十二金牌 — “A series of urgent and repeated imperial edicts”

十二金牌 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a series of urgent and repeated imperial edicts”. Typically demanding immediate recall or cessation of action, often under severe duress. Literally, “Twelve Golden Plaques”.

Frequency

十二金牌 Pronunciation and Pinyin

十二金牌 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
十	shí	2	the number ten
二	èr	2	the number two
金	jīn	8	gold, metal, money
牌	pái	12	sign, brand, cards, shield

Example Sentence with 十二金牌

项目进展到关键阶段，却突然接到十二金牌，要求立刻停止所有工作，大家都很不解。

The project was at a critical juncture, yet suddenly a series of urgent orders arrived, demanding an immediate halt to all work, which left everyone puzzled.

Origin and Story of 十二金牌

During the Southern Song Dynasty, the renowned general Yue Fei led his brave "Yue Family Army" in a northern expedition, aiming to reclaim lost territories. His army fought valiantly and was on the verge of recapturing Bianjing (the former capital).

However, the appeasement faction, led by Prime Minister Qin Hui, sent twelve successive gold-lettered imperial edicts in a single day, ordering Yue Fei's immediate withdrawal. Knowing that further pursuit was impossible under such severe and repeated commands, Yue Fei reluctantly withdrew his troops.

Upon returning to the capital, he was falsely accused and tragically put to death by Qin Hui on trumped-up charges.