杯酒释兵权 — “To disarm military commanders or powerful figures by peaceful means”
杯酒释兵权 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to disarm military commanders or powerful figures by peaceful means”. Typically through persuasion, lavish entertainment, and offering high positions or generous rewards, rather than by force. Literally, “Relieve military power with cups of wine”.
杯酒释兵权 Pronunciation and Pinyin
杯酒释兵权 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 杯酒释兵权
Origin and Story of 杯酒释兵权
In 961 AD, Emperor Taizu of Song (Zhao Kuangyin), after discussing a plan with his prime minister Zhao Pu, invited several key military commanders of the imperial army, including Shi Shouxin and Wang Shenqi, to a banquet. During the feast, he persuaded them to relinquish their military authority in exchange for prestigious civilian posts and generous retirement benefits.
Eight years later, in 969 AD, he employed the same strategy to dismiss powerful regional governors like Wang Yanchao, thereby disarming the local strongmen. This strategic move effectively strengthened the central government's control and prevented regional fragmentation.
Idioms Related to 杯酒释兵权
More idioms starting with 杯
- bēi杯zhōng中zhī之wù物alcoholic beverages
- bēi杯zhōng中wù物alcoholic drink
- bēi杯zhōng中shé蛇yǐng影frightened by imaginary dangers
- bēi杯quān圈zhī之sī思Longing for one's deceased mother
- bēi杯gōng弓shì市hǔ虎imagining dangers from groundless suspicions
- bēi杯gōng弓shé蛇yǐng影imaginary fears cause self-fright
- bēi杯yǐng影shé蛇gōng弓scared by imaginary fears
- bēi杯cán残zhì炙lěng冷leftovers from a meal
- bēi杯shuǐ水zhī之jìng敬a humble token of respect
- bēi杯shuǐ水zhī之xiè谢a meager token of gratitude
- bēi杯shuǐ水lì粒sù粟meager amount of food and drink
- bēi杯shuǐ水yú舆xīn薪an utterly inadequate measure
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Open the tool →Questions about 杯酒释兵权
What does 杯酒释兵权 mean?
杯酒释兵权 (bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to disarm military commanders or powerful figures by peaceful means”.
How do you pronounce 杯酒释兵权?
杯酒释兵权 is pronounced bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 杯酒释兵权 literally mean?
Literally, 杯酒释兵权 means “Relieve military power with cups of wine”. It is used to mean “to disarm military commanders or powerful figures by peaceful means”.
Where does 杯酒释兵权 come from?
杯酒释兵权 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to modern Chinese. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 杯酒释兵权?
释：解除。本指在酒宴上解除将领的兵权。泛指轻而易举地解除将领的兵权。