To change one's approach, method, or direction; to alter one's course of action or plan.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
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Story:
During the Western Han Dynasty, the notoriously cruel official Zhang Tang, while serving as a censor, often implicated and executed many people in his cases, eventually being forced to commit suicide himself over a particular incident.
However, Zhang Tang's son, Zhang Anshi, was known for his integrity and prudence in applying the law. He earned the trust and respect of Emperors Wu, Zhao, and Xuan. The Song Dynasty scholar Wang Mao later commented that Zhang Anshi, by changing his approach 'as if changing strings on an instrument and altering the tracks of a cart,' saved his family from their previous misfortune.