Interpretation of vernacular:

There was a businessman in the State of Chu who sold jewelry in the State of Zheng. He carved a pearl box with precious Mulan, smoked it with spices made of cinnamon pepper, decorated it with precious stones and jewels, decorated it with beautiful jade, and joined it with jade. A man of Zheng bought a box, but returned the beads in the box to him. It can be said that this jeweler is good at selling boxes, but not at selling jewelry.

This article is from Han Feizi, written by Han Feizi during the Warring States Period.

Extended data writing background:

Han Feizi criticized Chu people for "selling bamboo slips but not pearls", but did not accuse Zheng people of "buying bamboo slips and returning pearls" at all. However, the current idioms and their definitions have turned the criticism of Chu people's pearls in the original book into the criticism of Zheng people's buying pearls and returning them. Inverted the original meaning that everything is wrong.

See what Han Feizi allegorized with this story (and the story of Bai Qin marrying his daughter). The original works criticized the pragmatism of scholars with grandiose arguments, but did not accuse readers of appreciating the literary talent of their poems. However, the current idioms and their definitions have turned the original criticism of scholars' writings into criticism of the audience's improper choice, which is obviously completely contrary to the original intention.

The representative work of the legalist school, * * * 20 volumes. Han Fei (about 280 ~ 233 BC), later known as Han Feizi or Zi Han, was a son of Korea during the Warring States Period. In Xunzi, he and Li Si both like the study of the name of punishment and magic, and they are the representatives of Legalism. The book consists of fifty-five independent essays, most of which are from Han Fei. Except for a few articles, the title of each article shows the main idea of the article.

The core of his theory is the combination of law, technique and potential based on absolute monarchy. He upholds the evolutionary view of history, advocates extreme utilitarianism, thinks that interests are the main concern among people, supplemented by benevolent education, and emphasizes the rule of law and employment, which has a great influence on the establishment of China's feudal social system after Qin and Han Dynasties.

This book is unique among the pre-Qin philosophers, with sharp thoughts, sharp words, strict logic and good use of fables. After sorting out its fables, it was compiled into various fables such as Inside and Outside Stories, Forest Stories, Yu Lao and Shi Guo.