In the Records of the Grand Historian, the Duke of Zhou warns his son before the son leaves to rule the state of Lu. “I am the son of King Wen, the brother of King Wu and the uncle of King Cheng. In the realm I am not of low rank. Yet in one bath I hold up my hair three times, and in one meal I spit out my food three times, to rise and receive worthy men. Even so, I fear losing the able men of the realm.”
Centuries later, Cao Cao’s poem Short Song includes the line: “The Duke of Zhou spat out his food, and the realm turned its heart to him.”