A Mohist arrived from the North, claiming to possess a grand strategy to save the world. Hearing of this, Jing…
A Mohist arrived from the North, claiming to possess a grand strategy to save the world. Hearing of this, Jing Yanguang lavishly invited him into his estate.
At first, the Mohist carried himself with arrogance, proposing several schemes to Guang. None were accepted, and he prepared to leave. Yanguang then made a wager: if the Mohist could recreate the legendary Deheng's Spectacle Puppet and have it run for ten days without stopping, his strategy would be adopted. The Mohist agreed and completed the work in a month. The mechanism ran for nine days without pause, but on the tenth day, when the Mohist asked for funds to repair the Yellow River canals, Yanguang laughed heartily. He led the Mohist to see the puppet; its gears had jammed, and the machine had collapsed. Bewildered, the Mohist inspected it, only to find a single wooden peg that did not fit the design. Yanguang made another wager: if the Mohist could drink a hundred jars of wine within the estate, his strategy would be accepted.
What a laughable farce! I wonder, did that Mohist manage to drain all a hundred jars?
Did Yanguang truly wish to save the world? He merely sought to present a novelty to the Emperor to regain royal favor!
Did the Emperor truly wish to save the world? Calling himself a "grandson" to the Khitans, gaining no real advantage yet recklessly provoking a war, all just to make a name in history!
Did the Mohist truly wish to save the world? The idea that clever trinkets and mechanics can save the world is unheard of!
Looking back, they were little more than liars driven by fame and profit, putting on an elaborate performance to deceive the commoners. National strategy? People's welfare? World salvation? What good does it do you? What good does it do me? It is all just a joke, like ramblings of a dream.