Once upon a time, there was a man named King Zhuang of Chu who inherited the throne of the Chu State. However, when he first ascended the throne, he did not actively govern the state as everyone expected. Instead, he spent all day feasting and having fun, and even issued an order: anyone who dared to remonstrate with him would be sentenced to death.
The ministers were very worried when they saw King Zhuang of Chu like this, but they dared not violate his order to remonstrate. In this way, a lazy atmosphere pervaded the court of the Chu State, and the development of the state also stagnated.
There was a very clever minister named Wu Ju. He came up with a way to remonstrate with King Zhuang of Chu without breaking the order. One day, he went to see King Zhuang of Chu and said to him, "Your Majesty, I have a riddle for you to guess. There is a bird on the mountain in our Chu State. It is covered with colorful feathers and is very beautiful. But it has stayed on the mountain for three years, neither flying nor chirping. Your Majesty, what kind of bird do you think this is?" King Zhuang of Chu understood what Wu Ju meant in his heart, and he replied with a smile, "This is no ordinary bird. This bird, if it doesn't fly, then it's all right; once it flies, it will soar into the sky; if it doesn't sing, then it's all right; once it sings, it will astonish everyone."
After that, King Zhuang of Chu still feasted and had fun as before, but in fact, he was secretly observing the ministers in the court to see which ones were truly talented and which ones were only good at flattering. After some more time passed, King Zhuang of Chu began to put those talented ministers in important positions and carried out a series of reforms. He reorganized the army and developed agriculture, making the national strength of the Chu State become stronger and stronger.
Under the meticulous governance of King Zhuang of Chu, the Chu State continuously expanded its territory outward and defeated many neighboring countries. Under his leadership, the Chu State became a powerful state during the Spring and Autumn Period, and King Zhuang of Chu was also respected by people for his great talent and bold vision. He was like that divine bird that didn't fly or sing at first, but later soared into the sky and astonished everyone, achieving great ambitions.
