Idiom story

"During the transition period between the Sui and Tang dynasties, there lived a man named Chunyu Zun in Guangling. In his courtyard stood a large, luxuriant pagoda tree. On summer nights, when the moon was bright and stars were few, its shadow swayed gently in the cool evening breeze—a perfect place to cool off.On the day of Chunyu Zun's birthday, relatives and friends came to celebrate. Overcome with joy, he drank a little too much. When night fell and his guests had all left, he sat alone beneath the pagoda tree, slightly tipsy, enjoying the cool air. Drowsy from the wine, he soon drifted into a deep sleep.

One day, while returning from Kunshan to Heshan, King Mu heard of a man named Yan Shi, whose craftsmanship was so exquisite that the animals he created could sing and run. Finding this hard to believe, the king immediately summoned Yan Shi and said, 'I've heard you can make all kinds of ingenious devices. Show me one so I can see it for myself.'

King Goujian of Yue endured hardship and humiliation, appointing ministers Wen Zhong and Fan Li to reorganize the state. For ten years they built up their population and resources, and for another ten years they educated and trained the people, transforming the nation from weakness to strength. Finally, they defeated Wu and avenged their national humiliation. King Fuchai of Wu, defeated in battle, fled and repeatedly sought peace with Yue seven times, but Wen Zhong and Fan Li insisted on refusing. With no other choice, Fuchai tied a letter to an arrow and shot it into Fan Li's camp.

Legend has it that King Zhou, the last ruler of the Shang dynasty, was a corrupt and tyrannical monarch who indulged in extreme luxury and cruelty (see "Helping a Tyrant Do Evil"). Ji Chang, known as "Xibo" (the Chief of the Western Tribes), who later became King Wen of Zhou, was imprisoned for opposing King Zhou. He managed to secure his release only after employing many stratagems. At that time, the Zhou capital was at Qishan (present-day Qishan County, Shaanxi Province). After returning to Qishan, King Wen of Zhou resolved to overthrow the Shang dynasty.

This idiom originates from the "Records of the Grand Historian: The Account of Dayuan": "Qian went from Yuezhi to Daxia, but ultimately could not obtain the essential stance of Yuezhi."When Emperor Wu of Han first ascended the throne, defectors from the northern Xiongnu tribes all said that the Xiongnu had defeated the Yuezhi (yuezhi), used the skull of the Yuezhi king as a large wine cup, driven the Yuezhi people away, and that the Yuezhi harbored intense hatred towards the Xiongnu.

This idiom originates from the "Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin" in *Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji)*: "At midnight, troops were dispatched. Two thousand light cavalry were selected, each carrying a red flag, taking a secret mountain path to observe the Zhao army. They were instructed: 'When Zhao sees us flee, they will surely empty their camp to pursue us. Quickly enter the Zhao camp, pull down the Zhao flags, and raise the Han red flags.'"

[Interpretation] The idiom "as fierce as fire and as luxuriant as rushes" describes the grand scale and overwhelming momentum of a crowd or event.At the end of the Spring and Autumn period, King Fuchai of Wu had successively conquered the states of Yue, Lu, and Qi. Filled with ambition, he continued his advance to the northwest, intending to conquer the state of Jin in one decisive stroke.

During the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Western Han Dynasty, Han Yanhou, a native of Yan (present-day Beijing area), served as the Prefect of Dongjun (modern-day Yuncheng, Shandong). He was skilled at listening to his subordinates' advice and actively adopted good suggestions. During his three-year tenure in Dongjun, he enforced strict orders and handled cases decisively and swiftly. As a result, social customs greatly improved, making Dongjun the best-governed prefecture in the entire country at that time. Later, Han Yanhou became the Prefect of Zuo Fengyi (modern-day Dali, Shaanxi). For the first few years in office, he never made inspection tours to the local areas.

"Speaking of the term 'wine drinker' might sound sensational and seems like making a mountain out of a molehill. After all, a 'wine drinker' is simply someone who loves wine. As the 'Cihai' dictionary states, calling oneself a wine drinker implies arrogance, while calling others one often carries a derogatory meaning—this makes a lot of sense. However, from the ancient perspective, this wasn't entirely true. The famous Tang Dynasty literary figure Yuan Jie even composed a song praising wine drinkers: 'Mountains serve as wine cups, water becomes a pond; wine drinkers sit clearly arrayed on islets and islands.' When it comes to the 'High Yang Wine Drinker,' the Han Dynasty lauded his contributions to the nation and recorded a remarkable tale of achieving great things through wine!

During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Zhuang of the state of Zheng, with the support of the states of Lu and Qi, planned to launch a campaign against the state of Xu. (Xu was a small state located in present-day Xuchang City, Henan Province. Zheng was situated to the north of Xu, and its capital at the time was Xinzheng, also in modern Henan.)