Chinese Idiom: 不知所措 (Bu Zhi Suo Cuo)
English Translations: Bu Zhi Suo Cuo – Not Knowing What to Do
pīn yīn: bù zhī suǒ cuò
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a state of confusion or panic where one does not know how to handle a situation.
Historical Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wu – Biography of Zhuge Ke (《三国志 · 吴书 · 诸葛恪传》)
Idiom Story:
Zhuge Ke, courtesy name Yuanxun, was from Yangdu in Langya (present-day south of Yinan, Shandong). As the eldest son of Zhuge Jin and the nephew of Zhuge Liang, he was intelligent from a young age and favored by Sun Quan, the ruler of the Wu kingdom. In the third year of the Jiahe era (234 AD), thirty-two-year-old Zhuge Ke was appointed as the General of Pacifying the Yue.
In April of the first year of the Shenfeng era (252 AD), Sun Quan fell gravely ill and, foreseeing his death, summoned Zhuge Ke and others to his bedside to entrust the future of the kingdom. Sun Quan died on April 26. Sun Hong, who had conflicts with Zhuge Ke, planned to fabricate an edict to frame him. Sun Jun, a member of the royal family, informed Zhuge Ke of this plot, leading Zhuge Ke to devise a plan to have Sun Hong killed.
Zhuge Ke then assisted Sun Liang, the new emperor, and took on significant responsibilities as the General. In a letter to his younger brother Zhuge Rong, Zhuge Ke described the situation following Sun Quan’s death and Sun Liang’s accession. He wrote that on April 26, when Sun Liang ascended the throne, he was overwhelmed by a mix of sorrow and joy, feeling utterly at a loss and unsure how to proceed.
Despite his concerns about his own abilities, Zhuge Ke resolved to do his utmost to serve the country in gratitude for his sovereign’s favor. He championed the fight against Wei but was ultimately killed by Sun Jun in 253 AD due to setbacks in the campaign against Wei.
The phrase “哀喜交并，不知所措” (sorrow and joy mixed together, not knowing what to do) illustrates Zhuge Ke’s state of bewilderment and the origin of the idiom “不知所措.”
