Qu Boyu, whose surname was Qu and given name was Yuan, styled himself Boyu, was a high-ranking official of the State of Wei during the Spring and Autumn Period. He was a renowned worthy of Wei, known for his uprightness, openness, and integrity, embodying a Junzi (Exemplary Person) who upheld Li (Propriety). He once said: "When I reached fifty, I examined myself and realized that in the previous forty-nine years I had committed many faults." On one occasion, Qu Boyu sent an envoy to visit Confucius. Confucius invited the envoy to sit and then asked, "What has your master been doing recently?" The envoy replied, "Our master constantly strives to reduce his faults, yet he always feels he has not fully achieved this." Confucius was deeply impressed and praised him.
Qu Boyu (a virtuous official of the State of Wei) strictly observed Li (ritual propriety). He would neither deliberately show off in public to gain fame nor do anything improper when no one was watching. One night, he was riding in a carriage past the palace gate. According to the ritual of the time, a minister passing the palace gate in a carriage should bow in salute before leaving. At night, however, the gate was already closed, and since no one could see, it was acceptable for a minister to omit the bow. Yet Qu Boyu did not neglect the propriety he ought to observe. Upon reaching the gate, he dismounted, performed the bow, and only then departed.
In the eighteenth year of Duke Xian of Wei's reign (559 BCE), Sun Linfu (a high-ranking minister of Wei) planned to attack Duke Xian and asked Qu Boyu (a virtuous minister of Wei) for advice. Qu Boyu replied that a minister should not offend his ruler, and then fled the state to take refuge abroad. In the thirtieth year of Duke Xian's reign (547 BCE), Ning Xi (another Wei minister) sought to help Duke Xian return to Wei. When informed, Qu Boyu said, "I have not heard of the ruler leaving his state; how dare I hear of his return?" He then left the state again, refusing to involve himself in Wei's chaotic governance. When Confucius traveled to Wei, he once stayed at Qu Boyu's home and praised him as a Junzi (Exemplary Person), saying that when the state's governance was clear, he served as an official, but when it became dark and corrupt, he withdrew and hid himself.