Winning or losing is not about who is smarter, but who is less eager to prove that he is smart.
A conversation with the Discipline Inspection Commission, a public reply, or a bowl of cool tea can all reveal people's hearts and minds.
Reading it is like walking around a county town at night: the window lights go out one by one, and you just figure out who the chess piece is when all the lights go out, and you realize that you are also a player in the game.