During the Warring States period, the state of Qi took advantage of internal turmoil in Yan to launch a surprise attack, crushing Yan's forces and seizing vast territories.
After ascending the throne, King Zhao of Yan was determined to recruit talent, revive his state, and seek revenge against Qi. He personally sought advice from the highly capable and respected Guo Wei, asking, "Yan is in a precarious position now. I want to find capable people to help me govern well and achieve my goal of vengeance. Do you have any good ideas?"
Guo Wei did not directly answer King Zhao's question but instead told him a story about "buying bones with a thousand gold pieces."
Long ago, a king desperate for an exceptional horse posted notices at every city gate and market crossroads, offering a thousand gold pieces for a horse that could cover a thousand li in a single day.
Three years passed with no success in finding a swift horse, and the ruler grew visibly displeased. At this point, a trusted imperial advisor stepped forward and requested, "Allow me to take a thousand gold pieces and search for the horse myself." The ruler agreed.
The imperial attendant scoured the land for three months, finally finding a clue—only to discover the thousand-li horse was already dead. Undeterred, he spent 500 gold pieces to buy the horse's bones and brought them back to court. The furious king scolded him, "I wanted a living thoroughbred, not a pile of dead bones! You've wasted 500 gold pieces for nothing!"
The attendant replied calmly, "In recent years, you haven't bought a thousand-li horse, not because none exist, but because people didn't believe you'd pay a high price. Now that I've spent 500 taels of gold on a pile of dead horse bones, others will surely bring you live horses."
As the imperial advisor had predicted, within less than a year, several people had brought exceptional horses to the ruler.
After finishing the story of "Buying Bones with a Thousand Gold," Guo Wei earnestly said to King Zhao, "If Your Majesty truly wishes to attract talents from across the land, you may start with me. When people see that even someone like me is valued, those ten or a hundred times more capable will surely come on their own."
King Zhao of Yan found Guo Wei's reasoning sound, so he first gave Guo Wei a prominent position, built him a lavish mansion, and honored him as his teacher.
When news spread, a host of talented individuals—including the famed Wei general Yue Yi, the Qi debater Zou Yan, and the Zhao strategist Ju Xin—traveled a thousand li to the Yan capital.
King Zhao of Yan relied on these talented advisors to govern the state, and after 28 years of painstaking effort, Yan finally grew prosperous and strong. It allied with Qin, Chu, and other states to attack Qi, crushing Qi's ability to fight back and recovering all lost territory.
Later, people used the idiom "Buying Bones with a Thousand Gold" to describe a desperate desire to recruit talent.
Source: *Strategies of the Warring States*, "Strategies of Yan I" During the Warring States period, King Zhao of Yan sought talent to restore his kingdom. His advisor Guo Wei told him, "If I, a mere advisor, am treated with respect, those far more capable than I will come from afar." The king built a grand terrace and honored Guo Wei as his teacher. When other states heard of this, talented individuals like Yue Yi and Zou Yan flocked to Yan. King Zhao's genuine respect for talent transformed Yan into a powerful state, proving that honoring one wise person can attract many more. This story teaches that true leadership lies in valuing and empowering capable people.
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "千金市骨" came to describe a desperate desire to recruit talent.