 This is an ideal construct. It may be logically coherent or even compelling, a mark of philosophical distinction prized by Pure-conversation connoisseurs, but what real bearing does it have on politics and government? Sages—fantastic individuals born with a sage nature on He Yan’s view—are obviously rare. If sagehood is not a genuine ethical option that can be achieved through learning and effort, a new model needs to be found. Logically, attention should then turn to “worthy” individuals like Yan Hui, the gifted and cherished disciple of Confucius, who is “close to the way of the sage” (commentary to Lunyu 11.19).