To occupy another's nest; to unlawfully seize or take over someone else's property, position, or possessions.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
The idiom "Que Chao Jiu Ju" (鹊巢鸠居) originates from "The Book of Odes" (Shijing), the earliest collection of Chinese poetry. Specifically, it comes from the poem "Quechao" (Magpie's Nest) in the "Zhaonan" section. The poem depicts a magpie building a nest, and a turtledove then taking residence in it.
The original poem states: "The magpie builds its nest, the turtledove occupies it; when the maiden marries, a hundred chariots accompany her." Initially, this was a metaphor for a woman getting married and moving into her husband's home, symbolizing her settling into her new family.
Over time, however, the meaning of the idiom evolved. It came to describe the act of someone forcibly or unjustly occupying another person's house, land, or possessions, or taking over what rightfully belongs to someone else, thus portraying an act of usurpation.