Kindly Step into the Vat Try What You Have Devised against Others

In order to suppress those who were against her, Wu Zetian, the empress of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), appointed a few merciless persons to be judges. Two of them were extremely brutal : one was called Zhou Xing and the other was called Lai Junchen. They killed many upright civil and military officials as well as ordinary people by framing up cases against them and by administering in human corporal punishment to them.

Once, Wu Zetian received a letter which informed against ZhouXing. The letter aside that Zhou Xing was plotting a rebellion in collaboration with others. Wu Zetian was furiously angry when she read the letter, and immediately ordered Lai junchen to deal with the case severely. Hearing the order, Lai junchen had misgivings about it. He knew that Zhou Xing could not be forsed to tell the truth merely by using a letter informing against him because he was very sly and crafty. Lai junchen also knew that the would not be for given if he should fail in dealing with the case, because the empress would certainly blame him and punish him. How could he solve the problem then ? He turned the problem over and over in his mind, and finally thought out a “brilliant scheme”

Lai junchen had a sumptuous feast prepared, and invited Zhou Xing to this home, The two of them urged eash other to drink, and they talked while drinking. After the wine had gone round three times. Lai junchen pretended to sigh. “When I handle case in ordinary times. I oven com across prisoners who stubbornly refuse to admit they are guilty. I wonder if you have any effective measures. “Hearing this, he to.ok a sip of the wine. Lai junchen immediately pretended to be very earnest, saying. “Oh, please do tell me at once.” Smilling insidiously. Zhou Xing said.”Get a big vat, scorch it hot with charcoal fire all around, and then let the prisoner come into the vat. Will the prisoner fail to make aconfession of his crime?”

Hearing this. Lai junchen nodded his head in approval repeatedly. He then ordered his subordinates to bring abig vat, and had a charcoal fire lit all around it as Zhou Xing had said. He then turned to Zhou Xing and said “ Someone in the imperial court has informed against you, saying that you are plotting a rebellion. The empress has ordered me to deal with the case severely. So I beg your pardon, but would you kindly step into the vat? “Hearing this, Zhou Xing dropped his wine cup to the ground and the cup broke with a crash. Then he knelt down with a flop, nodded repeatedly and said.”I am guilty. I confess I am guilty.”

This story appears in A General History as a Mirror of Past Events by Sima Guang of the song Dynasty. From this story, people have derived the set phrase “Kindly step into the vat-try what you have devised against others”.

Overwhelming Popularity of a New Work Causes Shortage of Printing Paper

In the Jin Dynasty (265-420) there was a famous writer whose name was Zuo Si who, however, was very naughty and did not like to study when he was a small kid. His father often got angry, and yet young Zuo Si was as naughty as ever and would not study hard.

One day Zuo Si’s father was chatting with his friends. His friends envied him his clever and lovely son. Hearing this.Zuo si’s father sighed.”Please do not mention him. My son Zuo is does not study as well as I did when I was young, although I did not study well enough myself. It appears that he is actually a good for nothing.”So saying, he looked disappointed. Ali this was witnessed by young Zuo Si. He felt very sad, feeling intensely that he would not be able to have a bright future if he did not study hard. So he was determined to study assiduously from then on. Day after day and year after year, Zuo Si gradually grew up. Because of this unremitting efforts in hard study, he became an erudite scholar and wrote very excellent essays. The “Ode to the capital of the state of Qi”, which took him one year to write, showed his brilliant literary talent and laid the foundation for his becoming an an outstanding writer. Then he planned to write an “Ode to the capitals of the Three Kingdom of Wei, Shu Han and Wu” with the local conditions and customs as well as the produce of the three capitals as its content in order to achieve the desired effect in content, structure and language, he applied himself to research work with great concentration and was so absorbed in creative writing as to forget food and sleep. It took him ten whole years to finish the writing of “Ode to the capitals of the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu Han and Wu” , a literary masterpiece.

