lu Gong sighed deeply, "There is no need to argue. It doesn't matter which one of you is right. I am responsible. It is my failure that I have not been able to change you into people with high morals. I believe it to be my fault." After he said that, he took off his official robes and was ready to resign.
 
"Please don't quit," his subordinates begged him in tears.
 
"Please don't leave us," cried all his citizens.
 
"Please don't quit. I'll give up my ox. Please don’t leave your post because of this incident," said the ox owner.
 
After seeing this, the neighborhood official was very embarrassed. He said,"Your honor, I am at fault. I was possessed by corrupt thoughts. I will return the ox to him. Please punish me for my crime." The official finally admitted his wrongdoing. Lu Gong asked the official to return the ox and did not punish him. All the citizens were impressed by the way Lu Gong handled the situation.
 
One time, locusts invaded all the counties, with the exception of Zhongmou County. The Intendant of Henan, Yuan An, heard about it and did not quite believe it. He sent Fei Qin, an official, to investigate. Lu Gong accompanied Fei Qin to inspect the fields. Fei Qin sat under a mulberry tree and saw a pheasant fall down and a child nearby.
 
"Why don't you catch the bird?" asked Fei Qin.
 
"She is hatching the little pheasants and I feel sorry for her."
 
Fei Qin got up immediately after hearing that and went back to report to Yuan An.
 
"There are three unusual things in Zhongmou County. First, the locusts will not invade that county. Second, even the birds and animals are immersed in compassion. Third, even a little child has compassion in his heart. If I had stayed there any longer, I would only have disturbed the goodness that permeated that county."
 
Thus, Intendant Yuan An reported Lu Gong's virtue to the imperial court.
 
After Lu Gong finished his term in Zhongmou County, he was transferred directly to the imperial court due to his outstanding performance, and promoted to a high-ranking official. Not long after Emperor He of the Han Dynasty (ruling from 88 – 105 AD) ascended to power, he desired to attack the nomadic tribes of the west. Many officials wrote memorials advising against the war but the emperor was steadfast. Lu Gong was resolute as well, and wrote, “For many years, the people have lived in hardship and the treasury is vacuous. At the height of spring, starting a war would only create turbulence for all, and is really not a favor to the nation. The Heavens gave life to all the people and the Heavens care for its creations. If one also cares for the people, the Heavens will reward accordingly. Those who are victorious using virtue will remain alive while those who are victorious using force will perish. Today there are natural disasters and a great drought. This is the result of actions against Heaven’s will. Officials and the common people alike oppose a war, yet Your Majesty still wishes to follow your own plan. I hope that Your Majesty can observe the Heavens, examine the people’s aspirations, and follow the Heaven’s will!”
 
Lu Gong was a good official who cared for the people and stressed the importance of moral behavior. The people loved him because he was tolerant and benevolent. Stories about the way he applied virtue to change people were told for generations.
 

宽仁恭谨　德政化民
 
鲁恭，字仲康，东汉扶风平陵人。从小学习《五经》、《鲁诗》等，精通礼仪，名声远扬。县令怜其家贫，每年派人送去酒粮，都被鲁恭辞谢。县令钦佩鲁恭品行，因其年幼，让其先挂个官名，也被鲁恭谢绝。
 
鲁恭长大后，最初担任中牟县令时，就显示出其高尚的节操和道德修养。他以德化人，很少使用刑罚。在他的治理下，中牟县民风淳厚，百姓安居。
 
一次，有一人向鲁恭告状，说有一亭长借了他的牛，用过后却不肯归还。鲁恭于是派人把亭长找来说：「你借了人家的牛，用完后就应该还给人家。现在人家告上状来，你应该马上还牛，并向人家道个歉。」
 
「我的青天大老爷，我甚么时候借了他的牛，那是我自家的牛啊！」亭长说。
 
「胡说，」牛的主人说，「分明是你借了我家的牛，却又怎么不认账？」
 
「他是在讹人，」亭长说，「我怎么会向他借牛呢？」
 
鲁恭听后叹了口气说：「不用再吵了。无论你们谁是谁非，总之，我是有责任。我的教化没有效果，感到有愧啊。」说完，他脱去官服，准备辞官。
 
「大人不要走。」他的下属们流着泪挽留他。
 
「大人不要走。」百姓们流着泪挽留他。
 
「大人，我的牛，我不要了，大人千万别为了这件事辞官啊！」牛的主人说。
 
看到这场面，亭长心里很惭愧，他说：「大人，是我错了。我一时鬼迷心窍，想赖他的牛，我把牛还给他。大人责罚我吧。」亭长终于认了错。
 
鲁恭让亭长还了牛，没有责罚他。百姓们都十分敬服。
 
一次，中牟邻县都闹蝗虫，蝗虫唯独不入中牟县。河南尹袁安听说后，怀疑这不是真的，派官员肥亲前去核实。鲁恭陪肥亲来到田间视察，坐在桑树下，有只野鸡落在一边，旁边有个小孩，肥亲问：「你怎么不逮住它？」小孩说：「它将要孵小鸡呢，挺可怜的。」肥亲肃然起身，回去向袁安报告说：「中牟有三异：螟虫不犯境，这是第一异；慈悲化及鸟兽，这是第二异；小孩都有仁慈之心，这是第三异。我在那里久了，只会打扰贤明的人。」袁安于是将鲁恭的贤良上报了朝廷。
 
鲁恭中牟令任满，因政绩斐然，被直调朝廷升任为司徒。一次，汉和帝继位不久却想派兵出击匈奴，多官联名上书谏阻北伐，和帝不听。鲁恭极力固争，他上疏切谏道：「数年以来，百姓困苦，国库空虚。今以盛春之月，兴发军役，扰动天下，诚非所以垂恩中国。万民者，天之所生；天爱其所生，犹父母之爱其子，故爱人者必有天报。盖以德胜人者昌；以力胜人者亡！今天灾大旱，麦根枯焦，牛死日甚，此其不合天心之验也！官吏百姓，皆曰不可征战，陛下独奈何以一人之计，弃万人之命，不恤其言乎？望陛下上观天心，下察人志，以顺天意！」
 
鲁恭爱惜百姓，重在教化，为政宽仁，深受百姓爱戴，他德政化民的故事流传千载。