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During the Jin Dynasty, when Prime Minister Wang Dao first arrived in Jiangnan, he wished to make connections with local people.
He proposed forming a marriage alliance between his children and those of Grand Commandant Ruan Wan.
Ruan Wan replied, "Small mounds cannot grow large trees like pines and cypresses, just as fragrant herbs and foul-smelling herbs cannot be placed in the same vessel. Though I lack great talent, I cannot be the one to lead in disrupting proper human relations."

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Open the tool →薰莸不同器 (xūn yóu bù tóng qì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “the good and the bad cannot coexist”.
薰莸不同器 is pronounced xūn yóu bù tóng qì in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 薰莸不同器 means “Fragrant herbs and foul-smelling herbs cannot be in the same vessel”. It is used to mean “the good and the bad cannot coexist”.
薰莸不同器 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
薰:香草,比喻善类;莸:臭草,比喻恶物。香草和臭草不可以放在一个器物里。比喻好和坏不能共处。