shǐ始zhōng终bù不yú渝
To remain steadfast and unwavering from beginning to end; to be constant and faithful in one's commitment or belief.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the imperial court faced both internal strife and external threats.
Xie An was highly renowned, but he was reluctant to serve as an official. It was only after a fervent invitation from Yu Bing, the Inspector of Yangzhou, that he reluctantly took office.
He subsequently led the army to a great victory against the Former Qin forces at the Battle of Fei River. After the victory, he resigned and retired to Dongshan in Kuaiji.
Later, he was compelled to re-enter officialdom, but his aspiration to retreat to Dongshan remained unswerving; he always wished to maintain his noble and pure character.