During the Spring and Autumn period, Luan Shu, the chief minister of Jin, held the highest office yet never abused his power for personal gain. His land allotment was less than a hundred men's worth, smaller than even a senior minister's, and his home lacked a single valuable ritual vessel. His unwavering integrity and selfless service earned him immense respect among his peers.
In 574 BCE, the tyrannical Duke Li of Jin, swayed by slander, executed the three Xi ministers in a single day and detained Luan Shu in the palace, plunging the state into chaos. With the support of the court officials, Luan Shu decisively mobilized troops, surrounded the palace, killed Duke Li, and installed Prince Ji Zhou as the new ruler—posthumously known as Duke Dao of Jin. Although a minister killing his sovereign was considered treasonous, Luan Shu's long-standing integrity and prestige meant no one condemned him.
After Luan Shu passed away, his son Luan Yan inherited his title as a high minister. Unlike his father, Luan Yan was insatiably greedy and tyrannical, making many enemies. Yet, out of respect for his father's legacy, people tolerated him, sparing him from disaster.
By the time Luan Shu's grandson, Luan Ying, came of age, things had changed entirely. Luan Ying only held the minor post of clan official. Though he committed no great wrongs, the resentment and anger people felt toward his father left him increasingly isolated. He fled abroad and, with Qi's support, launched an attack on Jin. But his army was defeated, he was captured, and his entire clan was wiped out.
One day, Minister Shuxiang of Jin visited his old friend Han Qi, one of the six highest ministers in the state. Han Qi kept sighing and complaining about his poverty. Shuxiang listened with a smile, then stood up, clasped his hands, and offered congratulations.
Han Qi said in surprise, "I hold the title of a minister but lack the substance of one, unable to compare even with a grand master. I am troubled by this—why do you congratulate me?"
Shu Xiang then recounted to Han Qi the misfortunes of the Luan family across three generations, and said with a serious expression, "I see you are as impoverished as Luan Shu, so I thought you already possessed his virtue, which is why I offered my congratulations. If you were as insatiably greedy as Luan Yan, I would only be worried—how could I still congratulate you?"
Han Qi's worries instantly vanished upon hearing this. He bowed to Shu Xiang and said, "Thank you for your guidance. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even known I was heading toward ruin." Later, people used the idiom "In Name Only" to describe something that has a name or reputation but lacks substance.
Source: *Guoyu*, "Discourses of Jin VIII"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "有名无实" came to describe how something has a name or reputation but lacks substance.