It means: If you want to ask for something from others, you must first be subordinate to others.

From "Zuo Zhuan·The Twenty-Fiveth Year of Duke Zhao" written by Zuo Qiuming in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Excerpt from the original text:

The Marquis of Qi paid his condolences to the Duke in Pingyin, and the Duke preceded him in Nojing. The Marquis of Qi said: "It is the sin of a few people. It is for the sake of proximity that a minister waits in Pingyin." The book says: "Gongsun is in Qi, second to Yangzhou, and the Marquis of Qi mourns the Duke in Nojing." Li also. When you ask for something from someone, give it first, as this is the kind thing that is polite.

Translation:

Qi Jinggong was going to visit Duke Zhao in Pingyin, and Duke Zhao arrived at Nojing first. Qi Jinggong said: "This is my fault." He asked the officials to wait in Pingyin for the sake of proximity. "Spring and Autumn" records that "Gongsun lived in Qi, second in Yangzhou, and the Marquis of Qi mourned the Duke in Yejing." This is in line with etiquette. When you are going to ask for something from others, you must first be subordinate to them. This is a good thing according to etiquette.

Extended information

"Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan", formerly known as "Zuo Shi Chun Qiu", was also known as "Chun Qiu Zuo Shi" and "Chun Qiu Nei Zhuan" during the Han Dynasty. It became more popular after the Han Dynasty. It's called "Zuo Zhuan".

"Zuo Zhuan" is China's first chronological history book with a detailed narrative, and it is also an outstanding masterpiece of historical prose. ***Thirty-five volumes, it is one of the Confucian classics and the longest among the Thirteen Classics. It is listed as the classics in Sikuquanshu.

The narrative scope starts from the first year of Lu Yin (722 BC) to the 27th year of Lu Aigong (468 BC). The work mainly records important political, economic, military, diplomatic and cultural events and figures in various countries during the 254 years of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. It is a valuable document for studying the history of China's pre-Qin Dynasty and an excellent prose work.

According to legend, it is a history book that Zuo Qiuming annotated for the Spring and Autumn Annals. Together with Gongyang Zhuan and Gu Liang Zhuan, it is collectively known as the "Three Biography of the Spring and Autumn Period".

Zuo Qiuming's family has been historians for generations. Together with Confucius, he "ridden in the Zhou Dynasty and read the history of the Zhou Dynasty". He has a large number of historical materials from the state of Lu and other feudal countries, so according to the "Spring and Autumn Period" "Zuo Zhuan" became the first chronicle in ancient China with detailed records and incisive discussions.

He also wrote Guoyu, the earliest extant history of a country. He was blind when he wrote Guoyu. The two books record many important historical events in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period, and have preserved a very high level of history. value source material.

Because of his detailed historical materials and vivid writing style, he has aroused the interest and discussion of scholars at home and abroad in ancient and modern times. He is known as "the sage of history of Wen Zong", "the ancestor of classics and ministers", "the ancestor of hundreds of schools of writing, and the ancient text of all ages". "Ancestor" and became the founder of Chinese historians. "Zuo Zhuan" focuses on recording events, while "Guoyu" focuses on recording words.

Emperors in the past dynasties granted many imperial titles to Zuo Qiu Ming: Confucian Master in the Tang Dynasty; Zuo Qiuming's thoughts reflected the interests and demands of the people at that time. Qiu Ming Middle School was built in Tai'an, Shandong Province in memory of Zuo Qiuming.

The emergence of "Zuo Zhuan" marks that the compilation of ancient Chinese history books has entered a new stage of development. "Zuo Zhuan" provides later generations with a large amount of important information on the intellectual history, economic history, social history and other academic history of the Spring and Autumn Period and its previous stages, which is unmatched and unmatched by any other history before or during the same period. of. It is a reliable record of major events in an important historical stage from the eighth century BC to the fifth century BC. It fills in the blanks and helps future generations comprehensively understand the process of ancient Chinese civilization. It is extremely precious.

Baidu Encyclopedia--The Biography of Zuo in the Spring and Autumn Period