Fishing for kings with a straight hook
It is said Jiang Shang fished by the Wei with a straight hook, no bait, three feet above the water, saying to himself, "let him who defies his fate take the bait." A woodcutter laughed at him, and he answered, "I would rather take by the straight than seek by the crooked." This famous image says everything about his philosophy of "choosing a lord": true talent submits no résumé and waits only for a buyer whose values match — the Grand Duke fishing was never fishing for fish.
Reporting on Qi’s governance in five months
Enfeoffed in Qi, the Grand Duke returned to Haojing to report on his administration in only five months. When the Duke of Zhou asked why so fast, he answered, "I simplified the rites of ruler and subject and followed local custom." The Duke of Zhou’s son Boqin, governing Lu, took three years to report, because he "changed the customs and reformed the rites." The Grand Duke concluded: Lu would in later generations face north and serve Qi. Centuries later, Qi was indeed strong and Lu weak.