Xunzi 荀子, a third century BCE philosophical work attributed to an influential Warring States thinker Xun Kuang 荀況 (c. 310–c. 235 BCE), often associated with Confucian tradition, recommends the inclusion of ritual principles and trustworthiness as part of the cultivation of one’s qi:
扁善之度，以治氣養生，則後彭祖；以脩身自名，則配堯禹。宜於時通， 利以處窮，禮信是也。
If you employ the measure of excellence in every circumstance to control the vital breath and nourish life, your lifespan will approach that of Patriarch Peng. If you use it to cultivate your character and to strengthen yourself, you will establish a reputation equal to that of Yao or Yu. It is suitable to living in the time of success and beneficial when dwelling in impoverished circumstances. This measure is ritual principles and being trustworthy.
The authors of Xunzi understood yangsheng as a means of extending one’s life span to that of Pengzu, a legendary figure known for his longevity through the practice of daoyin and sexual techniques. However, their advocation of ritual principles (li 禮) and trustworthiness (xin 信) has little to do with breathing or daoyin exercises, both often associated with seekers of longevity.