A charlatan informed the King of Yan that he could make him immortal, and the prince bade one of his subjects learn this art; but before the envoy could do so the stranger died. Then the prince, in great anger, executed his subject.
The king failed to see that the charlatan was cheating him, but taken in by his lies had the innocent envoy killed. This shows what a fool he was!
For a man values nothing more than his own life, yet this fellow could not even keep himself alive, so what could he do for the king?
Allegorical Meaning
A charlatan promises the King of Yan immortality, but dies before teaching the method. The king executes his own envoy for “learning too slowly,” oblivious to the fraud.
Delusion of Power:
Exposes how rulers (or leaders) may prioritize vanity over truth, punishing messengers for their own gullibility.
Cognitive Dissonance:
The king’s refusal to confront the scam — choosing to blame his servant instead — mirrors modern avoidance of inconvenient truths.
Systemic Folly:
Highlights how hierarchical systems often punish the weak for the failures of the strong.
Applies to corporate/governmental cultures where underlings face consequences for leaders’ poor decisions (e.g., scapegoating in crises).
Leave a Reply