羞与为伍 — “To be ashamed to associate with someone”

During the transition from the Qin to the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, the King of Han, attracted many capable strategists and generals due to his ability to recruit talented individuals. Among them, Han Xin was a prominent figure, praised by Xiao He as a unique talent, 'Guo Shi Wu Shuang' (an unparalleled national hero). Han Xin fully utilized his military prowess in the wars to overthrow Qin and later in the Chu-Han Contention, making significant contributions to the establishment of the Western Han dynasty.

However, Han Xin's great achievements and influence aroused jealousy and made Liu Bang uneasy. Not long after the Han dynasty was founded, someone reported that Han Xin was planning a rebellion. Liu Bang used a ruse to arrest him, but released him after no concrete evidence was found.

Although released and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin remained unhappy. He believed his accomplishments and abilities surpassed others, looking down upon many other ministers and generals. He often feigned illness to avoid attending court. He particularly disdained the hypocrisy of figures like Zhou Bo, Fan Kuai, and Guan Ying, and was unwilling to be associated with them.

On one occasion, Han Xin passed by Fan Kuai's residence. Fan Kuai cordially invited him in, respectfully saying, 'It is a great honor for His Highness to visit my humble dwelling.' Han Xin, who already held Fan Kuai in low regard, found his feigned cordiality even more irritating. After a brief stay, he excused himself. Fan Kuai knelt to see Han Xin off. Upon exiting the gate, Han Xin smiled and remarked, 'I am truly disgraced; to think I have spent my life working alongside someone like Fan Kuai!'

The idiom '羞与哙伍' (ashamed to be associated with Fan Kuai) evolved from this incident, later becoming '羞与为伍,' meaning to feel ashamed or disgraced to be in the company of someone one despises.