To repent of one's past misdeeds and resolve to start anew; to turn over a new leaf.
他因一时的糊涂犯了错，但经过深刻反省，决定悔过自新，重新做人。
He made a mistake due to a momentary lapse in judgment, but after deep reflection, he decided to repent and make a fresh start, becoming a better person.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
Chunyu Yi, a famous physician in the Western Han Dynasty, once committed a crime. The authorities escorted him to Chang'an, where he was awaiting punishment, specifically being amputated (fèi xíng) and having his nose cut off (yì xíng).
His daughter, Ti Ying, could not bear to see her father suffer such extreme punishments. She submitted a petition to Emperor Wen of Han, stating, "Even a person who has committed a crime wishes to repent and make a fresh start..."
Emperor Wen was deeply moved. He pardoned her father and at the same time abolished cruel punishments such as amputation, nose cutting, castration, and capital punishment.
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