To create new complications; to cause unexpected trouble; to branch off into side issues; to deliberately complicate matters.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
The idiom "Jiewai Shengzhi" (节外生枝) originates from the Southern Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi, a prominent Neo-Confucian who spent most of his life lecturing and writing. Zhu Xi believed that when reading, one should focus on the ideological content and logical reasoning of a text, rather than getting sidetracked by other issues.
However, Lu Zuyue, the younger brother of Lu Ziqian, held a different view. Zhu Xi argued that one should not be overly cautious or create unnecessary trouble while studying, to avoid "Jiewai Shengzhi" – creating new complications or branching off into side issues.