郢书燕说 — “To make a far-fetched or forced interpretation”

In ancient times, a person from Ying, the capital of the Chu state, was writing a letter to the Prime Minister of the Yan state. It was evening, and the candlelight was dim. The writer told a servant holding the candle, "Raise the candle!" (举烛). Being engrossed in writing, he inadvertently jotted down these two words, "举烛," into the letter itself.

When the Yan Prime Minister received the letter, he pondered over the phrase "举烛" for a long time. Cleverly, but mistakenly, he concluded that "举烛" was an excellent metaphor. He interpreted it to mean "to advocate for enlightened and upright policies" and, consequently, "to recommend talented individuals for important positions." The Prime Minister then conveyed his understanding to the Yan King, who was also delighted.

Following the Prime Minister's interpretation of "举烛," the King selected virtuous and capable people to govern the state. Surprisingly, the Yan state was well-governed as a result.

The person from Ying had mistakenly written something, and the Yan Prime Minister had mistakenly interpreted it. Although the state ended up being well-governed, it was entirely contrary to the original intention of the writer. This incident became a classic example of making a far-fetched or forced interpretation. From this story, later generations derived the idiom "Ying Shu Yan Shuo" to describe situations where one makes a forced interpretation and distorts the original meaning.