Posted 2016/12/1
A fish jumping to Jiang Taigong's hookless and baitless line—a willing victim
姜太公钓鱼——愿者上钩
In the first years of the Zhou Dynasty, a hermit, Jiang Ziya, was often seen fishing in the River Wei in Shaanxi Province. What was peculiar about him was that his line was hookless and baitless, for he was simply waiting to be invited to take an official post. This ambition was finally realized in his old age, and he was respectfully addressed as Jiang Taigong (Taigong literally means great-grandfather).
This saying refers to someone who willingly plays into other people's hands and, more often than not, becomes a victim.
