There were many Qing officials in ancient China, because being a Qing official meant that life must be hard, such as Hai Rui and others. In the Tang Dynasty, there was also such a Qing official, he was Lu Zhen, because of his honest life, even Emperor Dezong also issued an edict to persuade him to be more corrupt, which is unprecedented in ancient history.
Speaking of Lu Yilai, he was a well-known figure in the Middle and Tang Dynasty, a thinker with people-oriented thoughts. A careful examination of his life deeds and experiences will show that he is truly a Qing official, and his experiences are very typical and representative among Qing officials. All the qualities and behavioral characteristics of a clean official are concentrated in him, and his officialdom is also typical of the Qing official style.
陆贽画像
Lu Zhen was born in the first year of Tang Suzong to Germany (756), young and lonely, maverick, quite diligent Confucianism, 18 years old ascended to the Jinshidi, with erudition and words, awarded the county lieutenant of Huazhou. Since his youth, he has been respected for his literary talent and high quality. He once got the acquaintance of Zhang Yi, the assassin of Shouzhou, and formed a deed of forgetfulness. When Zhang Yi left, he gave millions of money in the name of preparing meals for his mother, but Lu Zhen insisted on not accepting it, and only took a string of new tea, which was regarded as receiving Zhang Yi's kindness.
Tang Dezong Li Shi was still too punctual, so he knew Lu Zhen's reputation, and later called him a bachelor of Hanlin. Lu Zhen is loyal by nature, and he is very grateful to Dezong for his kindness, and he is dedicated to serving him. Dezong began to appreciate Lu Zhen very much, singing and poems to each other, and accompanying him day and night, "Although there are ministers, and the conspiracy to participate in the decision, most of them are out of Zhen, so the purpose at that time was 'internal minister'."
There are many of Lu Zhen's recitals that have been handed down to this day, from which it can be seen that he knows everything about Dezong, and his words are endless, ranging from major policies such as the reform of official governance, taxation, reclamation, joint combat, and the use of troops, to expressing opinions or exhortations on a specific measure of the emperor, involving all aspects. Generally speaking, Lu Zhen's recitals are obvious, often using four or six couplets, the content is not simple enough, often hurt by redundancy, which is very related to the fact that he is a "erudite and eloquent" young talent, but a closer look at the content, it is all cut and clear, quite in the middle of the times, many insights are very profound.
Tang Dezong Images
After the Tang Dynasty went through the Anshi Rebellion to the Su and Dai Erzong, various social contradictions were exposed, and the general trend of the dynasty was already declining. During the time of Dezong, the feudal towns were divided, the politics were corrupt, the economy was withering, and the people's livelihood was difficult. Dezong himself is a faint monarch, and "The New Tang Dynasty Book: The Biography of Lu Zhen" criticized him for "insisting on morality and not being solid, thinking about governance when he is sleepy, and being arrogant when he is too late". In him, the defects of fame and reputation, greed for money and profit, listening to treacherous people, indecisiveness, and self-righteousness are all vividly expressed. Because of these personalities, there were many rebellions in feudal towns during his reign.
In the fourth year of Jianzhong (783), Lu Longjiedu made Zhu Zhu take advantage of the opportunity of the Jingyuan mutiny to force Dezong to leave Fengtian (now Qianxian County, Shaanxi), and the situation was very critical for a while. Lu Zhen followed Dezong to Mukden, in the midst of the turmoil, the aircraft was busy, and the reports of the Quartet on military and political affairs came to each other, and there were many urgent matters to be dealt with. Lu Zhen drafted hundreds of edicts on behalf of Dezong every day, and it seemed that he had not thought it through, but after the edict was completed, he did his best, was meticulous and comprehensive, and analyzed them in detail, which was admirable.
Lu Zhen's biggest characteristic is that he is straightforward in the face of the emperor. When he was in Fengtian, the vain Dezong implemented the New Year's change in the turmoil, and said to Lu Zhen: The ministers have proposed to give me the four words "Holy Spirit Wenwu" in the past, and you see how about I add one or two words to the old number? Lu Zhen advised, "The prosperity of the honorific title is not an ancient system, and it has been tired and humble on the day of Antai; When there is a time of mourning, it hurts the body." Now is the autumn of human affection and the will of heaven is coming, "Your Majesty should deeply punish yourself and win the hearts of the masses...... Don't talk about it from the end, but value the good name". Dezong couldn't refute what Lu Zhen said, but he was unwilling, and hoped that Lu Zhen would not be stubborn and think about it again. Lu Zhen insisted: "Instead of increasing the beauty of the name and losing the hearts of the people, it is better to depose the old name and take the heavenly ring...... People are humble, and heaven is also obedient. In the end, Dezong listened to Lu Zhen's advice and only changed the year name to "Xingyuan", but he couldn't use the beautiful honorific name, and he was always stupid in his heart and couldn't let go.
