A story written to make up the numbers
The original story of "Just to Make Up the Number" was about how Mr. Nanguo, during the Warring States Period, pretended to play the yu and entered the band of King Xuan of Qi to gain reward and trust. King Xuan of Qi liked to listen to ensembles, so Mr. Nanguo could deceive him. However, after the death of King Xuan of Qi, his son, King Ni of Qi, liked to listen to solo music. In order not to be exposed, Mr. Nanguo had to escape.
A story to make up the numbers
The story originated from Qi during the Warring States Period. King Xuan of Qi liked to listen to the music of playing the yu very much, especially the music of 300 people playing the yu together. There was a man named Nanguo who did not know how to play the yu, but in order to make a living, he pretended to be an expert and asked to join the band of King Xuan of Qi. Hearing his explanation, King Xuan of Qi agreed to his request and gave him a high salary. Every time Mr. Nanguo played, he would pretend to play the yu and was never seen through. However, after the death of King Xuan of Qi, his son, King Chu of Qi, succeeded to the throne. He liked to listen to solos and asked the people who played the yu to play them for him one by one. Mister Nanguo realized that he couldn't survive, so he ran away. The story of making up the numbers tells us that it is a metaphor for people without real talent to mix in with talented people to make up the numbers, or to pass off inferior goods as good goods.
To make up the numbers
The idiom story originated from the State of Qi during the Warring States Period. At that time, King Xuan of Qi liked to listen to people playing the yu very much, especially the scene of a big concert. In order to satisfy his hobby, the court set up a band of 300 people playing the yu. The musicians received special treatment. However, there was a debauchee named Nanguo. He did not know how to play the yu, but he wanted to join the band and enjoy the treatment of the palace. He tried to see King Xuan of Qi and boasted that he was a great musician, successfully deceiving the king. Nan Guo blended in with the band, shaking his head like the others, pretending to be an expert. As the days passed, no one discovered Nan Guo's true identity. He was also rewarded by King Xuan of Qi. However, after the death of King Xuan of Qi, his son, King Chu of Qi, succeeded to the throne and liked to listen to the solo of the yu. He summoned the band one by one and asked them to play solo. When Nan Guo saw this, he was afraid that the truth would be exposed, so he quietly fled the palace. This story tells us that making up the numbers means that the incompetent pretend to be capable and pass off the inferior as the good. Nan Guo blended into the band and pretended to be an expert, winning the king's favor. However, he could no longer continue to deceive and was forced to flee the palace. This idiom reminded people that deception could not stand the test of time, and the truth would eventually come out. (The above answers are only based on the search results provided and do not represent my own views.)
Just to make up the numbers
King Xuan of Qi sent people to play the yu, and there must be 300 people. The scholar of Nanguo asked to play the yu for King Xuan of Zhou. King Xuan of Zhou was very happy and gave him hundreds of people to eat. After the death of King Xuan of Zhou, King Li of Zhou ascended the throne and listened to them one by one. Chushi fled.
Just to make up the numbers
The original text was: "When King Xuan of Qi sends people to play the yu, there must be 300 people. The scholar of Nanguo asked to play the yu for King Xuan of Zhou. King Xuan of Zhou was very happy and gave him hundreds of people to eat. After the death of King Xuan and the succession of King Wei, the Chushi fled."
A copy of the original text to make up the numbers
The original text was 'Just to Make Up the Number'.
Red cards for those who make up the numbers
Recently, the Fujian Province Department of Industry and Information Technology and other five departments issued a notice to cancel the qualification of six chemical industrial parks (concentrated areas) including the southern chemical industrial concentration area of Ninghua County. This was one of Fujian Province's measures to rectify the problems related to the chemical park notified by the Central ecological environmental protection inspector. Disqualification was a punishment for those who tried to make up the numbers, similar to a red card in a football match. To be specific, those who were just to make up the numbers referred to people who did not have real talent mixing in with those who had the ability, passing off inferior ones as good ones. The purpose of this measure was to remind people to have real talent and not to pretend to be capable people.
When should numbers be written out in a novel?
It depends on the style guide or the specific rules of the genre. Generally, numbers one through ten are written out, while larger numbers are expressed numerically.
How should numbers be presented and written in a novel?
Numbers can be written as numerals for clarity in most cases. For example, '5 people' or '10 days'. But in some literary contexts, they might be spelled out, like 'five people' or 'ten days'.
When should numbers be written out in a novel?
It depends. Usually, numbers one through ten are written out as words, and larger numbers are presented as numerals. But there are exceptions based on style guides and the context.
There are 9,000 birds in the world. The numbers on the horizontal line are written as
There are 9,000 birds in the world.