In 189 AD, Dong Zhuo, the Governor of Bing Province, accepted the invitation of He Jin and Yuan Shao, and marched from Chang’an to Luoyang to eliminate the powerful eunuch faction known as the Ten Attendants. He Jin and Yuan Shao had schemed meticulously, intending to use Dong Zhuo as a tiger to devour…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 患难与共Pinyin: huàn nàn yǔ gòngLiteral Meaning: Share hardships and misfortunes together.Figurative Meaning: Stand side by side through all troubles, disasters and difficult times, bearing hardships jointly with another person or group. Cultural Background This idiom embodies the virtue of loyal companionship in Chinese culture. Its source sentence creates a sharp…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 兔死狗烹Pinyin: tù sǐ gǒu pēngLiteral Meaning: After all hares are hunted down, the hunting hounds are boiled and eaten.Figurative Meaning: Once a goal is accomplished, those who were used to achieve it are abandoned or even eliminated. It mainly refers to persecuting loyal and meritorious people. Cultural Background This idiom…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 鸟尽弓藏Pinyin: niǎo jìn gōng cángLiteral Meaning: When all birds are gone, the bows are put away.Figurative Meaning: Abandon or betray those who have offered help once the goal is achieved. Historically, it particularly referred to rulers dismissing or even killing meritorious officials after seizing power. Cultural Background This idiom is…
Han Feizi tells Zeng Congzi offered to assassinate the King of Wu for gain. The Lord of Wei saw his motive and drove him away.
This article tells the turbulent rise and fall of the Later Jin and the expansion of the Liao. It covers Shi Jingtang’s betrayal by becoming Liao’s “Son-Emperor” and ceding the Sixteen Prefectures. It also records Emperor Yelu Deguang’s invasion of the Central Plains, his rapid retreat due to popular resistance, and his bizarre death…
This article recounts Hou Jing’s Rebellion, which devastated the Liang Dynasty. After being rejected by Eastern and Western Wei, Hou Jing defected to Liang. Betrayed by Emperor Wu, he captured Jiankang, starved the emperor to death, and seized power. His tyranny destroyed southern China, paving the way for the rise of the Chen Dynasty.