【fake tricks to show off】

 

【fake tricks to show off】

 

There is a story in "Han Feizi":

 

During the Warring States Period, King Xuan of Qi (齊宣王) liked to listen to the Yu ensemble,

so he had more than 300 musicians to play together every time.

There was a Mr. Nanguo (南郭先生) who, although he could not play the Yu, knew about King Xuan of Qi's hobby,

 

so he asked King Xuan of Qi to let him join the band, and King Xuan happily agreed.

 

Whenever many musicians were playing together, Mr. Nan Guo would blend in with the hundreds of Yu players and pretend to be playing.

 

No one would find out the truth, and he would get very good treatment.

 

After the death of King Xuan, King Min (齊湣王) succeeded to the throne.

 

Although King Min also liked the sound of Yu playing, what he liked was solo performance, so he ordered the musicians to perform in turn.

 

Mr. Nanguo got the news and knew that he could no longer get away with it, so he had to escape from the palace.

 

Later, this story was condensed into the phrase "fake tricks to show off",

 

which is used to describe people who have no real talent and knowledge,

 

but mix among experts to show off, or to use bad things to show off.

 

Sometimes it is also used as a self-effacing statement to describe one's own lack of talent and virtue.