Why are the vast majority of Chinese historical stories full of falsehoods? Because if you analyze them with a bit of logical reasoning, you'll find that many of the details simply don't hold up. For example, Kuang Heng's story of "carving a wall to borrow light"—if he was so poor that he couldn't afford candles, how could he have books to read, have time to study, and even later attend school and become an official? Under the social conditions of that time, when books were expensive and education was highly inaccessible, this clearly contradicts reality. Similarly, stories like "catching fireflies to reflect snow" or "hanging a lamp from the ceiling" and "pricking the thigh with a needle" are also filled with exaggerations and details that defy physical laws.

The reason these stories are widely circulated isn't because they are true, but because they have been deliberately crafted into motivational templates of "poor students studying hard to change their fate," used to serve the interests of the ruling class, stabilize social order, and reinforce the value of studying above all else. The Chinese historical texts and education system have always carried moral and didactic functions; history is treated as teaching material rather than an accurate record. As a result, characters are deified, details dramatized, and genuine hardships and class barriers are concealed, leaving only a few success stories magnified and replicated repeatedly.

In other words, these stories are not meant to restore history but to shape narratives of obedience and struggle, convincing ordinary people that as long as they endure hardships and study diligently, they can turn their lives around—thus maintaining social stability.