As we all know, one of the most famous corrupt officials in China is the Qing Dynasty's Hezhen, and the Qing official that the world knows is Bao Zheng in the Northern Song Dynasty. We have always scolded corrupt officials, but in Chinese history, there is also such a situation, that is, the emperor is very greedy for money, but the ministers are very clean, the ministers all advise the emperor, the world is an important less greedy money, and the emperor even sent a message to the ministers not to be too clean.
And this emperor is Tang Dezong Li Shi, he is the eldest son of Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Yu, finally in 779, the thirty-eight Li Shi finally ascended to the throne, in the early days of the ascension, he strictly forbade eunuchs to interfere in politics, and reused civil and military officials, has always been very clear and frugal, reducing the use of many royal families, such a style was also praised by the common people. After only three months, Li Shi's attitude came to a one-hundred-and-eighty degree reversal, he not only reused eunuchs, but also collected wealth everywhere, the emperor's wealth collection was not ordinary, he asked the local government to pay tribute to him directly, and often sent eunuchs to various places to openly ask for money, then when the people met such a greedy emperor, it was really miserable.
At this time, there was a minister named Lu Yan, who was swollen at the age of 18, and then because he had offended people, he had to be dismissed from his post and returned to his hometown, but Tang Dezong had heard of Lu Zhen and began to reuse Lu Zhen after he ascended the throne, but Lu Zhen was a good official who was honest and honest, and he had always been working diligently for the people and the country. When he saw that Tang Dezong wantonly collected money, Lu Zhen, as an upright gentleman, advised the emperor to be less greedy for money, and later Tang Dezong began to dislike Lu Zhen's words, and also advised Lu Zhen not to be too clean, but still to be less greedy.
However, Tang Dezong did not restrain himself because of this, or wantonly collected money, and at this time there were eunuchs to speak, such a clean and honest Lu Yan was quickly excluded, Lu Zhen did not stop his steps, or constantly advised the emperor, to sympathize with the people's life hardships, can not be so arbitrary, Tang Dezong was very angry, so he demoted Lu Yan to a desolate small place, the heart was very jealous of him, until his own death did not let him come back.
In 805, Tang Dezong died, tang shunzong was an emperor who loved the virtuous subjects, so he issued an edict to let Lu Yan return, but this edict did not reach Lu Zhen's hands, and Lu Zhen died. This makes us wonder if such a clean and honest minister should not be very popular with every emperor? Why can he still be treated like this, it is really regrettable that Lu Yan was born at the end of the Tang Dynasty!