wang mei zhi ke（Quenching Thirst by Watching Plums）
One summer, Cao Cao was leading his troops in a punitive expedition against Zhang Xiu. It was extraordinarily hot. The burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. The soldiers were walking on the winding mountain paths. The dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. By noontime the soldiers’ clothes were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. Some solders of weak physique even fainted on the roadside.
Seeing that the marching speed was slower and slower, Cao Cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the chance of winning the battle. But how could they quicken their speed? Cao Cao at once callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby. The guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. Cao Cao realized that time didn’t permit them to make such a detour.
After thinking for a moment, he said to the guide, “Keep quiet. I’ll find a way out.” He knew that it would be to no avail to order his troops to quicken the steps. He had a brain wave and found a good solution. He spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. Pointing his horsewhip to the front, Cao Cao said, “Soldiers, I know there is a big forest of plums ahead. The plums there are both big and delicious. let’s hurry along, and we will reach the forest of plums after bypassing this hill.” When the solders heard this, they immediately slobbered. Picturing in their minds the sweet and sour flavour of the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums themselves. The morale greatly boosted, the soldiers quickened their steps a great deal automatically.
This story comes from “The Fake Tangery” in Anecdotes of This World by Liu Yiqing of the Southern Dynasties period (420-589). From this story, people have derived the set phrase “quenching thirst by watching plums” to refer to trying to comfort oneself of others by idle dreams.
Because he held a very high-ranking and powerful position, many of his friends, relatives, and even acquaintances whom he barely knew often went to call on him. So all day long, horses and chariots were lined up in front of his house; it was really as if “the courtyard was as crowded as a marketplace.”
Later, however, Duke Jai had the sad misfortune of being removed from office.
His friends and relatives then stopped going to see him, and soon the only ones left in front of his house were flock of sparrows which would fly about and stop to rest on his doorstep.
Not long afterwards, Duke Jai was reinstated. As soon as his friends and relatives heard the news, they all once again began to ride their horses or drive their chariots back to visit him.
Duke Jai, however, was now unwilling to see them, and door reproving those who would only associate with people of wealth and status.
Today, we can use this idiom to describe any place which has been deserted, or where people are few.
Empress Ma did not want her people to be appointed as officials by the emperor.
In order to persuade the emperor, she said that she walked through the gate of Zhuolong and looked outside. The carriage was like running water, the horse was like a dragon, the warehouse was green, the leader was white, even the servants were very swagger. Look at our carriage, it’s far worse than them.
I tried my best to control myself and didn’t blame them. They only know that they enjoy themselves, and they don’t worry about the country at all. How can I agree to grant them official titles?
shi ru po zhu（The operation is like splitting the bamboo. ）
In the last years of the three kingdoms period, Si mayan conquered the kingdom of Shu and seized the state power of the kingdom of Wei, and became emperor of Jin dynasty.
Then he planned to send his troops to attack the kingdom of Wu so as to unify china. His civil and military officials suggested that it would be difficult to try to destroy the kingdom of Wu with one action because the kingdom of Wu was still powerful. So it would be better to wait until fuller preparations were made. However, general Du yu did not agree with them, so he wrote a memorial to the throne. According to Du yu, it would be better to destroy the kingdom of Wu as soon as possible, because it was still weak at that time. It would be more difficult to defeat the kingdom of Wu later if it became stronger.
After reading it, emperor of Jin to send troops to attack the kingdom of Wu as early as possible, so as to avoid future trouble. so emperor of Jin made up his mind, and appointed Du yu the grand general for conquering the south.
In 279, Si mayan, emperor of Jin dynasty, mustered more than two hundred thousand troops who were divided into six army divisions to proceed by both land and water to attack the kingdom of Wu. Battle drums thundering and the colours fluttering, the soldiers were full of power and grandeur. The next day, Jiangling city was captured, and a general of the kingdom of Wu was killed. And the Jin army pushed on in the flush of victory. Hearing this, the troops of the kingdom of Wu south of the Yuanjiang river and the Xiangjiang river were overwhelmed with fear, and they opened the gates of cities and surrendered one after another. Si mayan ordered Du yu to advance to Jianye, capital city of the kingdom of Wu, by water. Someone feared that the Yangtze river might have a sharp rise and thought it more advantageous to withdraw the troops for the time being and wait until winter came. Du yu resolutely opposed the idea, saying ,” now our army’s morale is high, and our army is winning one victory after another, just like a sharp knife splitting a bamboo. It won’t be too strenuous to conquer the kingdom of Wu with one action. ” Under Du yu’s command , the Jin army charged at the capital city Jianye, occupied it, and thus destroyed the kingdom of Wu.
In this way, emperor of Jin dynasty unified the whole country. This story appears in “the life of Du yu “in the history of the Jin dynasty. Later the set phrase” like splitting a bamboo” is used to refer to irresistible force or victorious advance.
ba xian guo hai（the Eight Immortals Cross the Sea）
The so-called Eight Immortals refers to the eight immortal, they are: Tieguai Li (also called Li Tieguai, meaning Li with the Iron Crutch), Han Zhongli (or Zhongli Quan), Zhang Guolao, Lan caihe, Han Xiangzi, Cao guojiu; He xiangu and Lu Tung-pin.
One day, the Eight Immortals decided to go to the sea and play.
Lu Tung-pin, said: “Everyone threw their treasures on the sea, it is crossed by the sea, comparison and who is more supernatural powers, how?”
Tieguaili first welcomed the recommendation, high-spirited mood he said: “Well you look at me!!” Put the crutches toward the sea, crutches like a boat floating in the water, a torrent somersault, turned upright on crutches.
Han Chung then put his palm-leaf fan thrown into the sea, standing on the top jump.
