Wong Tai Sin Oracle

Sign 77

Wong Tai Sin Sign 77 · Gong Yechang's False Accusation

公冶長受劫

AverageStick #77 meaning
OverviewWong Tai Sin Sign 77
Name
Gong Yechang's False Accusation
Grade
Average
Use
Start with the poem and story, then choose the life topic that matches your question.
Read the six summaries

Gong ye was the man who could the birds' language understand; A bird from the Southern Hill said a tiger had killed a lamb.

He took the dead lamb home but was accused of burglary.

Shamefully he was put to jail though he was not guilty.

WONG TAI SIN
Traditional fortune poem
Story

Gong Yechang's False Accusation

Gong Yechang was a scholar from Confucius's era, famous for understanding bird language. The story goes that a bird told him about a dead sheep on Southern Hill, killed by a tiger. Being honest, Gong retrieved the carcass to prevent waste. But when villagers saw him with the dead animal, they assumed he'd stolen it and had him arrested. Even his special ability became a liability—people thought his 'bird language' claims were just elaborate lies to cover theft. Confucius himself believed in Gong's innocence and even arranged for his daughter to marry him after his release. The tale became a classic example of how good intentions can be twisted by suspicious minds, and how being different or gifted sometimes makes you an easy target for blame.

Six Short Readings