克己奉公 戒骄奢安逸Raising a Proper Public Official in Ancient China
隋朝有一官吏叫郑善果，其父亲叫郑诚，母亲崔氏，清河（今河北）人。在郑善果尚小时，父亲郑诚便战死沙场，郑善果由母亲一手抚养教育长大。母亲崔氏非常贤明，有节操，博涉书史，通晓治理国家的方略。郑善果继承了父亲的爵位，十四岁便出任沂州刺史，鲁郡太守。每当郑善果出堂审理公事时，崔氏总是坐在帐后的胡床上，仔细聆听着郑善果对公事的剖析、判断。如果郑善果行事有偏，或胡乱发怒，崔氏便会回去蒙着被子哭泣，终日不食。
她对儿子说：“我不是恼怒你，而是感到愧对你们郑家啊！像你的先父，为政清廉勤谨，从来不假公济私，后来以身殉国。我只盼望你继承父志。我是一个妇人，有慈无威，致使你不知礼教，不守父训，长此以往，又怎能担负起忠臣的重任呢？这样下去，内则家风败坏，丢官失爵，外则犯法获罪。我死之日，哪里还有面目去见你的父亲呢？”
崔氏并没有以儿子居高位享厚禄而为荣为傲，反而以身作则，依旧严谨要求自己，辛苦劳作，勤俭持家，避免骄奢淫逸。
郑善果官居三品，俸禄充裕，但他母亲仍旧亲自纺纱织布，常常到深夜，郑善果对此不解。崔氏说：“应当将多余的财物周济姻亲，这是你父亲生前的愿望。我怎能独自拿来安享富贵呢？至于我终日纺织，那是妇人应该做的事。从上至下，每人都有自己的职责，如果荒废自己的职责，这就是骄奢安逸。我虽然不知礼教，但怎能自己败坏名声呢？”
在母亲崔氏的言传身教下，郑善果谨遵母训，戒骄奢安逸、勤于职守、克己奉公，终于成为一位清廉的官吏。隋炀帝亲自派人前去嘉奖他，并征授其为光禄卿。
There was an official named Zheng Shangguo during the Sui Dynasty (AD 581 – 619). He was born in what is now Hebei Province, to father Zheng Cheng and mother Ms. Cui. At a very early age, Zheng Shanguo lost his father, who fought and died in battle for his country. His mother was left to raise him alone. History has recorded his mother to be a most virtuous and able lady, who upheld high moral integrity after her husband died, read broadly of history and literature, and was well acquainted with governing strategies.
At the age of 14, Zheng Shanguo, with the noble rank inherited from his father, became the feudal provincial governor of Yi state and prefect of Lu eparchy. When he went to the tribunal to attend to public affairs, his mother would sit on a stool behind a curtain at the back of the hall and listen carefully to how her son analyzed each situation and rendered his decision. Whenever Zheng Shanguo failed to make a fair judgment or lost his temper during the proceedings, his mother would crawl under a quilt and cry when they returned home, eating nothing for the whole day.
"I'm not angry at you," she would tell her son. "Rather, I am ashamed of myself! Your father was honest and upright and never used public office for private gain. He sacrificed himself for the country. I only wish you would hold firmly to your father's principles." She also told him, "As a woman, too much love and too little strictness on my part has resulted in your ignoring virtue at the expense of Confucian teachings and neglect of your father's principles. If things continue this way, how can you take up the mantle of justice for all and be loyal to your country? If this continues, you will undermine our family tradition and violate the directive of a public servant. If so, how could I face your father again when I die?"
Even though her son had a high post and large salary, Ms. Cui neither became arrogant, nor enjoyed the wealth. Rather, she set herself as an example to others by continuing her hardworking and frugal life.
Though Zheng Shanguo hardly understood why, day after day his mother would spin and weave late into the night. His mother would tell him, "Your father had wished to distribute his extra wealth to relatives and friends. How could I dare enjoy the wealth alone? Spinning and weaving are the duty of a lady. Everyone, noble or humble, has his obligations. Without fulfilling one's obligation, instead one turns to a life of self-gratification? Although my understanding of Confucian teachings is shallow, how could I ruin my own reputation?"
With his mother leading by example as well as her verbal instructions, Zheng Shanguo became diligent in his duties, maintained good self-control, and abstained from self-indulgent behavior. In the end, he grew up to be a fair, incorruptible, aboveboard official. In time, Emperor Yang sent a delegate to honor him for his unselfish service to the public by bestowing upon him the rank of "His Lordship."