Subsequently, several other fairy also recount, Zhang Guolao , is riding a donkey down, marching Lu Tung-pin take a sword, Han Xiangzi sitting, He xiangu is riding a lily flowers, all of them are floating up in the sea.
Eight Immortals secure in the surging waves along the drift, which clouds feel different, do not have a new stimulus and atmosphere, we really played with pleasure.
In this case, obviously drunk suddenly points to the right hand, and shouted:
“We see ah! There seat mirage!”
We turned around and saw a gradually rising mountains from the sea, the mountains there are trees, there are buildings, while on the up in the air, the clouds slowly into the horizon, a flash, a cloud that has been scattered by the wind a.
Han Xiang said: “We do not really treat shallow sea dragon mirage gas is booed out of gas, a rare century ah!!”
Suddenly, the blue and disappeared from them. We wait and see far and near, while calling to find, but I could not see blue and traces of old Chang guess, he said:
“East China Sea Dragon King might be trouble, he did not welcome us his prowess at sea, the blue and caught underwater to go, we go together to the underwater dignitaries go!”
We came to the Dragon Palace, Dragon King politely request release. Dragon unreasonable, not only refused, but also sent his sons to lead the minor players to kill the Eight Immortals. Eight Immortals had to use magic to carry a weapon, resisting many small, after a fierce battle, two were the Eight Immortals Dragon Prince killed.
A dragon, his two sons were killed the Eight Immortals, really extreme grief, please South China Sea, West Sea, North Sea Dragon King to help. Dragon King ton of bricks, the Eight Immortals also riled. Torrent wine gourd sea water absorbance, and the remaining few will be immortal Tarzan moved over to fling the East China Sea, the East China Sea became an immediate high.
The two sides played incredibly hard, sun and the moon light, the Lao, and Avalokiteshvara Buddha also alarmed, they all came to mediation. The results of mediation is, by the blue and the East China Sea Dragon King sent two Jade, as compensation for killing two Prince Tarzan moved back by Kannon responsible place.
Because of a dispute, the Eight Immortals Jade Emperor was downgraded first-class. Since then, the Eight Immortals no longer afraid to stir up trouble to the outside.
In the Warring States Period, the State of Qin besieged the capital of the State of Zhao.
Duke Pingyuan of Zhao planned to ask the ruler of the State of Chu personally for assistance. He wanted to select a capable man to go with him. A man called Mao Sui volunteered.
When the negotiations between the two states were stalled because the ruler of Chu hesitated to send troops, Mao Sui approached him, brandishing a sword. At that, the ruler of Chu agreed to help Zhao, against Qin.
In the years around 480 B.C., China was in the last phase of the Spring and Autumn Period. Fu Chai, King of the State of Wu, conquered the states of Yue, Lu and Chi one after another. Then Fu Chai, overweeningly ambitious, led his army marching into the Northwest in an attempt to conquer the State of Jin in one vigorous effort.
But just at that time,Gou Jian,king of the State of Yue,outflanked Fu Chai and attacked him in the rear.Gou Jian’s army fought one battle after another and arrived in Gu Su,capital of the State of Wu,at last,and took away the big boats of the State of Wu.Gou Jin also sent his troops to occupy the Huai River immediately,thus cutting off Fu Chai’s retreat.
The shocking news reached Fu Chai, king of the State of Wu, like a head-on blow to him. So he called his civilian officials and military generals at once to find a way to deal with this serious situation. His civilian officials and military their troops now would mean defeat, and that they would be attacked by both the troops of the Jin army and the troops of the Yue army. But ,if they could defeat the State of Jin, Fu Chai would become a powerful chief of the princes at that time, and it would not be too late for Fu Chai to settle with Gou Jian after that.
Having made this decision,they knew that a pressing matter of the moment was to conquer th State of Jin as quickly as possible.After considering over and over again,they decided to try to defeat the Jin army by a surprise move.
One day towards evening, the king of the State of Wu gave his orders. The officers and men of the whole army ate their fill, and the steeds were well fed with fodder.30,000 officers and men were chosen from the whole army to from three phalanxes, with 10,000 officers and men each. The solders in the middle phalanx wore white suits of armour, and carried white flags and white bows and arrows, and they were led by king of the State of Wu Fu Chai himself. The other two phalanxes were led by senior generals. The soldiers in the left phalanx wore red suits of armour, and carried red flags and red bows and arrows. The soldiers in the right phalanx wore black suits of armour, and carried black flags and black bows and arrows. The whole army set out at midnight, and arrived at dawn at a place within a LI’s distance of the Jin army. When the day was beginning to break, the soldiers of the Wu army began to beat the drums heavily and their whoop resounded like rolls of thunder.
Awakening from their dreams, the solders of the Jin army were almost stupefied by the imposing manner of the three phalanxes of the Wu army. The white phalanx was like a field covered with flowering rush, the red phalanx was like a burning fire, and the black phalanx was simply like a sea too deep to fathom.
This story comes from Conversations from the States. Later generations often use the set phrase “like fire and flowering rush” to refer to tremendous momentum.
sai weng shi ma（A loss, no bad thing or a blessing in disguise）
Near China’s northern borders lived a man well versed in the practices of Taoism. His horse, for no reason at all, got into the territory of the northern tribes. Everyone commiserated with him.
“Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing,” said his father.
After a few months, his animal came back, leading a fine horse from the north. Everyone congratulated him.
“Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a cause of misfortune,” said his father.
Since he was well-off and kept good horses his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his thigh bone falling from a horse. Everyone commiserated with him.
“Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing,” said his father.
One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. All able-bodied young men took up arms and fought against the invaders, and as a result, around the border nine out of ten men died. This man’s son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so both the boy and his father survived.
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