To waver between two courses of action; to be indecisive or hesitant; to vacillate and be unable to make up one's mind.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Tian Fen, the half-brother of Empress Dowager Wang, became the Prime Minister due to her influence, thus wielding great power.
Tian Fen was a despicable, insidious, arrogant, and selfish man. With the Empress Dowager as his backing and Emperor Wu still young, he acted recklessly, indulged in luxury, engaged in malpractices, and arbitrarily framed anyone he disliked.
Tian Fen demanded land from Dou Ying, who refused. He also heard that Guan Fu sided with Dou Ying, which led to animosity between them (Dou Ying and Guan Fu were both high-ranking officials who had distinguished themselves in quelling the Rebellion of the Seven States). As Guan Fu was aware of Tian Fen's corruption, Tian Fen sought to bring about the downfall of both Guan Fu and Dou Ying.
Once, at Tian Fen's wedding, Empress Dowager Wang, seeking to expand her influence, issued an imperial decree ordering all nobles, imperial family members, and high officials to attend the Prime Minister's celebration. Dou Ying and Guan Fu also went. During the banquet, Guan Fu, feeling slighted when toasting other guests, became enraged and started cursing loudly. As a result, Tian Fen had Guan Fu arrested.
The matter reached Emperor Wu, who convened his ministers to discuss it. Dou Ying adamantly opposed punishing Guan Fu, while some ministers supported the punishment. Others, intimidated by Tian Fen's power, adopted an equivocal stance. Censor Han Anguo stated, "Guan Fu rendered great service during the Rebellion of the Seven States. Although he caused trouble while drunk, it is not a capital offense. However, the Prime Minister's accusations also have some merit. I leave the final decision to Your Majesty!"
After the court session, outside the imperial palace, Tian Fen called Han Anguo to ride in his carriage and angrily questioned him, "We agreed to deal with that old bald man (Dou Ying), why were you so indecisive (首鼠两端)?"
Later, Tian Fen successfully plotted the deaths of Dou Ying and Guan Fu. Not long after, he himself died of internal terror and fright.