To be completely ignorant; to know absolutely nothing about something; to be totally in the dark.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the late Shang Dynasty, King Zhou (殷纣王) was the last emperor, a tyrannical ruler despised by his people. He neglected state affairs, indulged in wine and women, and blindly trusted the treacherous concubine Daji, leading a life of debauchery.
Bi Gan (比干), a loyal and upright minister, was deeply concerned by King Zhou's foolishness. He repeatedly and earnestly advised the king to mend his ways and act for the good of the people.
One day, influenced by Daji, King Zhou ordered the execution of the innocent Mei Bo, decreeing that he be minced into a paste. Upon learning this, Bi Gan rushed to admonish the king, urging him not to believe Daji's slanders or wrongfully kill innocent people, warning that such behavior would lead to the downfall of the kingdom.
Bi Gan's continuous fervent pleas for several days greatly displeased King Zhou. Enraged, King Zhou exclaimed, "I have long heard that a sage's heart has seven apertures. I will kill him and take out his heart to see for myself!" King Zhou indeed killed Bi Gan and had his heart removed.
Later, Confucius, reflecting on this incident, sighed, "King Zhou's mind (heart's apertures) was utterly blocked. If even one aperture had been clear, Bi Gan would not have been killed!" This idiom describes someone who is completely ignorant or understands nothing about a subject.