I used to wonder: what was it like to be one of the courtiers who survived the test? Did they consciously think, "Well, I don't know _why_ Zhao Gao is calling this deer a horse, but he seems serious, so I'd better play along, too"—or did they trust Zhao Gao's words more than their own eyes, and manage to really believe themselves that it was a horse?
I used to wonder: what was it like to be one of the courtiers who survived the test? Did they consciously think, "Well, I don't know _why_ Zhao Gao is calling this deer a horse, but he seems serious, so I'd better play along, too"—or did they trust Zhao Gao's words more than their own eyes, and manage to really believe themselves that it was a horse?