Idiom story

Bai Qi, a renowned general of the Qin state, led his troops to attack the state of Wei. A strategist named Su Li, upon learning of this, hurried to see the king of the Zhou dynasty and warned him: "If Wei is conquered by the Qin army, your own position will be in danger." At that time, the Zhou king was nominally the Son of Heaven, but in reality, he had lost all authority over the feudal states.

At the end of the Southern Dynasties, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, conquered the neighboring states of Southern Chen and Northern Qi, establishing the Sui Dynasty. At that time, several small states coexisted in southern China, one of which was the Chen Kingdom, whose capital was Jiankang (present-day Nanjing). The Sui Dynasty had long coveted these southern states and was always prepared to unify the entire country.

This idiom appears in the "Records of the Grand Historian: Biographies of Wei Qi and Marquis Wu'an": "After Marquis Wu'an had finished court, he exited to the Zhi Che Gate, summoned Grandee of the Imperial Censors Han An'guo to ride in his carriage, and angrily said, 'Having worked with Changru to deal with this old bald man, why are you hesitating between two courses of action?'"

Lu Ban (also known as Gongshu Ban or Lu Ban), was said to be a native of the State of Lu during the Warring States period. He was a master craftsman renowned for his skill in making intricate tools and was known as the "ingenious man." Folk tradition has long revered him as the founding ancestor of carpenters. Who would dare show off their axe skills in front of Lu Ban? Thus, attempting to display one's abilities in front of a true master—a presumptuous and ridiculous act—is called "wielding an axe before Lu Ban's door," shortened to "Banmen Nongfu" (showing off before an expert). It carries a similar meaning to the common saying, "waving a broadsword before Guan Gong" (Guan Yu, the martial deity).

During the Warring States period, there was a noble scholar in the State of Qi named Yan Chu. King Xuan of Qi, having heard of his reputation, summoned him to the palace. Yan Chu walked casually into the palace and stopped at the steps before the hall, seeing that the king was waiting for him to come forward and pay his respects. He halted, refusing to advance further. The king, finding this strange, called out, "Yan Chu, come here!" But to his surprise, Yan Chu did not move an inch and instead called back, "Your Majesty, please come here!" King Xuan was displeased. His ministers, seeing Yan Chu's apparent disrespect and bold words, exclaimed, "The king is the sovereign; you are a subject.

In the second year of Jingkang, during the reign of Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty (1127 AD), the Jurchen (Jin) army marched southward, sweeping through undefended territories and swiftly capturing Bianliang (present-day Kaifeng, Henan), taking Emperors Huizong and Qinzong captive. This event is historically known as the "Humiliation of Jingkang." Following this catastrophe, Zhao Gou, younger brother of Emperor Qinzong (Zhao Huan), ascended the throne in Ying天府 (present-day Shangqiu, Henan) with the help of his ministers, establishing the Southern Song Dynasty. Later, the capital was moved to Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). The regime merely clung to survival, accepting all unreasonable demands from the Jurchen without resistance. By the time of Emperor Lizong, the appointment of the treacherous minister Jia Sidao as chancellor further plunged the court into chaos.

During the Warring States period, Bian Que was a renowned physician from the state of Qi, originally named Qin Yueren. Because he saved many people who were on the brink of death, people at the time began calling him "Bian Que"—the legendary divine physician from the era of the Yellow Emperor—instead of using his real name. Legend has it that Bian Que once received immortal medicine and secret prescriptions, enabling him to diagnose patients through walls and clearly see the internal organs and exact locations of diseases within their bodies.

After Emperor Taizong of Song ascended the throne, fully aware of the hardships of founding a dynasty, he lived a very frugal life. He even banned the use of gold and silver as decorations in the imperial palace. He deeply empathized with the people's sufferings and always considered their well-being and the stability of the state.

In 74 BC, Emperor Zhao of Han, Liu Fuling, died. Having no heir, Huo Guang, who held great power in the imperial court, installed Liu Xun, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu, as the new emperor—this was Emperor Xuan of Han.

During the Warring States period, when King Min of Qi was ruling, the states of Yan and Qin, among others, formed an alliance to attack Qi. The Yan general Yue Yi led his troops into Linzi, the capital of Qi, forcing King Min of Qi to flee to the state of Wei. The state of Chu sent its general Nao Chi to lead troops to "aid" Qi. In reality, Chu had no intention of genuinely helping Qi. Instead, Nao Chi killed King Min of Qi and divided Qi's territory and treasures with Yan. It was only after Tian Dan inflicted a crushing defeat on the Yan army that Qi was able to reclaim its lost territories.