The Ode to the capitals of the Three Kingdom of Wei, Shu Han and Wu” was well received by the broad masses of readers after it made its appearance to the public and people considered it as superbly written as the “Odo to the western capital (Changan) and to the Eastern Capital (Luoyang) “written by Ban Gu (32-92) and the “Ode to the Western Capital and to the Eastern Capital” written by Zhang Heng of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.to A.D.220). As the art of printing had not been invented at the time, people who were fond of this “Ode” had to make handwritten copies of it themselves . As there were so many people who vied with each other in making handwritten copies, the supply of writing paper fell shorts of the demand in Luoyang went up greatly.

This story comes from “The life of Zuo Si” in the book “Literary Flied” of The History of the Jin Dynasty. Based on this story , people have coined the sec phrase “ the price of writing paper went up greatly , meaning the overwhelming popularity of a new work causes shortage of printing paper, to show how popular an outsanding piece of literarywork is.

Calling a Stag a Horse

In the reign of Emperor the second of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), the prime minister Zhao Gao, obsessed with ambitions, was planning to usurp the throne day and night. But he did not know how many of the ministers in the court were allowed to be ordered about by him and how many of them were his opponents. So he thought out a way to test how high his prestige among the ministers was and also to find out who dared to oppose him. One day when court was held. Zhao Gao let someone bring a stag to the court and, with a broad smile on his face, he said to Emperor the Second of the Qin Dynasty :”Your Majesty, here is a fine horse I’m presenting to you.”

Looking at the animal, Emperor the Second thought that is was obviously a stag and that it couldn’t be a horse. So he said smilingly to Zhao Gao:”Mister Prime Minister, you are wrong. This is a stay. Why do you say it is a horse?”Remaining calm, Zhao Gao said : “Will your Majesty please see more clearly? This really is a horse that covers a thousand li a day. “Filled with suspicion, Emperor the second looked at the stag again and said. “How can the antlers be grown on the head of a horse/”Turning around and pointing his finger at the ministers. Zhao Gao said in a loud voice :” If our Majesty do not belive me, you can ask the ministers.”

The nonsense of Zhao Gao made the ministers totally at a lose, and they whispered to themselves: What tricks was Zhao Gao playing? Was it not obvious whether it was a stag or a horse? But when they saw the sinister smile on Zhao Gao’s face and his two rolling eyes which were gazing at each of them, they suddenly understood his evil intentions. Some of the ministers who were timid and yet had a sense of rightousness did not dare to say anything, because to tell lies would make their conscience uneasy and to tell the truth would mean that they would be persecuted by Zhao Gao later.

Some ministers with a sense of justice persisted that it was a stag and not a horse. The were still some crafty and fawning ministers who followed Zhao Gao closely in ordinary times. They immediately voiced their support to Zhao Gao, saying to the emperor:”This really in a horse that covers a thousand li a day.” After the event, Zhao Gao punished by various means those ministers with a sense of justice who were not obedient to him, even with whole families of some of those ministers executed. This story appears in “The life of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty” in The Historical Records written by Sima Qian. From this story people have derived the set phrase “calling a stag a horse” to mean deliberately misrepresenting some thing and misleading the public.

Aim south while driving northward

A certain northern traveler intended to travel to Chu. He started his journey on horseback by the foot of the Tai Hang Mountain by a way leading north. His friend was very surprised so he asked : “ Chu is situated in the south so why you northward instead of going southward ? “

“Never mind”, the traveler replied obstinately, “my horse is a good steed. It runs very fast.”

“No matter how fast it runs,” said his friend,”you can never reach Chu by going northward.”

“I have prepared sufficient traveler expenses.” replied the traveler. “Sufficient traveling expenses can help you neither.”continued his friend.

“Well,” answered the traveler still more obstinately.”I have a strong and capable groom at my services.”

“No groom, how capable and strong he may be, can be of any use to you if you stick to going northward.”Concluded his friend. The traceler did not listen to his friend and so never reached Chu. ( “zhanguoce”)

Be there just to make up the number

During the warring States Period (475-221BC), the king of the state of Qi was fond of listening to yu ensembles. He often got together 300 yu players to form a grand music. The king treated his musician very well. A man named Nanguo heard abaout that and he managed to became a member of the band, even though he wan not good at playing the instrument at all.

