During the Warring States period, there was an old man named Sei Weng. He kept many horses, and one day one of the herd suddenly got lost. When the neighbors heard about this, they all came to comfort him that he need not be too anxious, and that he should pay more attention to his health as he was getting old. When Sehwong saw that he was being consoled, he smiled and said, "Losing a horse is not a big loss, and it may bring blessings."
The neighbors felt funny when they heard Sehwong's words. The loss of a horse was obviously a bad thing, but he thought it might be a good thing, obviously just self-congratulation. But after a few days, the lost horse not only came home of its own accord, but brought back a stallion.
The neighbors heard that the horse came back on its own, and admired Seyon's foresight, congratulating him, saying, "You had the foresight not only to not lose the horse, but also to bring back a good horse, which is really a blessing."
When Sei Weng heard his neighbor's congratulations, he did not look happy at all, and said worriedly, "Getting a good horse for nothing is not necessarily a blessing, but may cause some trouble."
Neighbors thought that his posturing was purely the cunning of the elderly. The heart was clearly happy, and intentionally kept it quiet.
Seon had an only son who was very fond of riding horses. He found that the horse he brought back to the long hooves, hoofs, hissing loud and clear, fat and strong steed, a look know is a good horse. He rode his horse every day, and was very pleased with himself.
One day, he was so happy that he broke his leg when he hit his horse and stumbled, falling off his horse. The neighbors heard about it and came to offer their condolences.
Seon said, "It's nothing, it's probably a blessing to have a broken leg and yet save your life." The neighbors thought he was talking nonsense again. They couldn't think of any blessing that would come from breaking a leg.
Soon the Hun soldiers invaded in force, and the youths were enlisted in the army; Seyon's son could not go as a soldier because he had broken his leg. All the youths who enlisted died in battle, and only Sehon's son preserved his life.
The old horse knows the way
Source: Han Fei Zi. Saying on the Forest"
Guan Zhong and Xi Peng, who were on a journey from Duke Huan to the Lonely Bamboo, were confused and lost their way when they went back in spring and returned in winter. Tube Zhong said: "The wisdom of the old horse is also available." He let the old horse go, and then he was able to get to the road.
Definition of "way" road. An old horse knows the way. It is a metaphor for an experienced person who is familiar with the situation and can act as a guide in a certain way.
Story In 663 B.C., Duke Huan of Qi, at the request of the state of Yan, sent troops to attack the Shanrong, which had invaded the state of Yan, and Guan Zhong, the minister of the state of Qi, and Xi Peng, the doctor of the state of Yan, went with him. The Qi army left in spring, but by the time they returned in triumph, it was already winter, and the grass and trees had changed. The army was wandering around in a valley in the high mountains and eventually lost its way and could not find its way back; although several groups of spies were sent to explore the way, they still could not figure out where to get out of the valley. As time went on, the army had difficulty in feeding itself. The situation was so critical that if we did not find a way out, the army would be trapped here. After thinking for a long time, Guan Zhong came up with an idea: since dogs can find their way back home even if they are far away from home, the horses in the army, especially the old ones, would also have the ability to recognize the way. So he said to Duke Huan of Qi, "Your Majesty, I think the old horse has the ability to recognize the road, so we can make use of it to lead the army out of the valleys." Duke Huan of Qi agreed to give it a try. Guanzhong immediately picked out a few old horses, untied their reins and let them walk freely at the front of the army. Strangely enough, these old horses all marched in one direction without hesitation. The army followed them closely, and finally they came out of the valley and found their way back to Qi.