| In the Warring States period of China (475-221 B.C.),
there was a state called Qi, the king of which was very
fond of listening to the music played on the Yu, a wind
instrument. So he convened a band of more than 300 players
from his state. Everyday the band was called in to play
the Yu for his Majesty at teatime. And the king seemed
to be very satisfied with the band and the harmonies performed.
As a matter of fact, one of the players, Nan Guo, knew
nothing about the instrument. But he did manage to pass
himself off and went on well with his tricks that each
time he tried to seat himself behind and pretended to
be playing the Yu together with the others. And everything
seemed good for him. He had never been exposed.
Finally, his days were gone when the prince ascended
the throne. As the latter would enjoy solo rather than
harmony, the players were called each in to play alone
before the king. This time, as we have guessed, Nan
Guo was embarrassed to find there was no place for him
any more.
The story describes the case in which the spurious
is mixed with the genuine.
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