During the Northern Dynasties, a towering figure named Tang Jin stood out—eight feet two inches tall with a commanding presence, yet he was known for his gentle nature and humble demeanor. A voracious reader of classics and history, he also had a deep love for literature.
At age 17, Tang Jin received a letter from Emperor Wen of Northern Zhou to his father.
“I hear you have two sons—Tang Ling, skilled in martial arts, and Tang Jin, gentle and refined. I wish to appoint both brothers to court positions. What do you think?”
Thus, the Tang brothers entered the court together and rode into battle side by side, breaking through Shawan and fighting at Heqiao, earning shared military honors. Tang Jin successively served as Right Assistant Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Director of the Ministry of Personnel, Minister of Revenue, General of the Cavalry, and held the rank of Equal to the Three Excellencies.
Tang Jin was a man of unwavering integrity. Each day after court, he would return home, straighten his robes and cap, and face his wife and children with solemn dignity, lecturing them on the principles of proper conduct without the slightest carelessness. If thunder or a fierce wind struck, even in the dead of night, he would rise, adjust his attire, and sit upright in readiness for any sudden calamity. Generous and charitable, though his family was not wealthy, he often distributed his salary and imperial gifts from the emperor among relatives and friends. To the destitute, he gave money, grain, and even fertile land, leaving only hard, barren soil unsuitable for farming to his own descendants. These actions earned Tang Jin widespread praise both at court and among the people.
At that time, there was a Duke of Yan named Yu Jin, who was highly virtuous and respected, with all civil and military officials under his authority. One day, Yu Jin memorialized Emperor Wen: "I believe that Tang Jin, though a junior disciple, has achieved scholarly success and possesses upright conduct. I wish to share the same surname with him, become sworn brothers, and let my descendants learn from him."
Emperor Wen sighed in admiration, bestowed the surname Yu upon Tang Jin, promoted him to the title of Count of Linzi County, and later appointed him Minister of Personnel. The six ministers in the court were all outstanding talents of the time; Emperor Wen of Zhou considered his appointments appropriate and called them the "Six Talents." Naturally, he held Tang Jin in special regard.
Later, the idiom "a standout of the times" came to refer to an outstanding figure of a particular period.
Source: *Book of Zhou*, "Biography of Tang Jin"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "一时之秀" came to describe an outstanding figure of a particular period.