Shudan Guan

In the Warring State Period, King Xuan of the state Qi loved ensemble performances of yú and formed a performance team with three hundred yú musicians. A man called Nan Guo joined the team although he didn’t know how to play yú. During the performance, he pretended to play as if he were the most engaging and professional performer. After King Xuan passed away, his heir King Min dismissed the team because he preferred listening to one performer each time. Therefore, Nan Guo could not play tricks and had to leave the team. [Annotation]滥: Disqualified, fake. 竽: An ancient wind instrument. 充: Replace. [Definition] Refers to disqualified people hiding among a group of experts. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

There was a great scholar, Guo Xiang in the Jin dynasty, who studied both Lao Zi's and Zhuang Zi's theories deeply. Since he was knowledgeable, expressive, and had thoughts on many complicated questions or problems, another scholar Wang Yan praised him and said: “Listening to Guo Xiang is like watching an endless river fall down from the cliff.” [Annotation]若: Like, as if. 悬河: The state of a river falling. [Definition] Refer to talkativeness and eloquence. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

There was a stalwart official called Shi Que during the Spring and Autumn Period. His son Shi Hou helped Prince Zhou Yu assassinate the current emperor of the State Wei and raised Zhou Yu to be the next governor. Their ruthlessness aroused the public’s anger, including Shi Que. Thereby, Shi Que cooperated with the emperor of the State Chen to arrest and execute the two murderers. People all praised Shi Que’s attitude. [Annotation] 义: Righteousness. 亲: Relatives. [Definition] Punish the relatives for their illegal behaviours to preserve the country's benefit. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

A man called Cui Lin was looked down upon by his relatives in his youth because he had neither fames nor achievements, but his cousin Cui Yan often told people, “It takes a long time for a great man to show his talents, and Cui Lin must belong to this kind.” Later, Cui Lin became an important official and served Cao Pi*. [Annotation] 器: Talents and wisdom. Cao Pi: Courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. [Definition] The best fruits are slowest in ripening. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Zhuang Zi, a famous philosopher in the Spring and Autumn Period, debated with another philosopher at the same period called Hui Zi. They stood on a bridge and Zhuang Zi pointed at fish in the river and said: “See how smoothly the fish swim, this is the joy of fish.” Hui Zi responded, “How do you know the joy of fish if you are not a fish?” Zhuang Zi said: “How do you know I do not know the joy of fish if you are not me?” His friend said: “I do not know you know the joy of fish because I am not you, so you do not know the joy of fish because you are not fish. Over.” The man says: “Please trace the origin. You already knew me know the joy of fish when ask me ‘how do you know the joy of fish’, and I know it on the bridge.” [Definition] Refer to the state of calm and peace. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Meng Zi was a wise thinker and educationalist in the Spring and Autumn Period. Once he replayed to his students’ inquiries, “Kylin and normal quadrupeds are in the same category, so as phoenix and birds and the great man and the public. However, Kong Zi is the most superior among the group of the great man, so nobody can be greater than him.” [Annotation] 出: Exceed, superior. 类: The same group/category. 萃: Gather. [Definition] Refers to someone’s morality and intelligence exceeding most people. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

A scholar called Tao Zongyi in the Yuan Dynasty failed the imperial examination, but he did not feel depressed and continued studying hard. He always read during the break from working in the field. Since there was no paper in the field, he wrote down his thoughts on leaves and collected them in a jar at home. He had filled up over ten jars after a decade. People wondered why, and he said: “Study must be done persistently.” Later, he edited a popular book, Nan Cun Chuo Geng Lu, based on the leaves he had collected. [Annotation] 持: Continue. 恒: Determination. Nan Cun Chuo Geng Lu: A note-based novel that includes historical events, antidotes, traditions, and laws of the Yuan dynasty. [Definition] Refers to continue doing something with a strong determination. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Confucius once told his students, “When I’m teaching, I won’t entail the truth to students until they are drawn crazily by thinking of it; nor would I help until they desperately want to express themselves. If my students cannot infer the other three bearings of a wall when I point out one bearing, I’ll stop teaching them.” [Annotation] 反: Infer. [Definition] Refer to the skill of making analogies in learning. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

