Ran Yong 冉雍 or Zhonggong 仲弓

Ran Yong 冉雍, courtesy name Zhonggong 仲弓, was one of the ten wise disciples of Confucius (Kong men shi zhe 孔門十哲). He was known for his virtuous conduct and was an important representative of Confucius towards the rulers of several states. He was able to obtain the post of counsellor (zai 宰) to the regents of Lu 魯, the family Ji 季氏.

Confucius himself estimated Ran Yong as able to be a ruler. Zhonggong stressed that it was important that a ruler was a man cherishing in himself in a reverential feeling of the necessity of attention to business. The philosopher Xunzi 荀子 elevated Ran Yong to the same level as Confucius himself, calling him a great scholar (daru 大儒).