Gong Zizhen, who was a noted thinker and writer of the late Qing Dynasty, was put in charge of the ministry of Rites in the imperial court. One day, he happened to pass by a grand temple where tens of thousands of people were holding a fair. A Taoist priest who recognized him asked him to write a "Qing Ci", which is an iambic verse written on the cyan paper that is put in front of the statue of God praying for blessings. Gong Zizhen wrote "Only by wind and thunder can Jiuzhou show its vitality, it is after all mournful that ten thousand horses were all muted. O Heaven! I beseech you to rouse, and not stick to one pattern in selecting talents." In this verse, Jiuzhou is a metaphor for China, and wind and thunder symbolize the legendary gods. Reposing his hopes in heaven, Gong Zizhen hoped through his writing to appeal to the people of China to stand up again wtih all kinds of talents coming forth.