Yang Pu: An Honest, Righteous, and Selfless Government Official
 
Yang Pu (1372 – 1446 AD), also known as Yang Hongji, was an accomplished scholar from Shishou County (in modern day Hubei Province) in the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD). He advanced to the high positions of Hanlin academic and later on, the prime minister. He was known as a moral, honest, and righteous man who was also very low-key. He was revered as one of the most virtuous prime ministers in Chinese history.
 
From 1402 to 1405 AD, during Emperor Yongle's reign, Yang Pu worked as an advisor to the crown prince and the chief judge of the civil service examination at the Ministry of Rites. Yang Pu had two younger brothers, Yang Hao and Yang Cheng. When Yang Pu became the chief judge of the civil service examination, his brothers believed that he would open a back door for them. Many candidates for the examination, including sons of the county magistrate and other county officials, approached Yang Pu's two brothers and fawned all over them. Yang Pu's brothers were asked to take a trip to the capital, paid for by the candidates, to understand that year’s exam questions.
 
When they arrived at Yang Pu's house in the capital city, they asked him to reveal some of the exam questions. Yang Pu was outraged and reproached his brothers for wasting time on cheating. He said, "If you don't have real talent and knowledge, you will bring disaster upon the nation and its people. Besides, revealing exam questions is a crime punishable by the execution of my entire clan. Are you trying to kill yourselves?" Yang Pu's younger brothers were overcome with embarrassment. Next Yang Pu inscribed a banner with the motto "Lofty spirit and character will forever reside." He told them to take it home with them and start cultivating their morality according to the motto.
 
Later, when the emissary of the crown prince was late in receiving Emperor Yongle, the Prince of Han took the opportunity to speak ill of the crown prince before the Emperor, who then sentenced the crown prince to prison for ten years. As an advisor of the crown prince, Yang Pu was also thrown into prison. Nevertheless, Yang Pu continued to study diligently to prepare himself to serve the people better after he was released.
 
Yang Pu was released after Emperor Hongxi assumed the throne in 1424 AD, and he was appointed to start a royal academy. After Emperor Xuande succeeded to the throne in 1425 AD, Yang Pu was promoted to be the grand secretary of the highest official rank.
 
Yang Pu's younger brothers died early under the influence of Yang Pu’s ten-year prison sentence. Their two sons kept trying for the civil service examination, but they still hadn't passed the county level exam by the time they were 30. Finally they went to their uncle, Yang Pu, in the capital city. Yang Pu was in tears because the sight of them reminded him that his two younger brothers had died young, leaving their families destitute. The two begged Yang Pu to find them a low-level position in the government. Yang Pu shook his head and told them that one either passes the civil service examination or gets a special post from the emperor himself. He explained to them that it was illegal to get in through relations and that it was something he would not permit. Yang Pu added that he would not even do it for his own son, Yang Dan. Yang Pu had five sons, but four had already died. Yang Dan was his second and only surviving son.
 
Disappointed, Yang Pu's two nephews started to weep. They named a few government officials who had opened a back door for their sons. Yang Pu told them patiently, "A man must rectify himself before he points out other people's misconduct. Besides, a man should learn from virtuous men. A man must think that only the best should qualify as a government official, otherwise such a man will harm the nation, damage his reputation, and lose his morality. He will also damage his family reputation and create karma for his family. You should stop thinking this way." He then wrote a motto on a banner that said "Public authority should never be used for personal profit." Yang Pu gave the banner and 1,000 taels of silver from his own salary to his nephews and told them to look after their mothers and make a living as farmers instead.
 
One day his only son, Yang Dan, visited him. Yang Pu asked him, "On your trip to the capital city, did you hear of any government official that was particularly virtuous and honest?" His son became flustered and said, "I was just about to complain about the magistrate in Jiangling County named Fan Li. I am the son of the important prime minister. All the magistrates I met during the trip were extremely polite to me except him. He was the only one who did not pay attention to me." After hearing his son's story, Yang Pu started to wonder if the magistrate of Jiangling County might be an honest official who did not spend the budget trying to impress important people. Yang Pu reproached his son and told him, "Fan Li treated you just like the son of a commoner. This is exactly what's great about his character. How could you speak ill of him? In my opinion, your thoughts were not righteous. You must never think of yourself as anyone important just because you are the son of the prime minister."
 
Yang Pu kept Fan Li's name in mind. He discovered that Fan was a very honest official and was widely respected by the residents of Jiangling County. Yang Pu promoted Fan Li twice to become a prefecture-level official.
 
One day the Dowager of Emperor Yongle remembered that Yang Pu had been sentenced to prison because of the crown prince and then lost four sons, so she gave Yang Dan a low-level position in the government. Yang Dan was overcome with zealotry and vanity. He often showed off his position by parading the streets with sons of government officials. The people on the streets had to give way to him and bow to him. When Yang Pu learned of his son's behavior, he reproached him severely and made a few rules for him to follow as a government official. Yang Pu told his son to never bully his people and to treat his people as well as he would treat his own parents. He wrote his son a motto on a banner, which said, "A good government official must work as diligently as a cow and must be willing to provide service to even a small child." Yang Pu ordered his son to hang the banner on his bedroom wall as a constant reminder. After that, Yang Dan became diligent at work and governed his speech and actions, which won him much praise from his people and from his supervisor.
 