Zhu Zhu attacked Qianxian and retreated, and after the siege was lifted, the items that the feudal tributes gave to the emperor came one after another, and all of them were piled up under the corridor. Dezong is titled "Qionglin" and "Daying" two libraries, ready to be privately owned. Lu Zhen also admonished and said: The system of Qionglin and Daying was created in Kaiyuan, the contribution and tax were separated, and the contribution was privately owned by Xuanzong, and Xuanzong lost his state because of his extravagance. Now at the beginning of His Majesty's throne, he should be frugal and greedy. The minister passed by the hall yesterday, and suddenly saw the name of the second library posted under the right corridor, and was frightened...... Now that the war has not been settled, Beijing has not yet been returned, and the soldiers who are loyal and diligent in battle have not yet been rewarded, Your Majesty has taken the contributions of the Quartet for private use, and it has been seen by all, how can people not have a heart of resentment and resentment? After Dezong heard this, he immediately removed the inscription of the second library.
In the midst of the war, the monarchs and ministers suffered together, and Dezong's advice to Lu Zhen was finally able to accommodate some. But the disaster of war was a little gone, and Dezong's self-righteous character immediately reverted to his old ways, and he began to disagree with Lu Zhen's opinions, and he did not adopt them one by one.
Friends also often persuaded Lu Zhen, thinking that his words to Dezong were too harsh. Lu Zhen replied: "I live up to the Son of Heaven, I live up to what I have learned, and I don't care about others." But helplessly, Dezong is still a person who listens to traitors, and after those people surround the emperor, they will inevitably reject the incorruptible. In the case of "a group of small people attacking their shortcomings", Dezong's kindness to Lu Zhen gradually weakened. Lu Zhen was first denied from the picture for a long time because of the gang of Dezong's favorite ministers Wu Tongwei, Wu Tongxuan, Lu Qi and others, and although he entered the phase, he was also hit by the cold arrow of the traitor Pei Yanling, and was not only dismissed, but also demoted to Zhongzhou (now Chongqing). Lu Yi spent the last 10 years of his life in Chungju in silence.
Lu Zhen is honest, serious and cautious. When his mother was worried, he returned to Luoyang and lived in Fengle Temple in Songshan, taking nothing from the gifts of the feudal town and the gifts of others. Usually at home often closed doors, never gang up, make private friends. In the corrupt and dirty environment of officialdom and bribery at that time, he was able to be honest and self-controlled, and he did not take anything from him, and was looked down upon by the traitors and corrupt people in the DPRK and China.
Dezong once sent someone to convey a secret edict to Lu Zhen to reproach him for "being too cautious, and refusing all gifts, for fear that things will not work", and secretly ordered him to accept bribes and property, "such as whips and boots, and it is okay to accept them". The emperor's secret order for his courtiers to accept bribes is indeed a rare thing in ancient times, and it can also be seen from which the degree of corruption of the Dezong dynasty can also be seen. Geng Jie's Lu Zhen not only did not accept Dezong's kindness, but said in the recital that he was so prudent and self-cultivating because he was favored and the corpse lived in the phase, and he could not guide and educate, make the customs mellow, and failed to reduce taxes and servitude, which was already very ashamed. If you accept bribes again, you will forget your sincerity in worrying about the country and accelerate the disaster of burning.
Lu Zhen recital
He bluntly retorted to the emperor in "Xie Mi's Decree on the Manifestation of the Declaration", saying: "Your Majesty rebukes the ministers to be too cautious, and they are called sage; Your Majesty is worried about things and has a good way. He also said sternly: "However, between the monarch and the auxiliary ministers, it is not permissible to talk about personal bribery, and how can they do it?" Then, he spoke a great truth in a heartfelt manner, and there was a sense of lesson in his words.
Lu Zhen didn't buy Dezong's account, and refuted the "unreasonable" argument to the point that it didn't work. Dezong's shame and anger can be imagined. How could such an incorruptible prime minister be liked by Dezong? The tragedy of Lu Zhen lies in the fact that he believes that anti-corruption and bribery are an act of loyalty to the monarch and a manifestation of loyalty to the country, so he meticulously implements it, but the monarch he is loyal to is precisely the protector and spokesman of corrupt officials and corrupt officials. Therefore, Lu Zhen's anti-corruption behavior and remarks are like thorns, and they are actually pierced in Dezong's heart. Knowing this, then his final ending is not incomprehensible.