Duke Xian of Jin wanted to attack the State of Guo, but he had a problem: To attack it, his troops had to march through the State of Yu, and he needed to get permission from Duke Yu. The trouble was that the states of Yu and Guo were brotherly countries, of which the rulers shared one surname; they were closely related like lips and teeth and inseparable like flesh and bones. How could they be broken apart? So Duke Xian of Jin couldn’t eat or sleep well, and sighed every day.

Here's a story of Bian Que meeting Duke Huan of Cai. Everyone knows that Bian (407-310 B.C.) was a highly skilled doctor. In traditional Chinese medicine, doctors use observation, listening, questioning and pulse analysis to diagnose diseases.

One day, Confucius finished his class and left. The students asked Zengzi, “What did the master talk about today?” Zengzi said, “He taught us the principles of loyalty, devotion, reciprocity, empathy and forgiveness.”

Today let’s hear a story of Zou Ji who exhorted King of Qi to take advice. Zou was a counselor in the State of Qi (1046-221 B.C.). He was very tall and attractive but he had a concern that King Wei of Qi always ignored the loyal ministers’ advice and did not listen to beneficial words.

Courtesy stems from a respectful heart and plays a significant role in Chinese people’s lives. According to Confucianism, everyone, from emperors to commoners, should cultivate themselves. Courtesy is respect, which is key to moral cultivation.

Integrity means being upstanding, self-restrained, pure and squeaky-clean. Being a spotless person and doing things honestly is called integrity. Only with integrity can one be fair-minded, and only then can things be done legally and in accordance with rules.

What is morality? Mencius said that benevolence shows goodwill from the human heart and righteousness relates to the paths humans take. Morality refers to the right path that everyone should take. In Chinese culture, the quality of being moral and upright is particularly respected. If there is a conflict between one's life and morality, an honorable person can only sacrifice his or her life to adhere to morality.

​What is comparison and verification? In fact, it is very simple; it means being in line with the facts and seeking truth from facts.