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After Emperor Wu of Jin unified the country, he promoted governance based on filial piety, advocating respect for parents and elders.
He intended to appoint Li Mi, a high-ranking official from Western Shu, and issued an imperial edict naming Li Mi as a Langzhong (a court official).
However, Li Mi was unwilling to serve. He wrote a memorial called "Chen Qing Biao" (A Memorial Expressing My Feelings) to Emperor Wu, explaining that his grandmother was utterly alone, helpless, and distressed, and he wished to care for her until her passing before taking on any official duties.

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Open the tool →伶仃孤苦 (líng dīng gū kǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “isolated, helpless, and distressed”.
伶仃孤苦 is pronounced líng dīng gū kǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 伶仃孤苦 means “Isolated, helpless, and suffering”. It is used to mean “isolated, helpless, and distressed”.
伶仃孤苦 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
伶仃:孤独,没有依靠。孤单困苦,没有依靠。