呕心沥血 — “To pour one's heart and soul into something”

Li He, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, began writing poetry and prose at the age of seven, possessing extraordinary talent. As an adult, he earnestly hoped the imperial court would appoint him to an important position, but he never achieved political success. He channeled his frustrations into poetic creation. Whenever he went out, he would have a servant boy carry a bag. As soon as inspiration struck and he came up with a few good lines, he would immediately write them down, refining and polishing them upon returning home.

His mother often said with concern, "My son has poured all his energy and heart's blood into writing poetry; it's as if he won't stop until he vomits out his heart!" In his brief 26-year life, Li He left behind over 240 poems, which were the crystallization of his lifelong dedication.

Han Yu, another great literary figure of the Tang Dynasty, once wrote two lines of poetry: "To carve out one's liver as paper, and drip blood to write words." This vividly describes the ultimate level of painstaking effort in writing. Later, the idiom '呕心沥血' (ǒu xīn lì xuè) came to be used to describe pouring one's heart and soul into something, making painstaking efforts with all one's thought and energy.