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举棋不定 (ju3 ti2 bu2 ding4) Two minds' folly
February 15, 2009, Sunday
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IN a game of chess, more often than not you will see a player holding a piece mid-air, hesitant about where to place it on the board. There is a Chinese saying describing this, ju3 ti2 bu2 ding4 or "holding a chess piece and hesitating." This phrase was first quoted by a politician more than 2,500 years ago.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Duke Xian of the State of Wei was an arrogant and imperious ruler, who was hated by most of his aides. In 559 BC, Ning Huizi and Sun Wenzi, two of the court's most prominent officials, staged a coup and forced the duke into exile.
With their monopoly of power, Ning and Sun installed a young puppet ruler. Several years later, when lying on his deathbed, Ning had a second thought about the coup and asked his son, who had already been promoted to a high position in the court, to help reinstate Duke Xian.
After Ning died, the deposed duke sent an envoy to see his son. The envoy told the young Ning that the old duke promised to offer him the post of prime minister in the court after his reinstatement and let him take control of all state affairs.
When word spread that the young Ning intended to call back Duke Xian, many colleagues warned him against doing so.
One official said that many years of exile had failed to change the old duke and he remained an arrogant and imperious man. In addition, he probably would not forgive the Ning family for plotting the coup that dethroned him.
"First, your father opposed the duke and now you want to reinstate him. This is like a chess player holding a piece and not knowing the next move. You'd better forget such a plan," he told the young Ning.
Unfortunately, the young Ning was not convinced. He wanted to carry out his father's will and get the position of prime minister as promised by the old duke. So, he killed the young puppet ruler and the family of Sun, who joined his father in the coup.
Just as predicted by his colleagues, the return of Duke Xian to the throne only led to the ruin of Ning's career and his family.
Today, few people remember the name of that wise, prophetical official, but his phrase about a hesitating chess player has become a popular idiom to describe anyone who is in two minds.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), Duke Xian of the State of Wei was an arrogant and imperious ruler, who was hated by most of his aides. In 559 BC, Ning Huizi and Sun Wenzi, two of the court's most prominent officials, staged a coup and forced the duke into exile.
With their monopoly of power, Ning and Sun installed a young puppet ruler. Several years later, when lying on his deathbed, Ning had a second thought about the coup and asked his son, who had already been promoted to a high position in the court, to help reinstate Duke Xian.
After Ning died, the deposed duke sent an envoy to see his son. The envoy told the young Ning that the old duke promised to offer him the post of prime minister in the court after his reinstatement and let him take control of all state affairs.
When word spread that the young Ning intended to call back Duke Xian, many colleagues warned him against doing so.
One official said that many years of exile had failed to change the old duke and he remained an arrogant and imperious man. In addition, he probably would not forgive the Ning family for plotting the coup that dethroned him.
"First, your father opposed the duke and now you want to reinstate him. This is like a chess player holding a piece and not knowing the next move. You'd better forget such a plan," he told the young Ning.
Unfortunately, the young Ning was not convinced. He wanted to carry out his father's will and get the position of prime minister as promised by the old duke. So, he killed the young puppet ruler and the family of Sun, who joined his father in the coup.
Just as predicted by his colleagues, the return of Duke Xian to the throne only led to the ruin of Ning's career and his family.
Today, few people remember the name of that wise, prophetical official, but his phrase about a hesitating chess player has become a popular idiom to describe anyone who is in two minds.
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