It refers to the rare and valuable wisdom of consciously choosing to pretend to be ignorant or confused, especially when doing so helps to avoid conflict, maintain harmony, or achieve a more favorable outcome. It's about knowing when to overlook minor issues or feign naiveté for a greater good.
Era:
Modern
Frequency:
Story:
During the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the painter Zheng Banqiao passed the imperial examination and became the magistrate of Fanxian County in Shandong.
A widow named Zhu Yuejiao accused the wealthy man Wei of bullying her, while Wei claimed she borrowed money and refused to repay it.
Zheng Banqiao immediately understood the truth of the matter but pretended to be confused and ruled in favor of Wei, forcing Wei to compensate Zhu Yuejiao with twenty taels of silver. From then on, Zheng Banqiao earned the reputation of being a 'magistrate of rare wisdom in feigning ignorance'.