During the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, a man named Zhou Yan from Nanqiao Jishui earned his *jinshi* degree in 1523. Though his official career was rocky, he was known for his incorruptible integrity.
In the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign, the Emperor summoned Zhou Yan and appointed him Left Censor-in-Chief. At that time, following the advice of Supervising Secretary Xu Pu, the Emperor decreed that court officials and regional governors each recommend candidates to guard the frontier. In response, over a dozen ministers, including former Vice Minister Guo Zonggao and Censor Cao Bangfu, sprang into action, each putting forward trusted individuals.
Imperial Censor Luo Tingwei objected to this practice, arguing that Xu Pu's original memorial was meant to recommend talents for border defense, yet now court officials were using moral cultivation, integrity, and genuine ability as criteria, straying far from the initial intent. He added, "What's more, some gain recommendations by currying favor with the powerful—this is using the emperor's name to open a back door for personal gain."
The emperor found Luo Tingwei's argument reasonable, rebuked the Ministry of Personnel for recklessly recommending talent, and issued an edict referring the matter to the Censorate for reconsideration.
Zhou Yan and Minister Wu Peng submitted a memorial stating, "The officials recommended by the ministers all have excellent reputations, and the recommendations were made with impartiality and without personal bias."
The emperor remained displeased, sternly rebuking Zhou Yan and the others, and voided all the recommended candidates. From then on, Zhou Yan and his colleagues lost the emperor's trust. Yet Zhou Yan, as an official, was utterly impartial, diligently polishing his integrity and strictly abiding by the law. Despite the prevailing corruption and the autocratic rule of those in power, Zhou Yan remained completely uncorrupted—a truly rare virtue. Later, the idiom "Polishing Integrity and Serving the Public" came to describe officials who refine their moral character and carry out their duties with selfless dedication.
Source: *History of Ming*, "Biography of Zhou Yan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "砥节奉公" came to describe officials who refine their moral character and carry out their duties with selfless dedication.