Many years ago a man conned his way into the orchestra of the Emperor of China, though he could not play an instrument or read music.
Whenever the group practiced or performed, he would just hold his flute against his lips, pretending to play, but not making a sound. For years he received a good salary and enjoyed a comfortable living. Then one day the Emperor requested a solo from each musician. The flautist got very nervous and pretended to be sick, but the royal physician wasn’t fooled. On the day of his solo performance, the imposter ingested poison and killed himself.
That’s where we get the old expression, “He refused to face the music.”