There was a man named Cao Shang in the State of Song.
Once, he was sent on a mission by the King of Song to the State of Qin. Before departure, the King of Song bestowed upon him several horse-drawn chariots. Upon arriving in Qin, Cao Shang won the favour of the King of Qin, who consequently bestowed upon him 100 chariots.
Soon afterwards, Cao Shang returned to Song. One day, he met Zhuang Zi and said proudly:
"In the past, I lived in poor streets and humble alleys. I was very poor, making my living by making shoes. I was sallow and thin. This was my weak point. Now, relying on my clever tongue, I have touched the heart of the King of Qin, a sovereign lord with 1000 chariots. He bestowed upon me 100 chariots. This is my strong point."
When Zhuang Zi heard this, he gave a snort of contempt and said sarcastically:
"I heard that the King of Qin was ill. He offered rewards to his physicians: those who sucked pus and ate sores would get one horse-drawn chariot; those who licked the piles would get five chariots. The more filthy the illness you treat, the more chariots you would get. You have probably licked his piles; otherwise, how could you acquire so many chariots? You had better go away!"