Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 价值连城Pinyin: jià zhí lián chéngLiteral Meaning: Worth a cluster of connected cities, worth several cities.Figurative Meaning: Extremely precious and invaluable Cultural Background Derived from the tale of the He Shi Bi jade, a legendary ancient treasure. The idiom is used to praise rare treasures, precious artworks or invaluable talents. In…
Han Feizi extends the jade metaphor: legal statecraft, like raw jade, is valuable yet opposed. Rulers must back reformers against elites.
Han Feizi tells He Shi’s jade story: true talent/statecraft is often misjudged and persecuted before its value is revealed.
This article chronicles the heroic diplomacy of Lin Xiangru during the Warring States period. It details two pivotal events: the “Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao”, where Lin retrieved the legendary He Shi Bi from the treacherous Qin court, and the Meeting at Mianchi, where he used a clay pot to force the King…