宁为玉碎，不为瓦全 — “Rather be a shattered jade than an intact tile”

In 550 AD, Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei was forced to abdicate by the tyrannical High Chancellor Gao Yang, who then established the Northern Qi dynasty. Gao Yang was ruthless, and the following year, he poisoned Emperor Xiaojing and his three sons to eliminate all potential threats.

Ten years into his reign, a solar eclipse occurred. Fearing it was an ill omen for his usurped throne, Gao Yang asked a confidant why Emperor Guangwu of Han was able to restore the Han dynasty after Wang Mang's usurpation. The confidant vaguely replied that it was because Wang Mang had not eradicated all members of the Liu imperial clan.

Believing this cruel advice, Gao Yang immediately ordered the execution of over 700 close relatives from the Eastern Wei imperial clan (the Yuan clan), sparing no one, not even infants.

News of the massacre terrified the more distant Yuan clan members, who feared a similar fate. They gathered to discuss a solution. A county magistrate named Yuan Jing'an suggested that the only way to save their lives was to request Gao Yang's permission to renounce their Yuan surname and adopt the Gao surname.

However, Yuan Jing'an's cousin, Yuan Jinghao, vehemently opposed this idea. He angrily declared, "How can we abandon our ancestors and change our surname to save our lives? A true man would rather be a shattered piece of jade than an intact tile. I would rather die and preserve my integrity than live in humiliation for the sake of survival!"

Yuan Jing'an, seeking to save his own life,卑鄙地 reported Jinghao's words to Gao Yang. Gao Yang immediately arrested Jinghao and had him executed. For his betrayal, Yuan Jing'an was rewarded with the Gao surname and a promotion.

However, such brutal massacres could not save the faltering Northern Qi regime. Three months later, Gao Yang died of illness. Eighteen years after that, the Northern Qi dynasty also met its end.