牝牡骊黄 — “Female, male, black, yellow”

During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Mu of Qin (Qin Mugong) often relied on the famous horse expert Sun Yang, known as Bo Le, to select excellent horses. As Bo Le grew old, Duke Mu asked him if he had a successor. Bo Le recommended a man named Jiu Fang Gao.

Jiu Fang Gao went out to search for a magnificent steed, and after three months, he returned, reporting that he had found a horse in Shaqiu. He described it as a yellow mare. However, when the Duke's attendants went to retrieve the horse, they found it was a pure black stallion.

Duke Mu was displeased and questioned Bo Le about Jiu Fang Gao's apparent mistake. Bo Le, however, smiled and explained, 'Jiu Fang Gao's ability to appraise horses has reached an extraordinary level. What he observed was the spirit and true essence of the horse, not its superficial color or gender. He grasped its intrinsic quality, which is far more important than its outward appearance.'

Indeed, when the horse was brought back, it proved to be an exceptionally fine steed. This story illustrates that true discernment focuses on the essential nature, not the 'female, male, black, yellow' (牝牡骊黄) or superficial characteristics.