Whenever the band played for the king, Nahguo just stood in the line and pretended to play. Nobody realized he was making no sound at all. As a result, he enjoyed his treatment just as the other musician did.

When the king died, his son became the new rular who also liked the music played on the yu. However, he preferred solos so that he ordered the musicians to play the yu one by one. Therefore. Nanguo had to run out of the palace.

The idiom “Be there just to make up the number” is used to mock someone who passes for a apecialist. Yuu can also hear people saying it abaut themselves to show their modesty

Give up halfway

During the warring States period (475-221BC), there was a man called Yue Yangzi in State Yue. One day he saw a piece of gold on the road and picked it up. He took it home and gave it to his wife. But his wife not happy. The virtuous woman said, “I hear that a man of morality doesn’t drink a thief’s water and a man of probity refuses to accept alms. What do you think of the action of picking up another’s lost valuable and possessing it for one’s own?”

Yue Yangzi, feeling ashamed, sent the gold back to where he found it.

The next year, Yue Yangzi felt that he should go out and visit scholars to enrich his knowledge. So he set off.

A year later, he came back home suddenly.

“Why have you returned” asked his wife in surprise, “You’ve only spent one year studying with scholaris”

“I come back because I missed you very much.”

Without saying anything, his wife took a pair of scissors and went to the loom at which she had worked. Pointing at the half done brocade, she proclaimed: “ This brocade is woven from the finest silk. I wove one strand after another to produce the brocade. Now if I cut it, all my previous work will be wasted. It’s the same with your studies. You can acquire knowledge only through diligence. Now, you’ve stopped halfway. Itn’t it the same as cutting the brocade on the loom?”

Yue Yangzi was moved by what she said. He again left home to visit scholars. Several years later he became a learned man.

The Latecomers Surpass the Old-times

This set phrase is derived from the complaints Ji An made to the emperor.

Ji An lived at the time of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24). He was respected for being upright and just and for daring to speak the truth. He did not bother about small matters in personal behavior and in being an official. He was particular about actual effects and, although he did not cause a stir, he could keep the prefecture he governed in perfect order. Because of this, the imperial court transferred him to the central government from being the perfect of the Donghai Prefecture to being a commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local officials.

Once, Emperor Wudi said that he would implement the policy of benevolence and justice of Confucianism and would do good turns to the people. Emperor Wudi had hardly finished his remarks when Ji An said that there was no need for the emperor to say so. Why should the emperor bother, Ji An said, about pretending to implement the policy of benevolence and justice since he was so greedy and avaricious within himself? This choked the emperor off. The emporer suddenly changed his countenance and declared the meeting over. All the civilian and military officers at court were breathless with anxiety for fear that Ji An might bring disaster upon himself because of this. After returning. Emperor Wudu said to the people around him that Ji An was a little too rude and too straightforward.

For this reason, Ji An was never promoted againt. When he was the commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local of ficials, both Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were low-ranking officials of little importance Later, they were promoted continuously. Gongsun Hong became the prime minister and Zhang Tang became the imperial censor. However, Ji An’s post remained the same. One day, Ji An said to Emperor Wudi that the way the emperor used his ministers was just like piling up firewood, which meant that the latecomers surpassed the old-timers. Of course, Emperor Wudi could see that Ji An was complaining. So turning to his ministers, Emperor Wudi said, “It is true that no one can stop learning You see. Ji An is making more and more indisreet remarks”

The story comes from The Historical Records. Later generations use the set phrase “the latecomers surpass the old-timers” to indicate that successors can excel the predecessors, which is quite different from the original idea when Ji An said that the latecomers surpassed the oldtimers.

A Repeated Slander Makes Others Believe

In the Warring States Period (475-221BC.), there were countless wars and alliances between the many small states in China. Now, the State of Wei and the State of Zhao were getting ready to sign a treaty of alliance. As was usual at the time, the king of Wei had to send his son to Zhao as a hostage. A minister, Pang Cong, was to accompany him.

Before they left, Png Cong said to the king : “if someone told you that there was a tiger in the street, would you believe it?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” replied the king.

“If 2 people said that, would you believe it?” the minister asked.

