Occupying an intermediate position; falling between the best and the worst; not as good as the top, but better than the bottom; middling.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the three powerful noble families of Mengsun, Shusun, and Jisun served as the three chief ministers of the State of Lu.
Due to internal strife in Lu, Duke Zhao of Lu fled to the State of Qi, and Confucius also traveled to Qi.
Duke Jing of Qi was very interested in Confucius's Confucian ideas. However, Yan Ying, a high official of Qi, did not approve of Confucius's views.
Regarding the treatment of Confucius, Duke Jing ordered that he be treated somewhere between the standards for the Jisun and Mengsun families, signifying a middling level of respect, reflecting a position between the most powerful (Jisun) and the relatively less powerful (Mengsun) of the great families.