老骥伏枥 — “Though old, one still harbors great ambitions and aspirations”

The idiom "Lao Ji Fu Li" originates from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. During that turbulent period, Cao Cao, a prominent warlord, gradually unified the northern territories by successively defeating various regional forces such as Dong Zhuo, the Yellow Turban Army, Lu Bu, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Liu Biao.

After Yuan Shao's sons sought refuge with the Wuhuan tribes in the north, the 53-year-old Cao Cao personally led a large army on a challenging expedition. He thoroughly conquered the 200,000 Wuhuan people, securing the northern frontier.

Upon his triumphant return, Cao Cao composed a famous poem titled "Bu Chu Xia Men Xing" (Walking Out of Xiamen Gate). In this poem, he wrote the well-known lines: "老骥伏枥，志在千里。烈士暮年，壮心不已。" (An old steed in the stable, still aspiring to gallop a thousand miles. A hero in his twilight years, his lofty ambitions never cease.) These lines expressed his enduring ambition and vigor despite his age, giving rise to the idiom "Lao Ji Fu Li" to describe someone who, though old, still harbors great aspirations.