Reading home › Cautionary stories › Classic stories
Xie Qian refuses his host's daughter, later tops the exam
Key takeaway
A knock at midnight is often the exam of a lifetime. Xie Qian spoke plainly and left. The top rank and the chancellorship came later.
A knock at midnight is often the exam of a lifetime. Xie Qian spoke plainly and left. The top rank and the chancellorship came later.
As a young tutor, Xie Qian was approached one night by his host's daughter while her parents were away. He refused her gravely, spelled out the shame she would bring on herself, and resigned the next day. He later placed first in the palace examination, rose to chancellor, and his son became a vice minister.