perfectly safe; absolutely foolproof; no chance of a slip-up; bound to succeed.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
In 203 BC, Han Xin, a general of the Han dynasty, conquered the State of Qi and was subsequently appointed King of Qi by Liu Bang.
Kuai Tong, Han Xin's advisor, analyzed the political situation and recognized Han Xin's pivotal role. He advised Han Xin not to remain loyal to Liu Bang but to establish himself as an independent ruler, thus creating a three-way division of power with Chu and Han.
Kuai Tong argued that by continuing to follow Liu Bang, Han Xin would at best only be granted a title of a vassal lord. He stressed that success or failure depended on this crucial decision, and acting at that moment would be "wan wu yi shi" (absolutely foolproof).
However, Han Xin did not heed Kuai Tong's advice.