To fabricate groundless claims and intentionally misrepresent facts, confounding truth with falsehood; to deliberately call a deer a horse without any basis.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the late Qin Dynasty, the eunuch Zhao Gao, after Emperor Qin Shi Huang's death, forged an imperial edict ordering Fusu to commit suicide and establishing Hu Hai as the crown prince.
Zhao Gao also harbored ambitions to usurp the throne. He deliberately presented a deer to Qin Er Shi (Hu Hai) as a horse. Hu Hai recognized it as a deer, but Zhao Gao instructed him to ask his officials.
Some officials, intimidated by Chancellor Zhao Gao's power, unwillingly called it a deer. However, those who insisted it was a deer were later persecuted and killed by Zhao Gao.