During the reign of Duke Ping of Jin, the county of Nanyang needed a magistrate. The duke asked his minister Qi Huangyang, "Who would be suitable for this post?" Qi Huangyang replied, "Jie Hu would do." Surprised, the duke said, "Isn't Jie Hu your enemy? Why recommend your foe?" Qi Huangyang answered, "You asked me who was fit for the office, not who my enemy was." Source: *The Annals of Lü Buwei*, "Selflessness"
Duke Ping sent Xie Hu to take up the post, and just as Qi Huangyang had predicted, Xie Hu accomplished many practical and beneficial deeds for the people, earning their enthusiastic support in Nanyang.
On another occasion, when the court needed to appoint a military commandant, Duke Ping asked Qi Huangyang for a recommendation. Qi Huangyang replied, "Qi Wu is the right man for the job." Duke Ping asked in surprise, "Qi Wu is your son—aren't you afraid of gossip?" Qi Huangyang answered calmly, "You asked me to recommend a suitable commandant, not who my son is."
Duke Ping accepted this advice and appointed Qi Wu as the army's chief military officer. Qi Wu lived up to expectations, performing his duties with outstanding success.
After hearing these two matters, Confucius remarked with emotion, "Excellent! Qi Huangyang recommends talent, neither excluding his enemies outwardly nor avoiding his own son inwardly—truly selfless and impartial!" Later, the idiom "selfless and impartial" came to describe someone who is wholly devoted to the public good without any selfish motives.
Source: *Lüshi Chunqiu*, Chapter "Qu Si"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "大公无私" came to describe how someone is wholly devoted to the public good without any selfish motives.