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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.22
Han Fei tells King Wen gave a jade tablet to Shang’s corrupt Fei Zhong, not the virtuous Jiao Ge, to weaken Shang. True wisdom is subtle statecraft.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.21
Han Fei tells Zixia’s story: inner struggle between virtue and wealth. True strength lies in conquering oneself.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.20
Han Feizi tells King Zhuang planned to attack Yue. Du Zi warned: see your own flaws first. Self-awareness is true wisdom.
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Yī Gǔ Zuò Qì (一鼓作气)
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 一鼓作气 Pinyin: yī gǔ zuò qì Literal Meaning: Rally courage at the first beat of the war drum; Using the first drumroll to raise morale and launch an attack Figurative Meaning: Press ahead and finish a task in one go while enthusiasm and energy are at their peak. Cultural Background…
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Yī Míng Jīng Rén (一鸣惊人)
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 一鸣惊人 Pinyin: yī míng jīng rén Literal Meaning: Its single cry stuns everyone. Figurative Meaning: Someone who stays obscure for a long time suddenly achieves remarkable success and amazes others. Cultural Background This is a classic inspirational Chinese idiom with two recorded ancient sources. It tells the story of a…
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Zhǔ Dòu Rán Qí (煮豆燃萁)
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 煮豆燃萁 Pinyin: zhǔ dòu rán qí Literal Meaning: Boil beans with bean stalks as fuel. Figurative Meaning: Brothers or close kin attack and harm one another. Cultural Background This idiom comes from a well-known story of the Cao brothers during the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Pi (曹丕), the new emperor,…