When Emperor Zhengtong succeeded, he was still a young child. There were many political conflicts in the royal government, and eunuchs had the power. The royal court was divided into different factions. As the prime minister, Yang Pu decided to streamline the government to pacify the overall power struggle. He set an example by firing his own son, Yang Dan, and sending him home to work as a farmer instead. He told his son that this was a decision based on the interest of the nation. He wrote his son a motto on a banner, which said, "A good citizen will remember the family values and teachings."
 
In the sixth year of Emperor Zhengtong's reign, Yang Pu returned to his old home to sweep his ancestors' tombs. When he entered his house, he saw the four banners he had written hanging on the living room wall. Yang Pu worked in the government for fifty years. Despite his position of power in the government, Yang Pu conducted himself based on strict morals. He was a model to his fellow government officials and to his son and relatives.
 
清正高洁　毫无私心
 
杨溥，明朝湖广石首（今属湖北）人，字弘济，授以翰林编修，后为当朝首辅，以有雅操、质直廉静而出名，被后人誉为一代贤相。
 
明永乐四至七年，杨溥任太子洗马兼礼部会试总考官，掌管天下学子入仕。他在石首高陵老家的弟弟杨浩和杨澄，看到哥哥大权在握，便觉的功名有望，学友们都来巴结他们，连县长、县吏们的儿子也来攀交，这些人出资邀二人到京城，要他们去了解今年考试的试题情况。
 
二人到了哥哥家，说起今年考试之事，要哥哥透露些题目给他们。杨溥听了勃然大怒，斥责他们心思不用在正路上，说无真才实学做了官也会祸国殃民，何况泄题犯诛族之罪，难道你们不要命了吗！二人羞的无地自容，杨溥写了「高陵清气万古云」的条幅，交他们带回，照着省身练志。
 
后来因为太子遣使迎接皇帝迟到，为汉王陷害，关进监狱十年，杨溥因是太子属吏，同被株连入狱，他虽身陷牢狱却心忧天下，每日在牢房中读书不辍。
 
仁宗即位后，杨溥获释，主持修建弘文阁。宣宗登基，杨溥提任少保，武英殿大学士，官居一品。
 
他的两个弟弟都因他十年冤狱的影响而早逝，二人的大儿子都已逾而立之年，屡次乡试不第，二人上京找到杨溥。杨溥想起他们的父亲早逝和贫苦的家境，不禁伤心落泪。二人求伯父给吏部说句话，先做个六七品的事就行。杨溥听了摇头道，朝廷只能开科取士，特别任职要皇上恩赐，通过关系安排，属于不法，我不能为。即使杨旦来，也不例外。原来杨溥有五个儿子，四个已夭亡，杨旦是仅存的第二子。
 
二人大失所望，便哭起来，并举证说出其他官员的儿子亲友被荐做官实例，但杨溥谆谆教导说，要正人先正己，要向好的看，再说当官就要为民着想，否则害了国家也害了自己，损名损德，有违家风世德又何必呢？说罢断然写了「公权岂可为私行」的条幅赠与，并将俸银一千两交二人回家孝养母亲，安心务农。
 
一天，他的儿子杨旦从家乡来京城看望他。他问儿子：「你从家乡到京城，一路上可曾听说哪个令守贤明？」儿子气冲冲的说：「我正要告状，江陵县令范理最不贤明。我是堂堂宰辅的儿子，别的县令对我都是十分慕雅，只有他对我简慢失礼。…」听了儿子说的情况后，杨溥想到江陵县令可能是一位不铺张浪费、不巴结权贵的正直官吏，他严厉批评了儿子：「江陵县令把宰辅的儿子视为一般百姓的儿子，这正是他的贤明之处，你怎么能责怪他呢？我看，问题还是你的心思不正。往后可不能有这种想法。」
 
杨溥默默记下了范理的名字，了解到范理非常清廉，很受百姓爱戴。他亲自提拔他做了德州府知府，不久，又让他做了贵州左布政使。
 
太皇太后因念起杨溥为先帝牵连入狱，家中罹难，儿子仅存老二杨旦，便下旨先赐杨旦一个六品大理寺少卿，待将来迁用。杨旦上任后喜不自胜，常与公卿之子上街张扬，民众退避，以衙内之礼相待，杨溥觉察后，对他严词训诫，并订立了几条为官规则，主要不准欺压百姓，要以百姓为父母，并写了「好官须为孺子牛」的条幅，令他悬挂卧室作言行准则，杨旦在监督下开始勤奋工作，谨言慎行，得到上下夸奖。
 
这时朝内争权斗争激烈，因英宗年幼，宦官专权，派系林立。杨溥作为首辅，为顾全大局带头示范精兵简政，断然决定送杨旦回乡务农，他以国家人民的大义劝导儿子，并写了诗和「良民谨记家风淳」的字幅给他以示勉励教诲。
 
正统六年，杨溥回乡省墓时，看见中堂挂着他写的这四帧条幅：「高陵清气万古云，公权岂可为私行，好官须为孺子牛，良民谨记家风淳。」他为官五十年，身居高位却严于律己，既是为官用人的榜样，又是治家教子的楷模。