During the Warring States period, someone suggested to King Xuan of Qi that he should demolish the Mingtang (Hall of Light), a place where the Son of Heaven traditionally received feudal lords. King Xuan sought Mencius's opinion on this matter.

Mencius advised that if the king truly wished to practice humane governance (Wangzheng), he should not destroy the Mingtang. He explained that King Wen of Zhou succeeded in unifying the land by implementing benevolent rule, which included not only favoring officials but also extending special care to the most vulnerable: widowers, widows, orphans, and the childless elderly.

King Xuan found Mencius's words to be sound and reasonable.