"In the past, I lived in poor streets and humble alleys. I was very poor, and made 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, who is the sovereign lord with 1,000 chariots. He bestowed upon me 100 chariots. This is my strong point."

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 the State of Qin, Cao Shang won the favour of the King of Qin. Consequently, the King bestowed upon him 100 chariots.

There was a man named Cao Shang in the State of Song.

Soon afterwards, Cao Shang returned to the State of Song. One day he met Zhuang Zi and said proudly:

When Zhuang Zi heard this, he gave a snort of contempt and said sarcastically:

"I heard that the King of Qin was ill. He let the physicians treat him, and rewarded them according to their contributions: those who sucked pus and ate sores would get 1 horse-drawn chariot; those who licked the piles would get 5 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 that many chariots? You had better go away!"