Kong Yiji is a metaphor for someone who thinks he is lofty, deceives himself and is kind.

Kong Yiji has the unique lofty nature of a scholar under the influence of feudal education system. It has no financial resources and is unwilling to engage in labor to earn money. It can only cross the poverty line with the attitude of a scholar. With regard to Kong Yiji's famous saying that "stealing books is not stealing", we can see his pedantic side as a poor scholar.

Kong Yiji's characters are two-sided and complicated. Although he is poor and pedantic, he also has a bright spot in human nature. Kong Yiji's kindness is reflected in two details: teaching children to read and giving fennel beans to children.

practical significance

Kong Yiji represents the conflict between ideal or fantasy and real society, and his tragedy lies in his inability to distinguish between fantasy and fact. Stealing books in the imperial examination era was not a shameful or even criminal act. After he got into this old habit, the society changed. Therefore, Xianheng Hotel, a small society, will always be a trap to bury Kong Yiji and kill him.