Once upon a time, in ancient China, there was an Emperor who loved flowers more than anything else in the world. His palace was surrounded by magnificent gardens, filled with the rarest and most beautiful plants. As he grew old, the Emperor began to think about his successor. Unlike other rulers, he had no children, and so he decided to choose from among the children of the kingdom.
One spring day, he invited all the young people of the land to come to the palace. He announced, "The time has come for me to choose the next Emperor. I have here a collection of flower seeds. I will give one seed to each of you. The person who can show me their best in a year’s time will succeed me as Emperor!"
Excitement buzzed through the crowd as seeds were handed out. Among those who received a seed was a young boy named Ping, known throughout his village for his green thumb. With great excitement, Ping planted his seed in a pot filled with rich soil. He watered it every day and made sure it got plenty of sunlight.
Weeks passed, but nothing sprouted from Ping’s pot. Not a single shoot peeked out from the dark soil. Around the village, Ping heard tales of others’ pots overflowing with vibrant flowers. Embarrassed, he tried changing the soil and adjusting the amount of light and water, but nothing worked. A year passed, and Ping’s pot still held just soil.
Finally, the day came to present the pots to the Emperor. Holding his empty pot, Ping was nervous. All around him, children whispered and giggled, showing off their pots filled with stunning flowers of all colors. Ping felt tears sting his eyes. His father, seeing his distress, said gently, "You did your best, and your best is good enough to present to the Emperor."
With a heavy heart, Ping walked into the palace. When his turn came, he bowed and presented his empty pot. The Emperor’s brows rose in surprise. "Why is your pot empty?" he asked.
Ping swallowed hard and answered, "I planted the seed you gave me, and I tended it every day. But it never sprouted."
The Emperor nodded, then turned to address the crowd. "I have made my decision," he declared. "The new Emperor will be Ping!"
A gasp went through the crowd. Ping was astonished. "But… but my pot is empty," he stammered.
The Emperor smiled and said, "I gave everyone boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ping, have brought me pots with flowers. If you planted the seeds I gave you, they could not have grown. Ping was the only one honest enough to present me an empty pot."
The court erupted into applause as the truth sunk in. The Emperor continued, "A great leader must have courage, integrity, and honesty. Ping demonstrated these qualities by being truthful, despite the temptation to pretend otherwise."
Ping became Emperor and ruled wisely. Under his reign, the kingdom prospered. He always kept the empty pot on his desk, reminding him and his advisors that honesty and integrity should be at the heart of all their actions.
