1. Shang Yang
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Shang Yang of Qin presided over the reform of the law with the support of Duke Xiao of Qin. At that time, in order to build up his prestige and promote the reform, Shang Yang ordered to set up a three-foot-long log outside the south gate of the capital city, which was in the midst of frequent wars and panic.
And he made a promise to the public: whoever could move the log to the north gate would be rewarded with ten taels of gold. The onlookers did not believe that such an easy thing to get such a high reward, the result is that no one is willing to try.
Shang Yang then raised the reward to 50 gold. Finally, someone stood up and carried the wood to the north gate. Shang Yang immediately rewarded him with 50 gold.
Shang Yang's action built up his credibility in the hearts of the people, and his next change of law was soon popularized in Qin. The new law enabled Qin to grow strong and eventually unify China.
2. YAN SHU
Yan Shu, a lyricist of the Northern Song Dynasty, was known for his honesty. When he was fourteen years old, someone recommended him to the emperor as a prodigy. The emperor summoned him and asked him to take the exam at the same time as more than a thousand jinshi. As a result, Yanshu realized that the exam was one he had just practiced ten days before.
So he truthfully reported it to Emperor Zhenzong and asked to change the questions to something else. Song Zhenzong appreciated Yan Shu's honesty so much that he gave him the title of "scholar of the same grade". When Yanshu was in office, the world was at peace.
The officials in the capital often traveled to the countryside or held banquets in the city's restaurants and teahouses. Yanshu's family was so poor that he could not afford to go out to eat or drink, so he stayed at home and read and wrote with his brothers.
One day, Emperor Zhenzong promoted Yan Shu to be an official of the Eastern Palace who assisted the crown prince in his studies. The ministers were surprised and did not understand why True Father made such a decision. True Father said, "Recently, the ministers have been playing and drinking a lot, but only Yan Shu has been studying behind closed doors and is so self-respecting and prudent.
It is the right person for the East Palace official." Yanshu thanked the grace and said, "I am actually a person who likes to play and drink, but my family is poor. If I had money, I would have participated in the feast." These two incidents made Yan Shu establish his credibility in front of his ministers, and Song Zhenzong trusted him more.
3. Zeng Zi
Zeng Zi, formerly known as Zeng Sen, was a student of Confucius. Zeng Sen, a famous thinker and coward in the state of Lu in the late Spring and Autumn period, was one of the seventy-two sages among Confucius' disciples. He was a learned man and paid great attention to the cultivation of his moral character.
On one occasion, his wife had to go to the market to do some work, and his young children were clamoring to go. Zeng Sen's wife did not want to take the child there, so she told him, "You play well at home, and when your mother comes back, she will kill the family pig and cook meat for you."
The child was very happy to hear this and stopped clamoring to go to the market. The words were meant to be said to the child for fun, and afterward, Zeng Sen's wife forgot about them. Instead, Zeng Sen really killed a pig in the house. The wife saw Zeng Sen kill the pig.
Then she said, "I was waiting at home to let the child feel at ease, so I said that when I came back from the market, I would kill the pig and roast it for him to eat, so how can you take it seriously?" Zeng Sen said, "A child cannot be deceived. A child is too young to understand the world, and must only learn what others are like.
Especially use their parents as an example of how to live. Today you cheat the child, tainted his heart, tomorrow the child will cheat you, cheat others; today you are in front of the child's words are not trustworthy, tomorrow the child will no longer trust you, you see how great the harm is ah."
Zeng Zi y understands that honesty and trustworthiness, keeping one's word is the basic rule of being a human being, and if one's word is broken and one does not kill the pig, then the pig in the family is preserved, but it leaves an indelible shadow on the mind of an innocent child.
4, Jibu
There was a man named Jibu at the end of the Qin Dynasty who was always a man of his word, and his reputation was so high that many people established a strong friendship with him. At that time, there was even a proverb: "It is better to get a hundred pounds of gold than to get a promise from Jibu."
Afterward, he offended Liu Bang, the Gaozu of Han Dynasty, and was offered a reward for his capture. As a result, his old friend was not only not fooled by the heavy gold, but also risked the destruction of his nine clans to protect him, humoring him and saving him from disaster.
When a person is honest and trustworthy, he will naturally get a lot of help and gain the respect and friendship of everyone. On the other hand, if one is greedy for a moment's comfort or a small advantage, and breaks faith with his friends, then on the surface, he gets a "favor".
But in order to do so, he ruined his reputation, which is much more important than material things. Therefore, the loss of trust in friends, is tantamount to losing the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds, the loss is not worth it.
5, Li Kuchan
Li Kuchan is China's contemporary famous painter, he is straightforward, where promised to paint, never renege. Once, an old friend asked him to make a painting, Li Kuchan because of something in the body, not in time to complete. Soon, when he received the obituary of his old friend's death, he was ashamed of himself.
That tend to paint, painted a "Hundred Lotus", and solemnly inscribed with the name of his old friend, stamped, and then brought to the backyard, the painting will be burned. Afterwards, said to his son: "In the future, there are old friends to paint, prompt me, do not break faith ah!"