To create a false omen or pretext to rally support for a cause; to mobilize people through calculated deception, similar to stirring up public sentiment for an uprising.
Era:
Early Modern
Frequency:
Story:
In the late Qin Dynasty, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were conscripted into the army. Due to heavy rain, their journey was delayed, leaving them with no choice but to revolt.
Before launching their uprising, Chen Sheng consulted a fortune-teller. He wrote "Chen Sheng Wang" (Chen Sheng is King) on a piece of white silk and secretly placed it inside a fish's belly. In the middle of the night, in an old temple, he used a bamboo cage to cover a bonfire and mimicked a fox crying out "Chen Sheng Wang," effectively creating an omen to build momentum.
The very next day, they initiated their revolt and established the Zhang Chu regime.