During the Warring States period, the state of Qi had a noble recluse named Yan Chu, who shunned glory, wealth, and power, living a quiet, simple life in the remote outskirts of the capital Linzi.
When King Xuan of Qi heard of the scholar Yan Chu's reputation, he summoned him to the palace. Yan Chu arrived but stopped short, seeing the king seated high on his throne expecting a bow. The king called out, "Yan Chu, come forward!" Yan Chu replied, "Your Majesty, come forward!" The king's attendants were shocked, but Yan Chu calmly explained, "If I go forward, it shows I crave power; if the king comes forward, it shows he respects talent. Better for the king to respect talent than for me to crave power." The king, angered, demanded, "Is a king nobler than a scholar?" Yan Chu answered, "A wise king values scholars over mere power. Long ago, when the Qin army attacked the state of Lu, they issued an order: 'Anyone who approaches the grave of the sage Confucius will be executed.' Yet they also said, 'Anyone who harms a scholar will be put to death.' This shows that even conquerors respect scholars." The king, impressed, conceded, "A gentleman cannot be humiliated; I was wrong. I wish to make you my teacher." Yan Chu declined, saying, "Jade, when carved, loses its natural beauty; a scholar, when given rank, loses his integrity. I prefer to remain a simple man, eating my plain food and living my humble life." With that, he bowed and left, never to return. This story reminds us that true nobility lies not in rank but in character and wisdom.
King Xuan found this very strange and said, "Yan Chu, come here!" Yan Chu stood still and replied, "Your Majesty, you come here!" The king looked displeased. His attendants shouted, "The king is the sovereign, and you are his subject. You refuse to come forward and pay homage, yet you call upon the king to approach you—is there such a principle?"
Yan Chu smiled slightly and said, "If I go forward to pay respects, I am currying favor; if the king humbles himself to welcome me, he is honoring the worthy. Weighing the pros and cons, it is better to give the king a chance to honor the worthy."
King Xuan's face turned pale with rage as he demanded, "Yan Chu, I ask you, who is nobler—a ruler or a scholar?" Yan Chu, showing no fear, replied, "Of course a scholar is nobler. What makes a ruler noble?" "What is your basis for that?"
“Of course there’s proof. Your Majesty, have you heard of the noble recluse Liuxia Ji from the state of Lu? He was immensely learned, of impeccable character, and lived in seclusion in the mountains. Though he endured extreme poverty, he never complained and never acted against his own will. His fame spread far and wide, even reaching the ruler of Qin in the distant west. Later, when Qin attacked Qi and passed through Lu, the King of Qin decreed: ‘No one may gather firewood within fifty paces of Liuxia Ji’s tomb—violators shall be executed without mercy.’ Yet during the same campaign, the king also ordered: ‘Whoever cuts off the King of Qi’s head shall be enfeoffed as a lord of ten thousand households.’ Comparing these two decrees—doesn’t that prove my point?”
Upon hearing this, the King of Qi was left speechless. A courtier stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is the ruler of an entire kingdom, wielding power over all under heaven! What is a mere scholar? Nothing but an ordinary commoner—how could he compare to Your Majesty?"
Yan Chu laughed heartily and said, "In ancient times there were thousands of feudal states, but now only twenty-four remain. Where are those arrogant rulers now? Do people still remember them? Only Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, who respected the worthy and honored the wise, achieved great deeds and are remembered by people today!"
King Xuan of Qi, realizing his mistake, rose from his seat and bowed to Yan Chu, saying, "A true gentleman must not be insulted lightly. I am willing to accept your teachings—please take me as your disciple!" He then ordered his attendants, "From now on, Master Yan is my teacher. You must serve him well: let him dine on fish and meat, and ride in a covered carriage whenever he goes out!"
Yan Chu shook his head and said, "I dare not accept this. I live in a humble cottage in the wilds, always taking vegetables as meat and leisurely walking as riding a carriage; I am not used to this kind of palace life. I have said all I have to say, so please, Your Majesty, let me go!"
With that, he clasped his hands in a polite farewell to King Xuan of Qi and walked away on his own.
"The idiom 'Walking at Ease as Riding a Carriage' originally meant treating leisurely walking as riding a carriage, reflecting the noble character of Yan Chu, a Qi state scholar who was not greedy for wealth and rank. Later, it generally refers to replacing riding with slow walking."
Source: *Strategies of the Warring States*, Chapter "Strategies of Qi IV"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "安步当车" came to describe how treating leisurely walking as riding a carriage reflects the noble character of Yan Chu who was not greedy for wealth and rank and later generally refers to replacing riding with slow walking.