Cannot be mentioned in the same breath; cannot be compared on the same level; refers to things or people that are vastly different and therefore not comparable.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the late Warring States period, various vassal states were constantly at war, leading to political strategies such as "Hezong" (vertical alliance) and "Lianheng" (horizontal alliance). Hezong involved weaker states uniting to attack a stronger one, while Lianheng meant allying with a strong state to attack other weaker ones.
A political strategist named Su Qin initially failed to persuade King Hui of Qin and the Prime Minister of Zhao. After receiving some support in Yan, he returned to Zhao. This time, he was personally received by King Su of Zhao.
Su Qin analyzed the relationships between Zhao and other states, pointing out that if Zhao became an enemy of both Qi and Qin, its people would not find peace. He then highlighted Zhao's considerable strength: a territory spanning two thousand li, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, a thousand chariots, ten thousand horses, and years of food supply. He noted that Qin, despite its power, hesitated to attack Zhao because it feared being ambushed by Han and Wei.
Su Qin then argued that if the six states formed a united front, their combined land would be five times that of Qin, and their armies ten times larger. He posed the question, "How can defeating others and having them pay homage to you be mentioned on the same day as serving Qin and being subjugated?"
King Su was convinced by Su Qin's wisdom and agreed to generously support him in forming the Hezong alliance among the states.