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80 book II the time, he spent most of his days in his room all year long without going out, but there was no problem with his administration. If we reflect on this example, Ji An’s success was made possible because he was a man of dignity and reputation and had an ability to discover the talents of people, as well as how to use them. However, if an ordinary person imitates him, there will be worry and lament in every household. When Lu Xiangxian of the Tang dynasty governed Puzhou, he said, “In the beginning there was nothing much to do under Heaven, but because of foolish people the world became filled with all sorts of things. Therefore, if one can purify and restore reality to its original state, why should one worry about the complication of things?” When Xie Fei of the Southern Song dynasty was in charge of Yixing, he paid little attention to trivial matters, entrusting them to the care of recorders. He said, “All I have to do is to perform the role of prefect.” According to my observations, this is getting a grip on the basics. Only he who is distinguished in dignity and reputation is capable of achieving this task. However, if he who lacks ability tries to imitate it, he will bring disaster instead. CHAPTER : INTEGRITY Integrity Is the Obligation of the Magistrate, the Fountain of All Goodness, and the Basis of All Virtues. Without Integrity, There Will Be No Magistrate Who Can Discharge His Duty Properly. In our Chosŏn dynasty a total of 110 persons were chosen as pure officials [ch’ŏngbaengni]. Since the time of T’aejo, the founder king, there were 45 ch’ŏngbaengni; since King Chungjong, 37; and since King Injo, 28. After King Kyŏngjong they stopped selecting ch’ŏngbaengni, whose number had been increasingly dwindling, and the country suffered more poverty and the people more hardship. How lamentable! During the span of four hundred years those who worked in the royal court, clad in official robes, amounted to a thousand or ten thousand, but those who were chosen as ch’ŏngbaengni did not exceed these numbers. Is this not also a source of shame for all scholar-officials? Record of Koksan stated as follows: “There are three grades in the degree of the ch’ŏngbaengni’s integrity. The highest grade belongs to the one who does not eat 102. Lu Jingchu (665–736), formally Duke Wenzhen of Yan, was an official of the Tang dynasty during the reigns of Ruizong and Xuanzong. He served in numerous high offices, including joint manager of affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery, which is de facto chancellor in modern terms. 103. An official of the Song dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. His courtesy name was Jingchong. 104. The word for “integrity” in the source text is ch’ŏngsim, which means “clean heart.” Self-Discipline 81 anything exceeding his salary, does not bring home anything that is left over after eating, and finally returns home in a humble manner, riding on a single horse on the day of quitting his post. An official like this is a so-called yŏmni [upright official], celebrated in the olden days. The next grade of integrity belongs to the one who, besides his salary, eats only what is morally justifiable and sends home the things left over after eating. A man like this is also yŏmni, admired in the middle age. The lowest grade belongs to the one who eats the things that are allowed by rules and regulations, although they are not justifiable in a higher moral standard . However, he does not take first what is not allowed by rules and regulations , sell the posts of local officials, steal from relief funds or grain, get involved in trafficking in lawsuits or criminal cases, or embezzle money by levying heavier taxes. The upright officials of our times mostly belong to the last category. In the present, however, those who practice all kinds of evil form the mainstream of public servants. The highest grade of integrity in public service is most desirable, but the second-highest grade of integrity will also be acceptable if it is not possible to have the highest. In olden days he who possessed the lowest grade of integrity could receive capital punishment by means of boiling oil.” Yang Bing was upright, frugal, refined, and simple. Despite successively serving as prefect of Yuzhou, Jingzhou, Xuzhou, and...

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