S8E04 | Run For Your Life | The Chinese Sayings Podcast

The China History Podcast

Laszlo Montgomery

Places & Travel, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2023

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Once again we thank The Grand Historian for giving up another good one. This one's an eight-character chengyu. The story goes back to 206 BC and the famous story of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's meeting at The Banquet at Hongmen. Here, the two contenders for the emperorship of China, meet face to face. Only one of them could sit on that throne and beginning right here, the Chu-Han Contention begins. The chengyu for this time, 项庄舞剑, 意在沛公 Xiàng Zhuāng Wǔ Jiàn, Yì Zài Pèi Gōng comes from this slice of history mentioned in the Record of the Grand Historian from the chapter on Xiang Yu. People who have a lot to lose, especially in the world of politics and government should pay attention to this one. It's a good one to use when describing someone who may appear all nice and pleasant but who has a hidden motive to do you harm. Enjoy! White Vengeance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H3yXEh7KCQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of the Chinese saying podcast.
0:04.4	This is Laos La Montgomery here with the fourth offering I have for you in this season eight.
0:10.2	This one's going to take some time, but it's another great third century BC story that was handed down
0:15.4	to us by Sima Chen, El Gran Historia Door. This one comes from the chapter Xiang Yu Bun, the chronicles
0:22.9	of the life of Xiang Yu. This is one of those eight character Cheng Yu's, four plus four.
0:29.3	We haven't had one of those since Saewongshir Ma, Yen Jerfei Fu in season six.
0:36.5	Quite a stellar cast in this story, Lucky Liu Beng and Xiang Yu, and I'm not talking about the
0:42.2	rapper from Taiwan either, the real Xiang Yu. And the third big name is Liu Beng's trusted advisor,
0:49.2	Zhang Liang. He was one of the Han Chu Sanjie, the three heroes of the early Han dynasty. Han Xin
0:56.5	and Xiao He being the other two. Now before we go any further, let's break this eight syllable
1:01.6	Cheng Yu down into its constituent parts. Xiang Zhuang Wu Jian, Yi Zai Pei Gong. Wow, that's a mouthful.
1:10.3	Okay, the first two characters Xiang Zhuang, that's a person's name. He was both a close advisor and a
1:17.1	relative of the Chu Qing Xiang Yu and a Wu Jian. Well, that's a sore dance. You could also say Jian Wu.
1:25.5	A Jian is a sword and Wu is to dance. You've seen these these sword dances or something that are
1:32.6	part of traditions all over the world in Africa, Asia, and Europe. And in China, sword dances are
1:40.1	one of the many manifestations of Chinese culture. You could see them off in Chinese opera.
1:47.0	So Xiang Zhuang Wu Jian, Xiang Zhuang, sore dance. The next four characters, Yi Zai Pei Gong,
1:55.2	Yi Zai means to intend to or intended to. And the final two characters, Pei Gong. Well, that's
2:02.5	another person's name. Before Liu Beng became the founding emperor of the Han dynasty,
2:08.0	one of his titles was the Duke of Pei, Pei Gong. The Duke of Pei, and it was a little inside joke of
2:14.8	Liu Beng. He came from a place called Pei County just to the north of Xujou and northwest Jiangsu
2:20.8	province. No one gave him that title. He just gave it to himself. So when you line everything up,
	...

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