During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Ce, the lord of Wu, harbored deep jealousy towards talented individuals and often found excuses to eliminate them. A talented scholar named Sheng Xiaozhang, a close friend of Kong Rong, resided in Eastern Wu. Known for his upright and aloof character, he had long been resented by Sun Ce. Kong Rong constantly worried about his safety, fearing he would be killed by Sun Ce.

One day, Kong Rong wrote a letter to Cao Cao, introducing Sheng Xiaozhang and urging Cao Cao to recruit him. In his letter, Kong Rong wrote: "If one wishes to restore the Han dynasty, one must first earnestly seek out worthy talents; and to obtain such talents, one must show them respect." He then used an analogy: "Pearls and jade, though they have no legs, arrive by themselves because people cherish them. How much more so for worthy talents who possess feet?" Kong Rong further emphasized: "As long as one respects talented individuals, they will come running."

The idiom "不胫而走" (bù jìng ér zǒu) originated from this story. It originally alluded to talented individuals seeking out those who appreciated their abilities. Later, its meaning evolved to describe how news or things spread rapidly and widely without any deliberate promotion or effort.