Situating the analysis within the shift from “hard” to “soft” propaganda and the restyling of official communication in today’s China, this paper examines the role of classical quotations in contemporary Chinese political discourse through a case study of the CCTV-1 program Ping “yu” jin ren (体 语 近人). Focusing on episode 7 of the third season, it adopts a qualitative, discursive, and multimodal approach to investigate how traditional references are recontextualized and transformed into metaphorical and narrative devices aimed at inspiring and guiding the public by making political discourse accessible, captivating, and pedagogically effective. The findings show that classical quotations function as discursive, affective, and cognitive tools bridging history, tradition, and contemporary governance, establishing political meanings, legitimizing the leadership, and contributing to the construction of its image as culturally grounded and morally authoritative. Thus, the study also highlights the interplay between cultural storytelling, emotional engagement, and ideological framing within the broader strategy of “telling China’s story well”.