螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 — “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind”

During the Spring and Autumn period, various feudal states frequently engaged in wars of annexation. One time, King Wu was preparing to attack the state of Chu. He summoned his ministers and announced his decision. Upon hearing this news, the ministers began to whisper among themselves, as everyone knew that the state of Wu's current strength was not robust enough. They believed Wu should conserve its resources and first make the state rich and its people strong before making other plans.

King Wu heard the ministers whispering below, seemingly in disagreement, and sternly interjected: "Stop your discussions! My decision is made, and no one shall sway me! If anyone insists on stopping me, I will not spare them!"

The ministers exchanged glances, none daring to speak a word. At that time, there was an honest young attendant in the court who, after the assembly, still felt uneasy. He thought King Wu's approach was too hasty, but he didn't know how to persuade the king to abandon the idea of attacking Chu. So, the attendant paced back and forth in King Wu's imperial garden, trying to come up with a plan. It was then that his gaze unintentionally fell upon a cicada on a tree, and he immediately had an idea.

The next day at dawn, this young attendant came again to King Wu's imperial garden. He held a slingshot and walked around under a tree. The third morning, he was there again, strolling around. The fourth and fifth mornings were the same. Someone found his behavior very strange and reported it to King Wu.

On the sixth morning, the young attendant arrived again, and King Wu also came. He asked him, "What have you been doing in this garden every morning for several days? Look, your clothes are soaked with dew. What exactly are you trying to do?" The young attendant, holding his slingshot, softly said to King Wu, "Your Majesty, please be quiet. Look up at the tree; there's a cicada happily sipping dew, completely unaware that a mantis is hiding behind it, bending its forelegs, ready to catch it!"

King Wu smiled and said, "A mantis catching a cicada, what's so strange about that?" The young attendant replied, "Your Majesty, look again. The mantis is intent on catching the cicada, but it doesn't know that behind it, an oriole is stretching its neck, wide-eyed, ready to peck at it."

King Wu said, "And what does this signify?" The young attendant loaded a clay pellet onto his slingshot, aimed at the oriole, and then said, "That oriole is so focused on the mantis that it doesn't know my slingshot is already aimed at it. The cicada, the mantis, and the oriole all only see the immediate gain before their eyes, but fail to consider the danger behind them!"

Upon hearing this, King Wu suddenly realized. He understood the young attendant's intention and canceled his plan to attack Chu.