jì济shí时zhěng拯shì世
To relieve the distress of the times and rescue the world; to save society from pressing problems.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, Cui Yin, a native of Zhuo Commandery, was fond of studying ancient texts. He wrote a treatise titled "Zheng Lun" (Discourse on Government) to discuss contemporary politics.
He believed that after over 350 years, the Han Dynasty had accumulated deep-seated problems. He argued that laws should be formulated according to the current situation to address urgent issues, which was the only way to mend flaws, correct wrongs, and "relieve the distress of the times and save the world."
His theories were fully put into practice when he served as the Administrator of Wuyuan.