Gao Chai

Confucius considered him unintelligent because he was very short and ugly, but he served capably in the governments of the states of Lu and Wey.

[1] When Gao Chai served as a judge in Wey, he once condemned a criminal to the punishment of having his foot cut off.

Confucius praised Gao's ability to administer harsh justice with benevolence, so as to prevent resentment from the people he punished.

[2] In Confucian temples, Gao Chai's spirit tablet is placed in the outer court, beyond those of the Four Assessors and Twelve Wise Ones, and next to that of Gongxi Ai.

[2] During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong posthumously awarded Gao Chai the nobility title of Count of Gong (共伯).