众志成城 — “Unity of will forms a fortress”

During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the 12th Son of Heaven, King Jing of Zhou (Ji Gui), undertook two unpopular projects in the 21st (524 BCE) and 23rd (522 BCE) years of his reign: minting large coins and casting massive bells. The large coins were intended to replace smaller currency, aiming to consolidate the royal treasury by exploiting the common people. The bells were to be two sets of gigantic chime bells, 'Wu She' and 'Da Lin', which King Jing planned to hang and play together.

Single Mu Gong, a minister close to King Jing, strongly advised against these plans. He argued that the large coins would hinder circulation and cruelly deplete the commoners' resources. Casting the huge bells, he explained, would be a tremendous waste of labor and funds, as their excessive size would prevent any pleasant musical experience and further burden the populace, leading to disaffection and endangering the state.

However, King Jing paid no heed. The Grand Master of Music, Ling Zhoujiu, also tried to dissuade the king, emphasizing that true musical harmony requires social accord, which would be impossible amidst public resentment. He cited the folk proverb, 'Many hearts form a city wall, many mouths can melt gold,' to illustrate that what the people collectively favor is almost always realized, and what they collectively dislike is almost always abolished. Yet, King Jing remained unpersuaded.

Within three years, both the large coins were minted and the massive bells were cast. The consequence was that King Jing died of a heart ailment the following year, and the Zhou Dynasty was plunged into five years of civil unrest.