Gao Chai (521 BCE-?), courtesy name Zigao, also known as Zigao, Zigao, and Jigao, was thirty years younger than Confucius and a native of the State of Qi. He is mentioned twice in The Analects. He was short, reportedly less than five feet tall, and not good-looking. When Zi Lu (a brave and loyal disciple of Confucius) wanted to appoint him as steward of Fei, Confucius thought him too simple and honest to be competent, saying, "This is harming someone else's son!" He was extremely filial to his parents, fulfilling his duties while they were alive, and after their deaths, he observed three years of mourning, remaining sorrowful without a single smile throughout. Yet he was actually flexible and adaptable in action. He served as an official four times in the states of Lu and Wei, holding positions including steward of Fei, Cheng, and Wucheng in Lu, and Minister of Justice (in charge of criminal law) in Wei, making him the disciple of Confucius with the most frequent and longest tenure in government. In the fifteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu (480 BCE), a palace coup occurred in Wei; he quickly fled and urged Zi Lu, who was also serving in Wei, not to return to the palace. Zi Lu, loyal to his duty, refused his advice and was killed upon returning. When Confucius heard of the turmoil in Wei, he predicted that Zigao would survive but Zi Lu would likely die, and it turned out as expected. The *Shuo Yuan* (Garden of Stories) records a small tale about Gao Chai: when he served as a criminal judge in Wei, he was incorruptible, fair, and impartial, showing no favoritism and acting with Ren (Benevolence). A man who committed a crime deserving amputation of the foot was sentenced accordingly and made a gatekeeper. When internal chaos broke out in Wei, Gao Chai fled through the city gate, and the gatekeeper not only did not hinder him but helped him. When Gao Chai asked why he bore no resentment, the gatekeeper said, "My punishment was deserved. But when you judged me, you repeatedly deliberated, trying to reduce my sentence, showing kindness, and when you cut off my foot, I could see your distress. So I do not resent you but respect and admire you." When Confucius heard this, he remarked that those skilled in governance cultivate virtue, while the unskilled cultivate resentment; exercising power justly, Gao Chai was such a person. Thus, Gao Chai was also a worthy among Confucius's disciples.