Pictured here is a portion of one of a series of Song-dynasty (ca. 12th century) depictions of the lifestyles of people in ancient (pre-Han) times. It highlights the agricultural harvest (scroll to far right). But the interesting part for our purposes is the far left. Under the roofed pavilion, the aged grandparents, the matriarch and patriarch of the household, sit on cushions and are served respectfully by their children and grandchildren. This is xiao (filial piety) at its best. In other words, notice that the core of the household is harmonious because human relations are governed by xiao. To the right of this family care are all the many workers and employees in the household. Notice that their activities are portrayed in a way that suggests order, harmony, and material bounty. So the xiao obtaining in the family core, expressed through proper ritualized conduct (li), has a harmonizing effect on the whole household writ large. For the classical Confucian idea of good government, just take this household as a metaphor and extend it to the whole of society, with the aged grandfather as king or emperor. In Confucius' thought, such a society would be orderly, harmonious, materially rich, and would constitute an environment in which people could develop to the fullest potential of their humanity.

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