Worried that monkeys won't be tamed by themselves, first lie to them and say, "I'll give you acorns, four in the morning and three at night." Is this enough? "

go back on one's word

Original text:

In the Song Dynasty, there were public servants who loved to be scouted and raised them in groups. If they can understand the meaning of being scouted, they will win the hearts of the public. This will hurt their families and satisfy their desire to be detected. If they are short of food, they will restrict food, and they will be afraid that the public will be unruly. First, they said, "Is it enough that you are in harmony with Mao?" I'm glad to hide.

Translation:

There was a man named Sui Gong in the Song Dynasty. He liked monkeys and kept them in groups. (He) can understand what the monkey means, and the monkey knows what he means. (Sui Gong) reduced the rations at home to satisfy the appetite of monkeys. Soon, there was not enough food. He planned to limit the monkeys' food intake. For fear that the monkeys would not be tamed, he lied to them and said, "Here are acorns, four in the morning and three at night." The monkeys all fell to the ground happily.

Moral:

To make a metaphor, smart people are good at using means, and stupid people are not good at distinguishing things; It is also a metaphor for capriciousness.