Tian Qi Huangong, also known as Cai Huangong, avoided medical treatment out of fear of illness and ultimately died of disease. In 356 BCE, his son succeeded the throne as King Wei of Qi. King Wei was obsessed with playing the zither, often strumming alone in the palace while neglecting state affairs. Seeing that King Wei spent his days playing the zither with no interest in governance, other feudal states repeatedly launched invasions, and Qi suffered constant defeats. Even when the armies of Han, Zhao, and Wei reached Qi's borders, King Wei remained indifferent. Some people repeatedly admonished him to prioritize the state, but their advice had no effect. Sometimes, when King Wei grew annoyed by the remonstrations, he would even execute the ministers who came to see him. Over the years, Qi grew increasingly weak and declined.
Zou Ji had already served as an official at court during the reign of Duke Huan of Tian Qi, and when he saw King Wei of Qi neglecting state affairs due to his obsession with playing the zither, he claimed to be a master of the ancient instrument and requested an audience with the king to play for him. Upon hearing this report, King Wei was overjoyed and immediately summoned Zou Ji.
Zou Ji entered the inner palace and heard King Wei of Qi playing the zither. After the piece ended, he repeatedly praised the king's skill. King Wei asked Zou Ji what made his zither playing so good. Zou Ji replied, "Your Majesty's fingering is masterful; the sound of the thick string is solemn like a wise ruler, the thin string is clear like a virtuous minister, each note is harmonious and pleasing, flexible and varied yet perfectly appropriate, just like the clear decrees of a well-governed state. So melodious—your zither skill is indeed excellent."
Then, Zou Ji added, "Playing the zither and governing a state follow the same principle—one must concentrate. The seven strings are like the way of ruler and minister; the ruler is like the thick string that controls the overall situation, while the thin strings are like the ministers who assist and coordinate. Which string to pluck and which not to pluck resemble the state's decrees—when they work in harmony, the zither produces beautiful music, and in the state, the ruler and ministers each fulfill their duties, leading to a prosperous nation, a harmonious government, and a contented people!"
King Wei of Qi praised, "You speak very well, sir. Since you are well-versed in music theory, you must also be skilled at playing the qin. Please play a tune for us."
Zou Ji only adjusted the strings of his zither, and King Wei of Qi grew impatient, urging him to play quickly. After a while, the strings were tuned, but Zou Ji took his hands off the instrument, merely assuming the posture of playing without actually strumming. King Wei of Qi was furious and accused him of deceiving the ruler. Zou Ji replied, "I am a zither player, making a living by playing the instrument, so naturally I study music theory and performance techniques. But you, Your Majesty, are the sovereign, yet you neglect state affairs. How is that different from my pretending to play the zither without producing any sound?"
King Wei of Qi suddenly came to his senses and said, "That makes sense, I understand now!" So King Wei of Qi appointed Zou Ji as Prime Minister, enfeoffed him at Xiapi (southwest of present-day Pi County, Jiangsu), with the title Marquis Cheng, and discussed with Zou Ji the great enterprise of governing the state and establishing hegemony.
After Zou Ji became the prime minister, Chunyu Kun came to see him and offered advice, saying: "A cart that hasn't been adjusted cannot bear heavy loads; a zither that hasn't been tuned cannot produce music." This meant that the governance of a country, like a cart carrying loads or a zither playing melodies, requires laws and regulations to bind it and officials to work in unison. Zou Ji accepted his advice, issued decrees, supervised officials, punished those who broke the law, and curbed corrupt practices among them, thereby establishing integrity and bringing clarity to the government.
Zou Ji was a man of both magnanimity and talent, serving as a capable assistant to King Wei of Qi in governing the state. Not only that, but he stood over eight feet tall and was a strikingly handsome man.
One morning, Zou Ji put on his official robes and hat, looked at himself in the mirror, and asked his wife, "Between me and Lord Xu from the north of the city, who is more handsome?" His wife replied, "You are extremely handsome—Lord Xu cannot compare to you!" Lord Xu from the north of the city was famous in the state of Qi for his good looks. Zou Ji did not believe he was more handsome than Lord Xu, so he went to ask his concubine, "Between me and Lord Xu, who is more handsome?" The concubine also replied, "How could Lord Xu possibly compare to you?"
The next day, a visitor came to see Zou Ji, and they sat facing each other, chatting casually. Zou Ji asked the guest, "Between Xu Gong and me, who is more handsome?" The guest replied, "Xu Gong's beauty cannot compare to yours." Another day passed, and Xu Gong from the northern part of the city visited Zou Ji. Zou Ji examined him carefully and concluded that he was not as handsome as Xu Gong. Later, he looked at himself in the mirror and felt even more that he fell far short. That evening, he lay down to rest but could not fall asleep, pondering the matter and realizing, "My wife says I am more handsome than Xu Gong because she is partial to me; my concubine says I am more handsome because she fears me; and the guest also thinks I am more handsome because he has a favor to ask of me."
Therefore, Zou Ji entered the court to meet King Wei of Qi and said to him: "I have already determined that I am not as handsome as Xu Gong. However, my wife is partial to me, my concubine fears me, and my guests have requests of me, so they all say I am more handsome than Xu Gong. Now, the territory of Qi covers a thousand square li and has one hundred and twenty cities. Within the palace, the queen, concubines, and close attendants are all partial to Your Majesty; the ministers at court all fear Your Majesty; and throughout the state of Qi, everyone has requests of Your Majesty. From this perspective, the deception Your Majesty suffers is indeed very severe."
King Wei of Qi nodded and said, "You are right." So he decided to open up channels of communication and offer rewards for advice, issuing an edict: "Whether official or commoner, anyone who can directly point out my faults to my face will receive a top reward; anyone who can submit a written remonstrance will receive a middle reward; anyone who can discuss state affairs in public and bring it to my attention will receive a lower reward."
After King Qi of Qi broadened his channels for receiving advice, the state of Qi indeed began to change. When the decree was first issued, officials eagerly came forward to offer counsel, and there were always many people waiting at the palace gates and within the courtyards to present their remonstrances. After a few months, only occasional visitors came to offer advice. A year later, even if people wanted to offer counsel, there was nothing left to criticize.
The states of Yan, Zhao, Han, and Wei, upon hearing of this, all came to pay court to the state of Qi. This is what is meant by remaining in the court, with internal governance well-ordered and politics just, so that without resorting to arms, one can prevail over rival states.