Persevering Effort

CORE DEFINITION

Ménkè, also known as shíkè, was a profession prevalent during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China. At that time, nobles with sufficient wealth would recruit and support talented individuals from various states to further enhance their political and social status. These retainers were private subordinates of their employers, not appointed to official positions nor subject to the ruler's commands. The talents contributed by ménkè were diverse, including offering strategies, diplomatic missions, singing and dancing, assassination, physical protection, and even theft or imitating animal sounds. Nobles would always bring a certain number of retainers as attendants when going out or coming in, so as to be at their disposal at any time.