安然无恙 — “Safe and sound”

In 266 BC, King Huiwen of Zhao passed away, and his son, Prince Dan, ascended the throne as King Xiaocheng of Zhao. As King Xiaocheng was still young, his mother, Queen Dowager Zhao Wei, managed the state affairs. Queen Dowager Zhao Wei was a wise and insightful middle-aged woman.

Soon after she began presiding over state matters, the State of Qin intensified its attacks on Zhao. With Zhao in peril, they sought assistance from the State of Qi. Qi demanded that Queen Dowager Zhao Wei send her youngest son, Lord Chang'an, to Qi as a hostage before they would dispatch troops. Although reluctant to part with her son, Queen Dowager Zhao Wei eventually sent Lord Chang'an to Qi after listening to the advice of Minister Chulong. Qi then sent troops to help Zhao repel the Qin army.

On one occasion, the King of Qi sent an envoy with a letter to greet Queen Dowager Zhao Wei. Without even opening the letter, the Queen Dowager asked the envoy, "Are the harvests in Qi good? Are the common people safe and sound? Is the King of Qi in good health?" The Qi envoy was quite displeased and said, "I was sent by the King of Qi to convey his greetings to you. Yet, you do not ask about our king first, but instead inquire about the harvest and the common people. How can one place the lowly before the noble?"

Queen Dowager Zhao Wei smiled slightly and replied, "That is not so. If there is no harvest, how can there be common people? If there are no common people, how can there be a ruler? How can one neglect the fundamental aspects and only care about the trivial when offering greetings?" The Qi envoy was left speechless. This anecdote, featuring the term '无恙' (wú yàng), later evolved into the idiom '安然无恙' (ān rán wú yàng).