三顾茅庐 — “Three visits to the thatched cottage”

Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, with the Yellow Turban Rebellion causing great chaos, Cao Cao controlled the imperial court, and Sun Quan commanded forces in Eastern Wu. Liu Bei, a descendant of the Han imperial family and Governor of Yuzhou, heard from Xu Shu and Sima Hui (both famous strategists of the Three Kingdoms period) that Zhuge Liang was highly learned and talented.

So, Liu Bei, accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, brought gifts to Wolonggang in Longzhong (present-day Xiangyang, Hubei) to invite Zhuge Liang to help him serve the country. It so happened that Zhuge Liang was out that day, and Liu Bei had to return disappointed.

Not long after, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei braved heavy snow to visit a second time. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang was again out enjoying himself. Zhang Fei was reluctant to come again and urged them to return, seeing Zhuge Liang wasn't home. Liu Bei had no choice but to leave a letter, expressing his admiration for Zhuge Liang and his desire for Zhuge Liang to help him save the perilous situation of the country.

After some time, Liu Bei fasted for three days, preparing for a third visit. Guan Yu suggested that Zhuge Liang might only have an empty reputation, not true talent, and that there was no need to go. Zhang Fei, however, insisted on going alone to fetch him, threatening to tie him up if he refused. Liu Bei reprimanded Zhang Fei and then, with both of them, made his third visit to Zhuge Liang.

When they arrived, Zhuge Liang was sleeping. Liu Bei dared not disturb him and stood there until Zhuge Liang woke up on his own, and only then did they sit down to talk. Moved by Liu Bei's ambition to serve the country and his sincere invitation, Zhuge Liang agreed to fully assist Liu Bei in establishing the Shu Han dynasty.

The novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" refers to Liu Bei's three personal visits to earnestly invite Zhuge Liang as "San Gu Mao Lu." Zhuge Liang himself, in his famous "Chu Shi Biao" (Memorial on Going to War), also wrote: "The late Emperor, not deeming me base, stooped to visit me thrice in my thatched cottage." Thus, later generations use this idiom to describe someone repeatedly and personally visiting a respected person they wish to invite for assistance, conveying the intense eagerness and sincerity of the invitation, embodying the spirit of being unashamed to ask those beneath one and humbly seeking talent.