Pure in character, profound in action - Wang Zhenhui's Works Collection

Author: Wang Zhenhui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Stir up a fight to escape! In any group, conflicts of personnel, emotions, and sentiments are hard to avoid. Deliberately creating chaos, feigning sincerity to probe the situation, and then sowing discord are common tactics. The human heart is indeed unpredictable, especially under the same roof, where relationships are complex, factionalism prevails, and mutual distrust abounds. The worst part is, if you are far from the power core and your connections are weaker than others, you are bound to feel threatened. Sometimes, you know someone has ill intentions toward you but can't be sure what their motives are. In such a disadvantageous position where you are constantly under attack, how to guard against hidden arrows and ensure safety indeed requires some skill.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the minister Yin Zhongkan suspected his colleague Wang Xu of frequently speaking ill of him in front of Wang Guobao, a prominent figure at court. Since Wang Xu was Guobao's cousin, this "turning inward" relationship troubled Yin Zhongkan greatly, fearing Wang Xu's hidden schemes. Therefore, he sought advice from the highly respected elder Wang Dongting. After thinking for a moment, Wang Dongting said to him, "I notice you visit Wang Xu often, sipping tea and chatting about trivial matters like 'Zhang's dog ran away' or 'Li's house was robbed.' However, the key is that when you enter his home, you should go alone, with your attendants resting outside the door. Try to create an atmosphere of mystery. After doing this a few times, suspicion and friction between the cousins will inevitably arise."
After hearing Wang Dongting's advice, Yin Zhongkan immediately felt much lighter and began to act mysteriously as instructed. After some time, Guobao could no longer contain his suspicions and summoned Wang Xu, asking, "That fellow Yin Zhongkan has been visiting you lately—what have you two been talking about?" Wang Xu's face turned pale, and he replied with a hint of helplessness, "I really don't know what he's after. We just talk about silly things like 'Old Aunt Zhang found money while washing clothes by the river' or 'Is the lychee in that neighbor's garden sweet?' It's utterly pointless, and I can't do anything about it—it's really nothing serious."
But tears of helplessness and innocence are not what Guobao believed. He felt that their "secret meetings and mysterious interactions" were far too easy, suggesting they were hiding something from him. Driven by his defensive instincts, he began to distance himself from Wang Xu and took his words with a grain of salt. Adding too much water to sugar will dilute its sweetness; an unknown substance dropped into a dessert will make one eat it cautiously, even if it's not discarded entirely. Wang Dongting used this "sowing discord" tactic, urging Yin Zhongkan to stir the pot, weakening the relationship between Guobao and Wang Xu and causing subtle changes. In this way, he cleverly saved Yin Zhongkan from trouble.
In any group, conflicts of personnel, emotions, and sentiments are hard to avoid. Sometimes, people may exchange cold glances, and relationships may come and go, but it's nothing serious. However, if it involves a life-or-death struggle for power, it's not a game. Deliberately creating chaos, feigning sincerity to probe the situation, and then sowing discord are common tactics. However, when cunning goes too far and lacks the legitimacy of purpose, it becomes an endless cycle of give-and-take with no real winner in the end.