Two Honest Officials with Good Upbringing
 
Kuang Ye was the Secretary of the Defense Department during the Tianshun Era of the Ming Dynasty (1457 – 1464 AD). When he first started out as the assistant governor of Shaanxi Province, he quickly rose through the ranks because of his reputation as a hard-working and impartial official.
 
One time, he mailed his father a piece of red velvet fabric. It was an extravagant gift. His father saw what it was and returned the package to him untouched. He wrote a critical letter to his son: “You haven't done enough for the benefit of others or society, yet you send this extravagant gift! You are trying to ruin my reputation!” From then on, Kuang Ye worked hard to examine his own faults and become even more honest to the point of being incorruptible. At the end, he rose to the highest possible government position. People noted that Kuang Ye’s honesty and integrity was the result of his father’s strict education.
 
There was another high-ranking official named Zhu Shang. He was born in Shahe, in today's Gansu Province. He was a policy enforcer in Zhejiang Province during the Jiajing Era (1522 – 1566 AD).
At a time when it was common for government officials to have servants at home, Zhu did not even have a servant in his private residence. He took care of all the housework himself. His clothing was ordinary. He ate simple meals, nothing extravagant. People thought that he was worthy of admiration for his high standards.
 
One time, Zhu Shang’s father was transferred to the same area as an official. People were surprised to find that his father was even more noble than Zhu Shang was. At home, his father’s words and behavior continued to educate and inspire Zhu Shang to be honest and strict in dealing with work and others.
 
From the above we can see that, in addition to their inherent wisdom, Kuang Ye and Zhu Shang were honest and of good character to a large extent as a result of their strict family upbringing.
 
(From Seven Examples of Cultivation by Lang Ying in the Ming Dynasty)
 
两位廉俭清官，皆因家教严正
 
明朝天顺年间，兵部尚书邝野，刚出任陕西副使时，由于办事公正，便很有声望。
 
有一次，他给父亲寄去一块红绒，父亲收到后，马上原封不动的寄还给他，并写信去责备他说：“你还没做出多少对别人、对社会有益的事，却要拿这种东西来玷污我！”从那以后，邝野努力自省其身，更加廉洁奉公。最后，他的官职提升到最高的品位。人们讲：“邝野的廉俭，是他的父亲严格管教的结果。”确实是这样。
 
还有一个都御史，名叫朱裳，是沙河（今甘肃境内）人，嘉靖时期，出任浙江省的布政使。这位布政使的私人住宅里，不使用奴仆，全由他自己亲自操持家务。他的穿衣用度，都是平常的衣物，饮食也是粗茶淡饭。当时的人都认为这些是常人难以做到的。
 
后来，朱裳的父亲来此地任职，人们不无惊奇的发现：父亲俭朴的作风，比其儿子更加高洁。平时在家中时，父亲的言谈举止，无一不在继续教育儿子廉洁、严谨的处事待人。
 
由此可见，邝野和朱裳二人的廉洁，他们的品德，除了他们的天赋之外，很大程度，都是来自于严正的家教。
 
（事据明代郎瑛《七修类稿》）