易子析骸 | extreme famine and cannibalism

yì易zi子xī析hái骸

To exchange children to eat them and burn human bones for fuel; describes a situation of extreme famine, destitution, and cannibalism caused by severe disaster or war.

在那个动荡的年代，饥荒肆虐，许多地方出现了易子析骸的惨剧。

During that tumultuous era, famine raged, and tragedies of exchanging children to eat and burning bones for fuel occurred in many places.

Era:

Ancient

Frequency:

Synonym:

析骸易子

Story:

During the Spring and Autumn period, King Zhuang of Chu launched an attack on the State of Song because Song had killed Shen Zhou, an envoy from Chu who was passing through their territory.

The Chu army besieged the capital of Song for half a year and prepared to continue the siege indefinitely.

Frightened by this, the King of Song dispatched his marshal, Hua Yuan, to stealthily infiltrate the bedroom of Zi Fan, the Chu marshal. Holding Zi Fan hostage, Hua Yuan declared that the people of Song would rather exchange their children to eat and burn human bones for fuel than surrender.

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