King Xia placed a target measuring one square foot at a distance and commanded the archer Hou Yi to shoot it. The king declared, "If you hit it, I will reward you with ten thousand taels of gold. If you miss, I will strip you of a thousand fiefs."
Gazing at the target and contemplating the immense reward and potential loss, Hou Yi found himself overwhelmed by surging emotions. A target that was ordinarily effortless for him now seemed impossibly distant. His first shot missed. His second shot missed as well. Finally, Hou Yi hung his head in dejection.