Chinese Idiom: 铸成大错 (Zhu Cheng Da Cuo)
English Translation: Forged into a major mistake
pīn yīn: zhù chéng dà cuò
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to causing a significant error or mistake.
Historical Source: The idiom originates from Zizhi Tongjian (《资治通鉴》), specifically from the Tang Dynasty annals.
Idiom Story:
During the late Tang Dynasty, a man named Zhu Wen (朱温) from Shangzhou, Dangshan County (now part of Anhui Province), initially joined the rebel army of Huang Chao. However, he later surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, which granted him the name Quan Zhong (全忠), thus he became known as Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠). After aligning himself with the Tang court, Zhu Quanzhong expanded his power by suppressing other rebel forces, ultimately becoming the most powerful warlord in late Tang. He eventually overthrew the Tang Dynasty and declared himself emperor, founding the Later Liang dynasty, but was later killed by his own son.
One notable incident involving Zhu Quanzhong is recorded in Zizhi Tongjian, during the third year of Emperor Zhaozong’s reign in the Tianyou era. At that time, another warlord, Luo Shaowei (罗绍威), who controlled Weizhou (now Daming County in Hebei Province), sought Zhu Quanzhong’s assistance to eliminate the forces of the Wei general. To gain Zhu Quanzhong’s support, Luo Shaowei brought his troops into the conflict. However, the resources he provided to Zhu Quanzhong and his men were so vast that Luo Shaowei had already exhausted the wealth he had plundered over the years.
After Zhu Quanzhong had stayed in Weizhou for half a year, it was reported that Luo Shaowei had provided nearly 700,000 livestock (cattle, sheep, and pigs) and vast quantities of supplies, with additional gifts amounting to nearly one million in value. By the time Zhu Quanzhong left, Luo Shaowei had depleted nearly all the accumulated wealth of Weizhou. Although Luo Shaowei managed to eliminate the threat posed by the Wei army, the military strength of Weizhou was significantly weakened thereafter. Filled with regret, Luo Shaowei lamented to others, saying, “Even if all the iron from the six states and forty-three counties in Weizhou were collected, it could not forge such a major mistake!”
