Yang Zhi Sells His Blade

Yang Zhi (Yáng Zhì) comes from a line of famous generals and has nothing left of it but the name and a blade. He lost an imperial cargo in a storm, lost his commission with it, and has spent everything he owned on bribes trying to buy the commission back. This morning the Marshal refused him for the last time.

He is now a man with no post, no money, and no way to eat.

So he goes down to the market, ties a wisp of straw to his family's blade to show that it is for sale, and stands there waiting for a buyer. It is a very good blade. The man who stops to look at it is the worst person in the city.