Internal strife or conflict, especially among close relatives or siblings; internecine fighting within a family or group.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
Cao Zhi was the youngest son of Cao Cao, extraordinarily talented from a young age and deeply loved by his father.
After Cao Cao's death, his elder brother Cao Pi ascended to the throne of the Wei kingdom. Cao Pi was extremely jealous and worried that his brother would threaten his position, so he sought to eliminate him.
One day, Cao Pi summoned Cao Zhi and ordered him to compose a poem within seven steps, as a test of his poetic genius. If he failed, it would be seen as deceiving the emperor, and he would face execution.
Cao Zhi, knowing his brother's intention to harm him, felt both sorrow and rage. He suppressed his profound grief and thought diligently. Indeed, within seven steps, he composed and recited the following poem: "Beans are boiled to make a soup; filtered pulp yields the juice. The beanstalks burn beneath the pot; the beans weep within the pot. We are born from the same root, why are you so eager to torment each other?"