to feed horses and sharpen weapons; to make active and thorough preparations for a task, challenge, or battle.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Qin and Jin jointly besieged the state of Zheng. Zheng dispatched its minister, Zhizi Wu, to forge an alliance with Qin separately.
As per the agreement, Qin sent generals Qizi, Fengsun, and Yangsun to garrison in Zheng, and Qin's main army then withdrew.
However, Qizi secretly sent a messenger back to Qin to request Duke Mu of Qin to launch an attack. The Qin army then launched a large-scale offensive.
A Zheng merchant named Xian Gao, disguised as an envoy, warned the Qin forces, causing them to abandon their attack on Zheng and instead target the smaller state of Hua.