东窗事发 — “A secret plot, conspiracy, or misdeed is exposed”

The idiom "东窗事发" (dōng chuāng shì fā) originates from a historical event during the Southern Song Dynasty involving the treacherous minister Qin Hui. Qin Hui, a notoriously corrupt official, colluded with his wife, Wang Shi, under an east-facing window (东窗) to conspire against the national hero General Yue Fei, aiming to surrender to the Jin invaders.

It is said that Qin Hui falsely accused Yue Fei of treason before the emperor. At that time, several high-ranking officials, such as Xue Renfu, Minister of the Dali Temple, and Han Shizhong, Chief of the Bureau of Military Affairs, spoke out in defense of Yue Fei, causing Qin Hui to hesitate and feel apprehensive. One day, Qin Hui sat alone by the east window, deeply troubled and undecided about how to proceed with his scheme to harm Yue Fei.

His wife, Wang Shi, approached him and asked, "My lord, why do you look so worried and indecisive?" Qin Hui then confided in her about his predicament and sought her advice. Wang Shi took out an orange from her sleeve, broke it in half with her hand, and handed one half to Qin Hui, saying, "This orange splits so easily, what's so difficult about it? Have you not heard the old saying: 'It is easy to release a tiger, but difficult to catch it'?" Hearing these words, Qin Hui's mind was made up. Soon after, General Yue Fei and his son were tragically murdered.

Later, after Qin Hui died, his son, Qin Xi, also passed away not long after. Wang Shi invited a Daoist priest to perform a ritual to summon their souls. During the ritual, the priest claimed to have seen Qin Xi and Qin Hui, along with the deceased Imperial Censor Wan Qixie, all wearing iron yokes and suffering greatly in hell. Qin Hui reportedly spoke to the priest, saying, "Please convey a message to my wife: 'The East Window incident has come to light!'" This phrase later became an idiom, "东窗事发," signifying that a secret plot or misdeed has been exposed.