Qidiao Kai

[1][2] He declined to take government office, but started his own school,[3] which developed into one of the eight branches of Confucianism identified by Han Fei.

Confucius may have been pleased with his student's humility, with his disinterest in glory or government salary, or with Qidiao's assessment that the ruler at the time was not worth serving under.

[7] Qidiao Kai later started his own school, which developed into one of the eight branches of Confucianism identified by Han Fei near the end of the 3rd century BC, but his doctrines are not known today.

[3] In Confucian temples, Qidiao Kai's spirit tablet is placed in the outer court, beyond those of the Four Assessors and Twelve Wise Ones, and next to that of Shang Qu.

[2] During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong posthumously awarded Qidiao Kai the nobility title of Count of Teng (滕伯).