One day, a man named He Shi from the State of Chu found an uncarved piece of jade in the mountains. He promptly presented it to King Li of Chu. The king ordered a jade craftsman to appraise it. The craftsman declared, "This is merely an ordinary stone."
Believing he had been deceived, King Li grew furious and ordered He Shi's left foot to be cut off.
After King Li's death, King Wu ascended the throne. He Shi once again presented the jade to the new king. King Wu also had a craftsman examine it, who gave the same verdict: "This is an ordinary stone." King Wu, feeling similarly deceived, had He Shi's right foot cut off.
Following King Wu's death, King Wen succeeded him. He Shi, holding the jade, sat weeping at the foot of the mountain. He wept for three days and three nights until his tears dried and his eyes bled. Upon hearing this, King Wen sent a messenger to ask, "Many in the world have lost their feet. Why do you grieve so bitterly?"
He Shi replied, "I do not weep for my lost feet. My heart breaks because the king mistakes precious jade for common stone, and my loyalty for deceit."
Moved by these words, King Wen summoned a jade craftsman and ordered him to chisel the stone open. It was indeed genuine jade. King Wen of Chu thus named it "He Shi's Jade."