During the Warring States period, there was a famous strategist named Su Qin. He once studied alongside Zhang Yi from Wei under the tutelage of Guiguzi, learning the so-called "art of vertical and horizontal alliances," and became a highly renowned statesman of his time.
But before he achieved fame, Su Qin spent years traveling to offer his counsel to various rulers, yet he returned home with nothing to show for it—his clothes tattered, his spirit broken. His parents, brothers, and even his wife all dismissed him as a failure, with no one willing to give him a second glance. His sister-in-law was especially harsh, often sneering at him and calling him a lazy, good-for-nothing drifter, declaring that he would never amount to anything in this life.
Su Qin was deeply frustrated. He devoted himself to studying with great determination and immersed himself in hard work. Feeling he had achieved mastery, he went out again to lobby. Eventually, he succeeded with his "Vertical Alliance" strategy, persuading Yan and Zhao to unite, and then convinced the other four states to join forces against the powerful Qin.
He was appointed prime minister by King Wen of Yan and later granted the title Lord Wu'an by Marquis Su of Zhao, holding the chancellor's seal. The king also bestowed upon him one hundred war chariots, a thousand bolts of brocade, and two hundred thousand taels of gold. Soon after, he prepared to travel to the state of Chu to continue his diplomatic missions.
On his way to the state of Chu, Su Qin passed through Luoyang. When his parents learned of this, they immediately swept the courtyard, set out a feast, and traveled thirty li outside the city to welcome him. His wife dared not look him in the eye, only listening from the side; his brothers, too afraid to even glance at him, served him with heads bowed; and his sister-in-law knelt on the ground, bowing four times, confessing her past wrongs to Su Qin.
When Su Qin saw his sister-in-law, he smiled with great satisfaction and asked, "Sister-in-law, why were you so arrogant and proud before, yet now you are so humble and deferential?" His sister-in-law, ashamed and terrified by the question, repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, replying, "It is because my brother-in-law now holds a high position and has much wealth!"
Su Qin sighed deeply and said, "Alas! I am still the same Su Qin, yet when I am wealthy and powerful, even my relatives fear me; when I am poor and lowly, even my parents do not treat me as a son. In this world, how few are those who do not judge others by their wealth or poverty!"
Later, the idiom "Arrogant at First, Deferential Later" came to describe someone who is initially haughty but later becomes respectful.
Source: *Strategies of the Warring States*, "Strategies of Qin"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "前倨后恭" came to describe how someone is initially haughty but later becomes respectful.