In a story from the Strategies of the Warring States, the minister Zou Ji asks his wife, his concubine and a guest whether he is more handsome than Xu Gong of the northern city. All three say he is. When Xu Gong visits, Zou Ji sees that he is not.
He concludes: “My wife calls me handsome because she favors me. My concubine calls me handsome because she fears me. My guest calls me handsome because he wants something from me.”
He tells the king that the women of the palace all favor him, the ministers all fear him, and everyone in the land wants something from him. “From this I see that Your Majesty is deeply deceived.” The king then offers rewards in three grades. The highest goes to those who criticize his faults to his face.