A Chinese prince was set to take the throne, but tradition required him to marry first. He called for young women across the region to be presented to him, hoping to find the right one. Among them, the daughter of a palace maid was deeply in love with him. She wanted to be seen by him too. She ignored her mother's warnings, since even a single glance at the man she loved would be enough to make her happy.
The long-awaited day finally came. Beautiful young girls arrived dressed in their finest, adorned from head to toe, doing everything they could to stand out.
The prince handed each girl a single seed. He instructed them to plant it in a pot and return in six months. Whoever grew the most beautiful flower would become his bride. They all took their seed home, buzzing with excitement.
The young maid's daughter planted her seed carefully. No matter how much care she gave it, nothing ever sprouted. She tried every method, sought advice from experts, but nothing worked.
Six months passed, and her pot remained empty. Even with no flower to show, she still showed up at the palace on the appointed day, empty pot in hand. Meanwhile, the other girls arrived carrying pots overflowing with gorgeous blooms...
At last, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. The prince walked into the hall, moved among the girls, and inspected each flowerpot in turn. Then he announced his choice — the maid's daughter would become his wife. The room fell into shock. The other girls protested loudly. How could she be chosen, arriving with nothing but an empty pot?
The prince explained it this way:
"This young woman grew the rarest flower of all and brought it to me. It's called the Flower of Honesty. Every seed I handed out was sterile — none of them were ever meant to bloom."
Chinese fable
May we all grow that same flower, and never let it wilt.
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