Pure in character, profound in action: The Works of Wang Zhenhui

Author: Wang Zhenhui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Let the dogs fight, and escape easily! In any group, conflicts of personnel, emotions, and sentiments are hard to avoid. Deliberately starting a fight, feigning sincerity to probe the situation, and then sowing discord are common tactics. The human heart is difficult to fathom, especially under the same roof, where relationships are complex, factions form, and mutual distrust prevails. 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 an unfavorable 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 to 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. So, 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—just for tea, chats, and discussing trivial matters like 'Zhang's dog ran away' or 'Li's house was robbed.' However, the key is that when you enter his home, go alone, and have your attendants rest outside. Make the atmosphere as mysterious as possible. After doing this a few times, their cousins will inevitably develop some suspicion and resentment."
After hearing Wang Dongting's advice, Yin Zhongkan immediately felt much lighter. He then acted mysteriously as instructed. After some time, Guobao couldn't stand it anymore and called Wang Xu over, asking, "That fellow Yin Zhongkan has been visiting you lately—what have you been talking about?" Wang Xu's face turned pale, and he replied helplessly, "I really don't know. It's all nonsense—talk about 'Old Aunt Zhang finding money while washing clothes by the river' or 'whether the lychees in that neighbor's garden are sweet.' It's utterly pointless, and I can do nothing about it—it's really nothing serious."
But tears may be helpless and innocent, but Guobao didn't think so. He felt that their "secret meetings" were too easy—there must be something they were hiding. Driven by his instinct for self-defense, he began to Wang Xu, taking his words with a grain of salt. Adding too much water to sugar reduces sweetness; an unknown substance falling into a sweet treat makes one eat cautiously, even if the whole thing isn't discarded. Wang Dongting used this "sowing discord" tactic to have Yin Zhongkan stir the pot, weakening the relationship between Guobao and Wang Xu and causing subtle changes—cleverly saving Yin Zhongkan from trouble.
In any group, conflicts of personnel, emotions, and sentiments are hard to avoid. Sometimes, people may exchange cold glances, and friendships 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 starting fights, feigning sincerity to probe the situation, and sowing discord are common tactics. But 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 sight.