Yan Jingming (1817-1892), styled Danchu, was born in Chaoyi (present Dali), Shaanxi Province。Daoguang 25 years (1845) Jinshi, selected Ji Shi, scattered hall to change the main department。He served as a doctor, Shandong salt transport envoy, Hubei governor, Shanxi governor, right squire of the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Ministry of Finance, Dongge Grand bachelor and so on。Yan Jingming lived in a time when the Qing Dynasty was declining and the official circles were extremely corrupt. However, he always advocated extravagance and frugality, and was able to be a clean government, leaving a reputation of "honesty"。
        Yan Jingming is not only frugal himself, but also strongly advocates extravagance and frugality in his work。In the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859), when Yan Jingming was in charge of the Ministry of Household affairs, Hu Linyite, the governor of Hubei at that time, asked him to go to Hubei to teach the general grain and camp affairs。After his arrival, he handled military supplies, all in line with the principle of frugality, to refrain from extravagance, so that "all abuses are strict, small people complain;Plant section is steep, then the same official guess"。However, "the common criticism does not harm the hope."。Because he "advocated frugality, the wind changed."。
        In the early years of Guangxu, Yan Jingming was appointed governor of Shanxi。Before arriving in office, he told his friends and relatives: "Wear a lot of pouch。Because Shanxi is poor and the people live a hard life, in order to express the joys and sorrows of the people, Yan Jingming specially asked his friends and relatives to prepare some pouch。This kind of cloth is cheap and durable。After arriving in Shanxi, Yan Jingming first made a jacket from a pouch made of leather and wore it, and many of his subordinates followed suit。Once, a subordinate made a robe with satin in accordance with Yan Jingming's robe pattern, Yan Jingming saw it, and was very angry, rebuking the day: "Today's place is poor, how can you still be extravagant, such a person, will have more money, can donate money to fill the army.。"The staff repeatedly admitted the mistake, and then also changed to a pouch pouch cloth made a gown。Under Yan Jingming's influence, no one in the government dared to be extravagant。
        Yan Jingming not only dressed frugally, he ate only plain food on weekdays, even if he invited guests, he was not extravagant。Once, the new academic administration took office, Yan Jingming set up a family banquet。"All the grass is set, a dish of dry baked bread is also, Wenjie (Yan Jingming posthumous name) and eat it, if there is a lingering taste"。However, the master of learning politics could not swallow at all, so that "the last table did not have a chopsticks", and barely ate half a bowl of white rice。Afterwards, the master of learning politics said to people: "This is not a treat, it is a sacrifice for ghosts.!”
        Yan Jingming's life is simple, serving as an official for many years, always wearing a cloth robe, no matter how people around him comment, he does not care, and even when he goes out, people do not know that he is a court official, and "look like an old scholar"。No matter where he held office, he would always set up a spinning machine behind the Government Hall, so that his wife could "spin behind the hall and be a wingman, only to hear the machine rolling beside the warm pavilion."。Some people don't think so, others sneer at him。But Yan Jingming was proud of it, and he had repeatedly pointed to his cotton robe to show off to his wingman and said: "This is the part of my wife's hand.。”
        In May of the eighth year of Guangxu (1882), Yan Jingming paid homage to the Ministry of the Household。In March, Guangxu ten years, promoted to Minister of military aircraft and Prime Minister of foreign trade affairs, in May to co-organize the bachelor, in November the following year, in charge of the Ministry。Since taking over the Ministry of accounts, that is, to clean up the Treasury of silver and grain accounts, rectify the ministry, anti-corruption and corruption prevention, spare no effort。
        One day in May, Guangxu fourteen years, Yan Jingming walked into Guangxu Emperor's study, saw a pile of small suitcases, and asked the emperor to buy these small suitcases to do, Guangxu Emperor said that let the house buy as a ready reward。Yan said: "This small suitcase is no more than five hundred silver, the emperor used as a reward, is not a little light.?Guangxu Emperor said: "Who said five silver one.?The people of the Internal Affairs Office said that it was sixty taels of silver, how can it be light?Yan then said, "They have deceived the emperor, how can they use sixty taenies of this small suitcase??I often see in the market, is indeed five hundred silver one, do not believe, I give you a few try?Guang Xu Emperor, who had always relied heavily on Yan Jingming, was skeptical at this time and said: "Good.!Five hundred taels for you and a hundred for me。If I could buy it。I will deal harshly with the House of Commons for their inflated prices!Yan Man said confidently, "I obey.。I will arrange someone to do it。However, Yan Jingming sent people all over the nine cities of the capital, but they did not even buy a small suitcase。All the suitcase shops, they're either closed or they're hiding their goods。Asked the reason, it was said that someone had taken care of it: it was not allowed to sell within three days, and whoever sold it would not be able to gain a foothold in the capital。So they dare not sell the broken head。When Yan learned of this, he realized that the people of the Internal affairs Office were behind it。The House of the Interior is the hereditary territory of the upper aristocracy of Manchuria, which is not hard to touch, so he had to ask the emperor to postpone for three days and send someone to Tianjin to buy it。No, Tianjin is also like Beijing, still no one dares to sell suitcases to them。Yan considered the situation and felt that he had underestimated the difficulty of the matter。The government of the interior, the force is too big, they can not speak alone, only endure this tone。He quickly on the chapter to apologize to the emperor。The people of the Internal Affairs Office won, and clearly raised the price by more than 10 times, but no one dared to investigate it to the end。Not only that, they defeated Yan Jingming also refused to give up, and repeatedly in front of the Guangxu emperor into slander。Yan had to resign on the grounds of old age and illness。Emperor Guangxu could only accommodate the imperial government, and in July of the 14th year of Guangxu, he ordered the removal of Yan。