Exhausted from constantly rushing about to deal with numerous tasks or demands; utterly worn out from being on the go.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Antonym:
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a minister named Wu Chen (申公巫臣子灵) in the State of Chu. He was infatuated with Xia Ji, a woman of legendary beauty from the Zheng royal family who had married into the State of Chen.
Wu Chen, determined to have her, cunningly sabotaged attempts by King Zhuang of Chu and later by Zi Fan (another Chu official) to marry Xia Ji. However, he also could not marry her at that time.
Five years later, Wu Chen finally managed to trick Xia Ji into returning to the State of Zheng, and from there, he eloped with her to the State of Jin.
This act provoked the strong opposition of Chu's powerful ministers, Zi Fan and Zi Zhong. Enraged by their disapproval and threats, Wu Chen declared defiantly that he would make Zi Fan and Zi Zhong so weary from constant rushing and fighting that they would eventually die (疲于奔命而死), implying he would keep them busy with endless troubles and military campaigns.
This historical episode is the origin of the idiom '疲于奔命'.