Nangong Kuo (also known as Nan Rong, a disciple of Confucius), whose birth and death years are unknown, was styled Zi Rong and commonly called Nan Rong. He is mentioned three times in The Analects. The Analects, Book 14, Chapter 5 records: "Nangong Kuo asked Confucius, saying, 'Yi (a legendary archer) was skilled at archery, and Ao (a legendary strongman) could push a boat on land; yet both died unnatural deaths. Yu and Ji (ancient sage-kings) personally tilled the soil, and they came to possess the kingdom.' The Master made no reply. When Nangong Kuo went out, the Master said, 'How exemplary a person is this! How esteeming of De (Virtue) is this!'" Yi was a legendary archer who was killed by his servants due to his neglect of state affairs for hunting. Ao was a legendary figure skilled in water warfare, but how he died is unknown. Both had courage and strength but met untimely ends. Yu and Ji personally farmed the land, seemingly without special abilities, yet they ruled the kingdom. Nangong Kuo's question essentially contrasted the current society's esteem for strength over De (Virtue) with historical evidence that those who valued strength died badly while those who valued De (Virtue) ultimately ruled. Confucius, though not answering directly, praised Nangong Kuo privately as a Junzi (Exemplary Person) and a man who revered De (Virtue), consistent with his own teaching: "Lead the people with administrative decrees and keep them orderly with penal law, and they will avoid punishment but have no sense of shame. Lead them with De (Virtue) and keep them orderly with Li (Propriety), and they will have a sense of shame and also correct themselves" (The Analects, Book 2, Chapter 3).
In *The Analects*, Confucius praised only two of his students as possessing the virtue of a *Junzi* (Exemplary Person): one was Mi Zijian, and the other was Nangong Kuo. This shows that Confucius held Nangong Kuo in very high regard.
The Analects, "Advanced" (Book 11), records: "Nan Rong (Confucius's disciple, also known as Nan Gong Kuo) repeatedly recited the stanza about the 'white scepter,' so Confucius married his elder brother's daughter to him." The "white scepter" poem comes from the Classic of Poetry, "Greater Odes": "Be cautious in your speech, be reverent in your demeanor, and all will be gentle and good. A flaw in a white scepter can still be ground away; a flaw in speech cannot be remedied." Nan Gong Kuo's repeated recitation of this poem shows he took it as his guiding principle, revealing him to be a cautious speaker. Confucius once said, "The Junzi (Exemplary Person) is slow in speech but quick in action" (The Analects, "Li Ren," Book 4). No wonder Confucius favored him and married his niece to him.
The "Confucius's Family Sayings: Explanations of the Seventy-Two Disciples" states: "Nangong Kuo remained pure and was not discarded when the world was clear, nor was he tainted when the world was turbid." This passage evolved from Confucius's words in The Analects, Book V, Gongye Chang: "When the state follows the Way (Dao), he is not discarded; when the state is without the Way, he avoids punishment and execution," which precisely reflects Nangong Kuo's principle of conduct. Confucius advocated: "When the state follows the Way, serve as an official; when the state is without the Way, you can roll it up and hide it in your bosom" (The Analects, Book XV, Duke Ling of Wei). In this regard, Nangong Kuo exactly acted according to his teacher's view.