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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,…
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.19
Han Feizi tells King Zhuang of Chu’s story: three years of silence, then decisive rule. Great achievements need patience and preparation.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.18
Han Fei uses two tales: fixating on rivals scatters focus. True wisdom lies in inner harmony and adapting to circumstances.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.17
Han Feizi argues inner clarity beats external distractions. Calm the mind to grasp the world and natural laws.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.16
Han Feizi stresses following nature over forced effort. Artificial skill wastes energy; align with natural laws for true success.
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Han Feizi – Chapter 21.15
Han Fei critiques rigid book-learning. True wisdom adapts to timing, not texts; blind rejection is also folly.