In the East Jin period, Fu Jian, the King of Qian Qin, led a military with a million soldiers to attack the East Jin, whereas the East Jin only had eighty thousand soldiers. Xie An, the general of the East Jin, came up with an idea. Firstly, he asked people to spread rumours that the army of the East Jin had shortages of supplies and soldiers. After knowing that, Fu Jian judged that his enemy may escape, so he picked eight thousand outstanding soldiers and headed to the headquarters of the East Jin. Meanwhile, the remaining troops suffered a surprise attack from Xie An, causing 15,000 casualties. Fu Jian was shocked when he heard the news, so he decided to return. When Fu Jian reached a river, he saw many military ships with soldiers guarding, as he looked further at the Ba Gong Mountain, grasses and trees were blown by the wind, which seemed like soldiers in training. Fu Jian said terrifyingly, “Who said the East Jin had no soldiers? It’s a strong army!” [Annotation] 皆: All. [Definition] Refers to people making wrong judgements/losing their minds when they are in a panic. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Bao Shuya and Guan Zhong have been close friends since their youth. Bao Shuya understood Guan Zhong’s intelligence very well and supported him unconditionally. When they were doing business together, Guan Zhong always gained more interest despite Bao Shuya providing most of the funding, which Bao Shuya explained was because Guan Zhong needed to take care of his old mother. During their time serving the State Qi, Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya worked for two heirs of the state separately, and Guan Zhong had attempted to assassin Xiao Bai the heir that Bao Shuya was serving. However, Guan Zhong didn’t succeed, and Xiao Bai finally hired the state. When Xiao Bai wanted to execute Guan Zhong, Bao Shuya argued that Guan Zhong was a wise man and recommended him to be the prime minister. Guan Zhong conducted a series of revolutions in State Qi after he became the prime minister. Later in his life, Guan Zhong always felt graceful about having Bao Shuya as his friend. [Annotation] 管: Guan Zhong. 鲍: Bao Shuya. [Definition] Refers to a true and solid friendship between two people.

Lu Ban was an exceptional craftsman who was famous for sharpening wooden handicrafts with axes. A poet in the Ming Dynasty judged people who wrote poems near one of the greatest poets, Li Po’s gravestone as “Showing off his ability to use axes in front of Lu Ban’s house”. [Annotation] 班: Lu Ban. [Definition] Showing off one’s knowledge/skill to experts in this field. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Lao Zi, one of the great ancient philosophers in China proposed a utopia in his opinion: a small country with a small population, where people don’t need to travel far on carriages or ships; there’s no war so people need not sacrifice themselves; people work on the field they like, lives comfortably, happily, and safely. This country is close to neighbouring countries but does not interact with them. [Annotation] 安居: Live safely and comfortably. 乐业: Work happily. [Definition] Refers to a condition that people all live safely and comfortably, working in the field they like. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

In the late East Han Dynasty, Liu Bei was searching for a statesman who could help him establish his country. He heard that Zhu Geliang in Wolonggang was wise, so he paid a visit, aiming to recruit Zhu Geliang. However, Liu Bei was told that Zhu Geliang wasn’t home in the first two times of his visit to Zhu Geliang’s thatched house, and in the third time, Zhu Geliang was sleeping. Liu Bei waited outside his room for half a day. Zhu Geliang was touched by his persistence and agreed to help him. With the help of Zhu Geliang, Liubei established the Kindom of Shu. [Definition] 顾: Visit. 茅庐: A thatched house. [Annotation] It means to invite someone with great sincerity. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

Once upon a time, there was an old man in the frontier fort called Sai Weng. Sai Weng lost a horse one day, and people all came to comfort him, yet he said: “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Later, the horse brought back another good horse. People were all happy for him, but he said: “It might not be a good thing.” One day, his son fell on the ground when riding that good horse, he said to people, “Perhaps it’s a good thing.” Later a war occurred, yet Sai Weng’s son wasn’t selected by the army because of his disability, and he lived through the war. [Annotation] 塞: Frontier fort. 翁: Old man. [Definition] The old man lost his horse, but it turned out for the best. How does he know whether it is a fortitude or not? * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com

In his last words, Cao Cao wrote to his children, “My wives are hard-working and diligent, buried them in Tongquetai after their death, placing six-feet beds in the middle of it and put hangings around the beds. Serve them food every day and night; give performances on every first and the fifth day of the month. You should visit Tongquetai from time to time and watch my graveyard in Xiling. Use not the remaining of my incenses for ceremonies, keep them to my wives. My wives can learn to make shoes and cloth belts in their spare time for making a living.” [Annotation]香: Incense. 履: Shoes. [Definition] Refers to someone who still considers his family in his last moment. * If you are interested in Chinese folk tales or ghost stories, have a look at: https://chinesestoriesfolktales.quora.com