During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was an official named Chen Shi. He was exceptionally fair and just. Whenever people had disputes, they would go to him for a rightful judgment. He would always explain right from wrong in detail based on facts and reason, leaving both parties with no resentment afterward. Some people even said, “I would rather be punished by law than criticized by Chen Shi.”
One year, a famine struck Chen Shi’s hometown, and the locals were plunged into poverty. Once, in the middle of the night, a thief sneaked into Chen Shi’s house and hid on a roof beam. Chen Shi noticed the thief, but instead of sounding the alarm or catching him, he got up, dressed properly, and gathered all his children and grandchildren.
He gave them a serious lecture: “A person must never fail to strive for goodness. Those who do evil are not necessarily born wicked; it is often because bad habits become second nature over time that they end up this way. The gentleman on our roof beam right now is a perfect example.”
Upon hearing this, the thief was terrified. He jumped down from the beam, threw himself to the ground, and bowed his head to admit his guilt. Chen Shi gently guided him, saying, “Judging from your appearance, you do not seem like a bad person. You should reflect deeply and turn over a new leaf. You resorted to this probably because your family is too poor.” He then gifted the thief two bolts of silk. From that day on, no thefts ever occurred in the entire county again.
“Gentleman on the beam” is now a euphemism for a thief or burglar.
Source: Book of the Later Han • Biography of Chen Shi
#61 梁上君子
东汉时有一个叫陈寔的官员， 他为人公正，人们如果有是非争论，就到他那里求个公正判断，他一定据理详细说明对错，事后双方都没有怨言。有人甚至说：“情愿被刑罚处治，也不愿被陈寔批评。”
有一年，陈寔的家乡闹饥荒，老百姓生活贫困，半夜有个小偷潜入陈寔家里，躲在屋梁上。陈寔发现了小偷，不但没有声张或抓贼，反而起身整理好衣冠，把子孙们全部叫到跟前，严肃地训诫他们说：“做人不可不勉励自己。那些作恶的人，未必生来就是恶人，往往是因为长期习惯成自然，才落到这般地步。就像房梁上的这位君子，就是个例子。”。
小偷听后大为惊恐，从屋梁上跳下来，跪地叩头认罪。陈寔慢慢开导他说：“看你的模样，不像是个坏人，应当深刻反省、改过向善。你之所以如此，大概是因为家里太穷了。”随即赠送给他两匹绢。从此以后，整个县城里再也没有发生过盗窃案。
“梁上君子”现在是小偷、窃贼的雅称。
出自《后汉书·陈寔传》