To adjust one's actions or opinions according to prevailing circumstances, often implying opportunism or a lack of firm principles; to trim one's sails to the wind; to be flexible and adaptable, sometimes to the point of being unprincipled.
Era:
Early Modern
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Story:
During the Qing Dynasty, Liu Zhongcheng, a high-ranking official from Zhejiang province, was accused by an imperial censor. The imperial court dispatched a special envoy to investigate the case.
Upon arriving in Zhejiang, the envoy adopted a strategy of 'drawing the bow but not releasing the arrow,' intending to subtly prompt Liu Zhongcheng to offer a bribe. The envoy's student, Lada, informed Governor Dao Tai that two million taels of silver would be enough to resolve the matter.
Governor Dao Tai then wrote an IOU for Lada and reported the situation to Liu Zhongcheng, who then advised him to 'trim his sails to the wind,' meaning to observe the situation and act accordingly.