In the Warring-states Period (770-221 BC), there was a famous scholar named Yan Chu in the State of Qi. His fame spread to the court and so Lord Qi of Xuan summoned him into the palace.
When Yan Chu reached the steps of the hall and saw Lord Xuan who was waiting for his respectful greetings, he stopped and did not move forward anymore. Lord Xuan felt very strange and said: “Yan Chu, come over here!” However, Yan Chu did not move though he heard the lord; instead, he said: “Please come here, my lord!”
Lord Xuan was very upset and his ministers yelled at Yan Chu: “The Lord takes the throne while you are an ordinary person who should take the lord’s orders. You should come here when asked by the king. How dare you instead ask the king to come to your place?”
Yan Chu replied: “If I come to the lord, this means that I admire his power. If the lord comes to me, this shows that he is courteous to the wise people and condescending to scholars.”
Lord Xuan was angrier upon hearing that and asked: “Are scholars more dignified than the king?”
Yan Chu answered without hesitation: “Of course the scholars are more dignified than the king.” Lord Xuan continued to ask: “Do you have any evidences for your words?”
Yan Chu said calmly: “Of course, when he State of Qin attacked the State of Qi, the Lord of Qi once gave out two orders – ‘whoever dares to chop woods in the area within fifty feet from the tomb of Liu Xiaji should be executed’and ‘whoever can behead the Lord of Qi would be given the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households’. From this, we can see that the head of a living lord is less valuable than a dead scholar’s tomb.”
Lord Xuan knew he was in the wrong. He said: “I indeed ask for snubs. Your words taught me how the nobles should do. I hope you can accept me as your student. If you want, you can live in the palace from now on. I can assure you that you can have meat and wear luxury clothes every day in addition to carriage for your walking out.”
But Yan Chu rejected the offer by saying:“Jade is originated in the mountains and will be defiled after being processed by the craftsmen. Though its preciousness is not damaged, it lost its original nature. The scholar was born and grew up in the remote areas. If he was chosen into the palace, he would enjoy the salary and fortune given by the government. I do not mean that a scholar cannot enjoy nobility and high profile. However, he will lose his original features and very own soul. Therefore, I hope your Majesty could let me go back where I come from. I really enjoy the life when I have my supper late in the evening so the hunger makes the rice taste as delicious as the meat. In addition, I like walking stably and slowly as comfortably as ride a car.”
After saying that, Yan Chu said goodbye to Lord Xuan.