“In that case, I would hesitate. I’d have my doubts,”answered the king.

The minister went on,”if 3 people said there’s a tiger in the street, would you believe it then?”

“Of course I would,” was the answer.

The Pang Cong said : It is strange, isn’t it, that even when it’s obvious there’s no tiger in the street, you would believe there is one just because 3 people say no. Now, we’re going to live in the State of Zhao that is far futher away from Your Majesty’s palace than the street. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of rumors about me when I’ve gone. So I hope Your Majesty will be perceptive.”

Hearing this, the king said,”I know that. You can rest assured that I have every trust in you. Don’t worry. Off you go.”

After Pang Cong left with the prince, sure enough, his enemies spoke ill of him in front of the king. 1 after another they told theirs stories. At 1st, the king paid no attention to them. But after the while, when he had heard enough rumors about the minister, he began to suspect Pang Cong.

When the prince and the minister were finally freed as hostages, they returned to the State of Wei. The king didn’t even summon Pang Cong to the place!

From that story comes the idiom San Ren Cheng Hu. The idiom also suggests that gossip can be as ferocious as a tiger.

Make Three Calls at the Thatched Cottage

In the third century, China was divided into three kingdoms : Wei in the north, Shu in the southwest and Wu in the southeast, Shu was a weak state. The head of Shu, Liu Bei, was searching for talents everywhere for the kingdom. He heard of a very wise and knowledgeable man called Zhuge Liang who lived in Longzhong in Hubei province. So Liu decided to invite him to be his prime minister to help strengthen the State of Shu. In the year 207AD, Liu Bei with his swoen brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei traveled to Longzhong to ask Zhuge Liang to assist him. But Zhuge Liang not at home. Thus they had to return disappointedly. Later, they came again. But again they failed to see Zhunge Liang, because he had been wandering abaout for days and hadn’t yet come back. This time, Liu Bei left a note expressing his meaning.

??????? Some days passed, Liu wanted to make a third visit. Guan and Zhang wanted to stop him, but in vain. This time, Zhuge Liang was at home but he was sleeping. Liu let Guan and Zhang stand at the door, and he stood by the bed. When Zhuge woke up and saw him, he was moved by his sincerity. He complied with Liu’s request and became his prime minister. With the help of Zhuge, Liu enlarged his territory and his kingdom became as strong as the Wu and Shu.

??????? Leter, people use it to describe people who invite someone in all sincerity and eagerness.

He was at a loss as to how to behave all the time

Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One’s Own Ability

Tradition has it that more than 2.000 years ago, there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan. As his name is not known, we just call him Shouling young man for convenience’s sake.

Self confident He was at a loss as to how to behave all the time.

His family members advised him to overcome this shortcoming, but he thought they were fond of poking their noses into his business and were unwilling to provide him with tuiton fee. His relatives and neighbors sneered at him, saying that he would never be able to learn anything. As the days went by, he even began to doubt whether he should walk the way he did, felt more and more that his walking gestures were too clumsy and awkward.

One day, he met some people on the road who were chatting and laughing. One of them said that people in Handan walked most gracefully. And that was just what he was most concerned about, so he hurried towards the man wanted to make further inguiries. To his surprise, when these people saw him, they stalked off laughing.

He could not picture to himself in what way their walking gestures were graceful, no matter how hard he racked his parents one day. He went to Handan which was far away to learn how to walk.

As soon as he arrived in Handan, he was dazzled to find that everything was novel. He learned from the children there how to walk, because he thought that the children’s walking gestures were lively and pleasing to the eye. He learned from the old people there how to walk, because he thought the old people’s walking gestures were steady. He learned from the women there how to walk, because he thought the woman’ swaying walking gestures were beautiful. That being the case with him, in less that half a month he even forgot how to walk. As he had already used up his traveling expenses, he had to crawl back home.

This story come from article “Autumn Water” in The Works of Zhuang Zi (Zhung Zi was a famous ancient Chinese philosopher of about 300B.c). Later the set phrase “initiating another without success and losing what used to be one’s own ability” is used to refer to acts of copying others mechanically in disregard of specific conditions.