逐鹿中原 — “To chase deer in the Central Plains”
逐鹿中原 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to contend for supremacy or dominance, often referring to a scramble for power or territory; to vie for control of the land or realm”. Literally, “To chase deer in the Central Plains”.
逐鹿中原 Pronunciation and Pinyin
逐鹿中原 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 逐鹿中原
Origin and Story of 逐鹿中原
Kuai Tong, the strategist for King Han Xin of Qi, observed that Han Xin's power was sufficiently strong and advised him to betray Liu Bang and contend for the empire with his own forces. However, Han Xin did not heed his advice.
After Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu, Empress Lü, under a false imperial edict, captured Han Xin, accusing him of rebellion, and was determined to eliminate him. Before and during his execution, Han Xin deeply regretted his decision, saying, "If only I had listened to Kuai Tong's words, I wouldn't be in this situation today!"
After executing Han Xin, Liu Bang ordered Kuai Tong's arrest to punish him. Before the execution, Liu Bang asked, "You incited Han Xin to betray me. Today I will kill you. Do you have anything to say?"
Kuai Tong showed no fear and calmly replied, "Even dogs know to be loyal to their masters. I was Han Xin's subordinate at the time, so naturally, I would not be loyal to you. Furthermore, the Qin Dynasty was in decline, and heroes across the land rose up, all contending for the Qin's political power. Whoever possessed greater strength would obtain it. Those who contended for the empire with you and failed simply lacked sufficient power. If you wish to kill me, then do so."
Liu Bang, impressed by Kuai Tong's courage and wisdom, admired him greatly and released him.
Idioms Related to 逐鹿中原
Synonyms of 逐鹿中原
More idioms starting with 逐
- zhú逐tù兔xiān先dé得First come, first served
- zhú逐lì利zhēng争míng名strive for fame and gain
- zhú逐jù句zhú逐zì字sentence by sentence, word by word
- zhú逐míng名qū趋shì势pursue fame and power
- zhú逐zì字zhú逐jù句word by word, sentence by sentence
- zhú逐dàng宕shī失fǎn返Drift away and forget to return
- zhú逐kè客zhī之lìng令order to expel unwelcome guests
- zhú逐kè客lìng令order to expel an unwelcome guest
- zhú逐yǐng影fèi吠shēng声echo what others say
- zhú逐yǐng影xún寻shēng声meticulously search for flaws
- zhú逐yǐng影suí随bō波drift along with the current
- zhú逐xīn新qū趋yì异pursue novelty and uniqueness
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Open the tool →Questions about 逐鹿中原
What does 逐鹿中原 mean?
逐鹿中原 (zhú lù zhōng yuán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to contend for supremacy or dominance, often referring to a scramble for power or territory; to vie for control of the land or realm”.
How do you pronounce 逐鹿中原?
逐鹿中原 is pronounced zhú lù zhōng yuán in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 逐鹿中原 literally mean?
Literally, 逐鹿中原 means “to chase deer in the Central Plains”. It is used to mean “to contend for supremacy or dominance, often referring to a scramble for power or territory; to vie for control of the land or realm”.
Where does 逐鹿中原 come from?
逐鹿中原 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 逐鹿中原?
逐：追赶；鹿：指所要围捕的对象，常比喻帝位、政权。指群雄并起，争夺天下。