Chapter 31 Three people become tigers

In the Warring States Period, when they attacked each other, in order to make everyone truly abide by the promise, each country usually handed over the prince to each other as a hostage. "Warring States Policy": "Wei Policy" has such a record: Pang Cong, Minister of the State of Wei, was about to accompany Crown Prince Wei to the State of Zhao as a hostage. Before leaving, he said to the King of Wei: "Now there is a person saying that there are tigers in the street market, can your majesty believe it?" Wei Wang said: "I don't believe it." Pang Cong said: "If there is a second person who says that there are tigers in the street market, can your majesty believe it?"

King Wei said, "I'm a bit skeptical." Pang Cong said again: "If there is a third person who says that there are tigers in the street market, will Your Majesty believe it?" Wei Wang said: "Of course I will believe it." Pang Cong said: "It is obvious that there will be no tigers in the market, but after three people talked about it, it seems that there are tigers. Now Handan, the capital of the State of Zhao, is far away from Daliang, the capital of the State of Wei. It’s a lot farther away, and there are more than three people talking about me. I hope your majesty will find out.”

Wei Wang said: "I know everything myself." Pang Cong accompanied the prince back to the country, but the king of Wei did not summon him again. The city is a place with a concentrated population, so of course there will be no tigers.It is obvious that there are tigers in the city, which is obviously a rumor and a deception, but many people say this, if they don’t look at the problem from the truth of things, they will often believe it. This story was originally intended to satirize King Wei Hui's ignorance, but later generations extended this story to become the idiom "Three people become a tiger", which is a metaphor for the fact that sometimes rumors can cover up the truth.For example: To judge the authenticity of a thing, one must go through careful examination and thinking, and hearsay cannot be heard.Otherwise, "three people become tigers" and sometimes mistake rumors for truth.