**[Pinyin]**
rì bù xiá jǐ
**[Meaning]**
Xia (暇): free time; Ji (给): sufficient. Describes a situation where there are so many tasks that one lacks the time to complete them all.
**[Source]**
*Book of Han·Annals of Emperor Gao, Part 2*: "Though he had no leisure even for a single day, his vision was grand and far-reaching."
**Explanation:**
Thus, although Liu Bang was so busy every day that he didn't have a moment's free time, he was still far from achieving the vast scale of governance he aspired to.
**[The Story]**
In 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu, ascended the throne, and established the Han Dynasty, historically known as Emperor Gaozu of Han.
When Liu Bang first became emperor, the territory directly governed by the imperial court consisted of only fifteen commanderies. The rest of the land was enfeoffed to meritorious feudal kings, almost restoring the fragmented, warring-state conditions of the Warring States period. However, this approach was necessary at the time; without it, he could not have secured their military support against Xiang Yu, nor gained their nominal recognition of Han imperial authority, and thus could not have achieved unity and peace.
To establish a stable environment, various rules and institutions needed to be created. The systems of the Qin Dynasty had all been abolished, and new ones had not yet been established. Therefore, Liu Bang ordered his Chancellor Xiao He to formulate a fundamental national law so that the entire country would have legal guidelines to follow. Xiao He, who had risen from a county clerk to a high minister, was familiar with local conditions. As early as when the rebel army entered the Qin capital of Xianyang, he had collected the Qin dynasty's legal codes and documents, thereby gaining knowledge of the nation's geographical features, strategic locations, and population statistics of commanderies and counties. Upon receiving the order, he formulated the *Nine Chapter Laws*, drawing on the Qin system while adapting to contemporary social conditions.
Military affairs also required regulations. Han Xin, an outstanding military strategist who had rendered great service in helping Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu, was tasked with creating military laws. Minister Zhang Cang, a renowned expert in astronomy and mathematics, was commissioned to establish systems for the calendar, measurement units (length, weight, and capacity). Liu Bang also ordered the scholar-official Shusun Tong to devise ceremonial protocols, establishing formal etiquette between sovereign and ministers so that everyone could follow set procedures.
Liu Bang had not read much as a young man and had no habit of reading after becoming emperor. Lu Jia, a Palace Attendant who loved literature and writing, often discussed the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Book of Documents* with Liu Bang. But Liu Bang was already extremely busy managing state affairs, short on time, and grew weary of such discussions. Once, he scolded Lu Jia: "I won the empire on horseback—what do the *Poetry* and *Documents* have to do with that?" Lu Jia patiently replied: "Your Majesty may have won the empire on horseback, but can you govern it from horseback? Since ancient times, wise rulers and virtuous kings have studied methods of governing. Civil administration and military might must both be valued; only then can the state be secure."
Liu Bang found Lu Jia's words reasonable and said, "Very well. Since you are learned and articulate, write down for me why the Qin Dynasty fell, how I came to win the empire, and the major events of rise and fall, success and failure throughout history." Soon, Lu Jia produced twelve essays. After reading them, Liu Bang found them highly enlightening and compiled these articles into a book titled *Xin Yu* (*New Discourses*).
Liu Bang also made a solemn covenant, ordering that the documents enfeoffing meritorious officials be written in cinnabar ink, cast into iron tablets, placed inside a metal box and a stone chamber, and then stored within the ancestral temple for permanent preservation.
Thus, although Liu Bang was so busy every day that he had not a moment's leisure, he was still far from achieving the grand scope of governance he envisioned.