Lord Zou Ji of the state of Qi was six feet tall and a fine figure of a man. One morning he dressed himself smartly, and studied himself in the mirror.
”Which is more handsome,” he asked his wife, “Lord Xu of the north city or I?”
”You are ever so handsome,” replied his wife. “How can Lord Xu compare with you?”
Since Lord Xu of the north city was famed for his good looks throughout the state, Zou Ji did not altogether believe his wife. He repeated his question to his concubine.
“How can Lord Xu compare with you?” cried the concubine.
Later that morning a protege came in, and Zou Ji put the same question to him.
”You are by far the more handsome,” replied this man.
The next day Lord Xu called, and a careful scrutiny convinced Zou Ji that Xu’s good looks far surpassed his. He studied himself in the mirror, and undoubtedly he was the plainer of the two.
That night in bed he reached the following conclusion: ”My wife said I was more handsome because she is biased. My concubine said so because she is afraid. And my protege said so because he wants something from me!”
Allegorical Meaning
The full story appears in Strategies of the Warring States. In this story, Zou Ji, the minister of Qi State, strategically used personal fallibility to expose systemic corruption and thus persuaded King Wei of Qi to institutionalize public criticism and encourage officials and citizens to voice their criticisms openly.
- He first asks his wife, concubine, and protege: “Who is more handsome—I or Lord Xu of the North?” All flatter him, claiming his superiority.
- When Lord Xu visits, Zou Ji realizes the truth: He is objectively less handsome.
This becomes a metaphor: Those closest to power will lie to preserve their interests.
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