"Zeng Shen Kills a Man" comes from Strategies of the Warring States: Strategies of Qin II, and tells a story about the fearsome power of rumor. Zeng Shen was a disciple of Confucius, renowned for his virtue. Once, a man with the same name killed someone, and someone came running to tell Zeng Shen's mother, "Zeng Shen has killed a man!" At first, Zeng's mother did not believe it, saying, "My son would not kill anyone." She continued weaving. Before long, another person came and said the same thing, and still Zeng's mother did not believe it. When a third person came and said the same thing, Zeng's mother finally became afraid, threw down her loom, climbed over the wall, and fled. This story profoundly reveals the terrifying power of rumor: even a mother with firm trust in her own son can waver when a rumor is repeated by many people. The idiom "Zeng Shen Kills a Man" is therefore used to describe how a rumor repeated many times can make people believe it to be true, emphasizing that gossip is fearsome and that people's words are fearsome. In terms of usage, it is mostly used to describe the power of rumor as it spreads, or to remind people not to readily believe hearsay. Its emotional tone carries both warning and helplessness, criticizing the harm of rumor while also reflecting the fragility of human nature under group pressure. In terms of cultural background, it embodies the Confucian emphasis on trustworthiness and the profound awareness of the power of public opinion in ancient society.
📝 Example
1. In the internet age, the phenomenon of "Zeng Shen committing murder" is commonplace—a piece of false information, after being forwarded many times, can ruin an innocent person's reputation. (A metaphor meaning that a rumor repeated many times will be believed as truth.)
2. Although he is a man of integrity, faced with rumors like "Zeng Shen committing murder," he had no choice but to step forward and clarify. (Describing how terrifying rumors and public opinion can be.)