Ping Gong of Jin ordered someone to make a stringed musical instrument. The strings1 of the instrument were of the same size, with no difference between the small strings and the large string. After the instrument was made. Ping Gong of Jin asked Shi Kuang, an official in charge of music, to tune2 the instrument. Shi Kuang spent a whole day doing it, but failed to tune out a melody.
Ping Gong blamed Shi Kuang for his incompetence3. Shi Kuang explained: "The large string of a musical instrument is like the king of a state, and the small strings are like his subordinates. The large string and the small strings have their own functions. Only by coordinating4 with one another can they compose temperament5, and only by being o
