When the Qi King sent a large army to invade the Song Kingdom, the news reached the arrogant King Song Kang. He didn’t believe the report and sent a scout to verify the whereabouts of the Qi army.
The beginning of King Song Kang’s denial
Soon, the scout returned, reporting: “The Qi army has crossed the border and is invading our country. The entire nation is in turmoil.”
The king’s advisors, however, reassured him, saying: “This is just like the saying: ‘Rotten meat breeds maggots.’ Given Song’s strength and Qi’s weakness, this cannot be true.” Angered, King Song Kang executed the scout and sent another to gather information. The second scout returned with the same news and met the same fate. This happened three times before a fourth scout was sent out.
A fearful truth
At that time, the Qi army had already approached the Song capital, and the people were genuinely frightened. On his way, the fourth scout encountered his brother, who asked: “The country is in grave danger. Where are you going?”
The scout replied: “I am going to report on the Qi army’s movements for King Song Kang. The Qi army is already close to the capital, and the people are terrified. I fear that if I report the truth, I will be killed like the three scouts before me. If I lie, I will also be killed. What should I do?”
His brother thought for a moment and said: “If telling the truth will get you killed, then it is better to tell him what he wants to hear.” So the scout returned and reported to King Song Kang: “I did not see any sign of the Qi army. The people are calm and stable.”
The king’s fatal error
Hearing this, King Song Kang was pleased. His advisors said: “It seems you did not wrongly execute the previous scouts.” The king then rewarded the scout with a large sum of money.
As the Qi army marched unhindered and captured the Song capital, King Song Kang finally realized his mistake. He hastily fled for his life, and the Song Kingdom fell. The scout, using the reward from King Song Kang, relocated to another country and lived a wealthy life.
This episode illustrates how rash decisions and listening only to pleasing words led to King Song Kang’s downfall. Even today, we can see echoes of his arrogance, egotism, and disregard for others in some leaders.
The danger of ignoring unpleasant truths
King Song Kang’s fatal mistake was his refusal to acknowledge the reality of the situation. His insistence on hearing only what he wanted created an environment where truth was suppressed, and sycophancy thrived.
The king’s harsh punishment of honest scouts discouraged others from reporting the truth. This not only isolated him from reality, but also led to disastrous decisions based on false information.
Learning from history
The story of King Song Kang serves as a timeless reminder that leaders must value honesty and be willing to listen to unpleasant truths. Surrounding oneself with yes-men can lead to severe consequences, as shown by the fall of the Song Kingdom.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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