A slight deviation or error at the start can lead to a huge mistake or discrepancy in the end; a miss is as good as a mile.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Western Han Dynasty, General Zhao Chunguo was tasked by Emperor Xuan to suppress a rebellion in the northwestern region. Zhao Chunguo observed that the rebel forces were not united, so he chose a strategy of pacification, which led to the surrender of most rebels.
However, Emperor Xuan later ordered him to deploy troops, which resulted in an unfavorable outcome. Subsequently, when he collected military provisions as per imperial command, it inadvertently triggered further unrest and rebellion.
Reflecting on these events, he sighed and said, "A difference of a hair's breadth can lead to an error of a thousand li."