Han Feizi tells Qin Xiba freed a fawn out of compassion. Though dismissed, he later won trust as tutor: sincerity beats cunning.
Confucius said, “There are three kinds of beneficial friends and three kinds of harmful friends. Friendship with the upright, friendship with the trustworthy, and friendship with the well-informed – these are beneficial. Friendship with the fawning, friendship with the insincerely agreeable, and friendship with the glibly eloquent – these are harmful.”
The Master said, “The noble person cannot be fully known through small matters, yet can be entrusted with great responsibilities; the petty person cannot be entrusted with great responsibilities, yet can be understood through small matters.”
In Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Gong’s fate stands as one of the most poignant and instructive tragedies. A man of intelligence, loyalty, and moral integrity, Chen Gong ultimately met his end not through cowardice or incompetence, but due to a series of fateful misjudgments. His life offers profound lessons on…