三不朽

From 《左传·襄公二十四年》 (Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xiang Year 24, c. 549 BCE): 太上有立德，其次有立功，其次有立言，虽久不废，此之谓不朽 - 'The highest is to establish virtue, next achievement, next words; though long passed, they are not abolished - this is what we call imperishable.' The phrase became Confucianism's highest measure of a life well lived.

Late-imperial scholars argued over which historical figures hit all three. Confucius is the consensus. Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), Wang Yangming (王阳明), and Zeng Guofan (曾国藩) are the most commonly cited near-misses or successes.