The ancient kings, while enjoying the glory and wealth, also shouldered the heavy responsibility of leading the people. Advocating frugality has always been regarded as a traditional virtue in the mainland. Thrift is an excellent quality of an emperor, but throughout history, there are very few emperors who can really be frugal and simple. The following four are the best of them.
First of all, we have to mention Song Renzong.
Song Renzong can be called a model of benevolence, he is not only kind and generous to the people, but also extremely strict with himself, and his life is extremely simple. As an emperor for more than 40 years, he has never built a palace, and even the mattress he uses every day has not been changed for a long time. Renzong believed that although he was a king, the things he used were the fruits of the hard work of the people, and he could not squander them at will. It is precisely because of the example set by Renzong in terms of thrift that the whole country formed a frugal style at that time, which laid the cornerstone for the prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty in the future.
Secondly, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang is also worth mentioning.
Zhu Yuanzhang, as the only emperor in history who was born in a peasant family, knows the hardships of the people's lives. Therefore, even after he ascended the throne as emperor, he still vigorously advocated frugality, and even cultivated vegetables for daily consumption. His breakfast was often made of vegetables, and his bed was not decorated with gold or silver, just like an ordinary family. Not only that, but he also asked the ministers of the DPRK and China to also advocate frugality. Once, he invited hundreds of officials to celebrate the queen's birthday, and when the dishes were served, the ministers were surprised to find that there were only four dishes and one soup, and there were no delicacies from the mountains and seas. Zhu Yuanzhang took this opportunity to stipulate that in the future, hundreds of officials must not hold banquets beyond this standard, and if there is a violation, they will be severely punished.
Moreover, Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian was also a thrifty king.
When Emperor Wen of Sui first ascended the throne, he ordered that the people should not be wasted. At that time, in order to curry favor with him, some local officials offered valuable calligraphy and paintings, and Emperor Wen of Sui was furious when he learned about it, not only burned the calligraphy and paintings, but also severely punished the official. He also demanded frugality from his officials, including his own son. His three sons relied on their military exploits and lived increasingly luxurious lives, and when Emperor Wen of Sui learned about it, he not only removed him from his official position, but also imprisoned him. Emperor Wen of Sui believed that the Son of Heaven was guilty of the same crime as the common people, and no one was exempt.
Finally, we want to talk about Emperor Daoguang.
Daoguang was taught by his father when he was a prince, requiring him to be simple and frugal. After ascending the throne, he led by example, and the expenditure in the palace was much lower than that of the previous emperors. It is said that only during the New Year's festival can there be a little meat in the palace. Daoguang embodies the spirit of thrift in food, clothing, housing and transportation, and the clothes on his body are reluctant to be discarded even if they are patched. Seeing this, the ministers followed suit and wore patched court clothes. All of a sudden, the court was proud of frugality. As a result, Daoguang believes that his concept of frugality has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.