There lived a mother, who was branded a virtuous and able lady, and her son in a country. At the age of 14, the son with the noble rank inherited from his father, became the feudal provincial governor of the state. When her son went to the tribunal to sit in judgment in public affairs, his mother would sit on a stool behind a curtain at the back of the hall and listen carefully to how her son analysed each situation and rendered his decision. Whenever her son failed to make a fair judgment or lost his temper during the proceedings, his mother would crawl under a quilt and cry when they returned home, eating nothing for the whole day.
"I'm not angry at you," she would tell her son. "Rather, I am ashamed of myself! Your father was honest and upright and never used public office for private gain. He sacrificed himself for the country. I only wish you would hold firmly to your father's principles." She also told him,
"As a woman, too much love and too little strictness on my part has resulted in your ignoring virtue and neglect of your father's principles. If things continue this way, how can you take up the mantle of justice for all and be loyal to your country? If this continues, you will undermine our family tradition and violate the directive of a public servant. If so, how could I face your father again when I die?"
Day after day his mother would spin and weave late into the night. His mother would tell him,
"Your father had wished to distribute his extra wealth to relatives and friends. How could I dare enjoy the wealth alone? Spinning and weaving are the duty of a lady. Everyone, noble or humble, has his obligations. How could I ruin my own reputation?"
Slowly, her son became diligent in his duties, maintained good self-control, and abstained from self-indulgent behaviour. He grew up to be a fair, incorruptible, aboveboard official. In time, the Emperor sent a delegate to honour him for his unselfish service to the public by bestowing upon him the rank of “His Lordship."
