Why are you persecuting each other so fiercely? (used to describe bitter internal strife, especially among close relatives or people from the same group, implying a tragic self-inflicted harm).
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of Wei, was deeply jealous of his brother Cao Zhi's literary talent. He sought a pretext to eliminate him and commanded Cao Zhi to compose a poem within seven paces, or face execution.
Cao Zhi promptly recited: 'Beans are boiled to make soup, the pulp is strained to make juice. The beanstalk burns beneath the pot, the beans weep inside the pot. We are originally from the same root, why are you persecuting me so fiercely?'
Moved by the poem, Cao Pi had no choice but to demote Cao Zhi and send him to guard the frontier.