Hanzi

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Gai Xun, known for his integrity and talent, was appointed as the chief aide (长史) to a prefect. The prefecture where Gai Xun served was under the jurisdiction of Liang Hu, the Inspector of Liangzhou, who was also Gai Xun's friend.

At that time, the Prefect of Wuwei, who was under Liang Hu's jurisdiction, was tyrannical and committed numerous evil deeds. The common people hated him but dared not speak out. However, Su Zhenghe, one of Liang Hu's subordinates, feared no powerful figures and bravely investigated the Wuwei Prefect's crimes according to law.

Unexpectedly, Liang Hu became anxious, fearing that the investigation of the Wuwei Prefect's crimes might involve high-ranking officials and implicate himself. He even considered killing Su Zhenghe to silence him but was unsure if it was appropriate. So, he planned to consult his friend Gai Xun on what to do.

Coincidentally, Gai Xun and Su Zhenghe were adversaries. Someone leaked to Gai Xun that the Inspector would consult him about Su Zhenghe's fate and suggested that he seize this opportunity to persuade the Inspector to kill Su Zhenghe, thereby taking personal revenge. Gai Xun flatly refused, saying, "To kill a good official for personal reasons is disloyal; to harm someone when they are in danger is inhumane."

Later, Liang Hu indeed came to discuss Su Zhenghe's matter with him. Gai Xun advised Liang Hu with an analogy: "When you raise an eagle, you want it to be fierce so it can catch prey for you. Now that it is fierce, you want to kill it. If so, what was the point of raising it?"