Chinese Idiom: 赤膊上阵 (Chi Bo Shang Zhen)
English Translation: Bare-chested in battle
pīn yīn: chì bó shàng zhèn
Idiom Meaning: Refers to a reckless, all-out approach to action without regard for strategy; sometimes used to describe impulsive actions that lack planning.
Historical Source: “Records of the Three Kingdoms” (《三国志 · 吴书 · 诸葛恪传》).
Idiom Story:
In 252 CE, Sun Quan, the ruler of the Eastern Wu state, passed away at the age of 71. Zhuge Ke, the Grand Tutor, supported the ten-year-old heir Sun Liang to ascend to the throne. This news quickly reached the capital of the Wei state. At that time, Sima Yi had died a year prior, and the real power was held by his sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao.
General Sima Shi decided to seize the opportunity presented by the death of Sun Quan and dispatched General Hu Zun to lead a three-pronged attack into Jiangdong (Eastern Wu). When Hu Zun’s army of 70,000 troops reached Dongguan (present-day southwest of Hanshan County, Anhui), heavy snow made it difficult to attack the city, so he camped at Xutang east of Dongguan. There, Hu Zun and his generals drank and warmed themselves by the fire.
Suddenly, a soldier reported that two to three dozen small warships were approaching. Hu Zun, seeing the small boats, dismissively told his men, “Dozens of small boats pose no threat; let them watch while we continue our drinking!” However, these small ships were actually the vanguard of Eastern Wu, led by Zhuge Ke.
Upon learning of Wei’s three-pronged attack, Zhuge Ke dispatched the veteran general Ding Feng as the vanguard, leading 20,000 troops and several hundred warships to reinforce Dongguan. On their march, Ding Feng realized that with so many men and horses, they were moving slowly. Fearing that the Wei forces would reach Dongguan first and secure key positions, he sent Tang Zi with the bulk of the troops to follow while he took 3,000 elite warriors on thirty boats to rush ahead.
When Ding Feng and his 3,000 soldiers arrived at Xutang, they saw no signs of the Wei army, prompting Ding Feng to order the boats to land. With a wave of his hand, he declared, “Today is the day for a man to achieve glory for his country!” He then removed his helmet, shed his armor, and took up his shield and sword, standing bare-chested at the bow of the boat to lead the charge.
Inspired by their general’s bravery, all 3,000 warriors followed suit, removing their helmets and armor in readiness. The Wei soldiers, seeing this sight of half-naked warriors in the heavy snow, laughed heartily, thinking that they would freeze before any fighting occurred.
However, Ding Feng led the charge with a roar, and his men jumped ashore like tigers pouncing on their prey, charging directly into the Wei camp. The Wei troops, caught off guard by this unexpected move, panicked and fled. Two Wei generals, drunk and staggering, emerged to challenge the Eastern Wu forces, only to be swiftly cut down by Ding Feng.
In the end, the Wei army was thrown into disarray, suffering heavy casualties. They abandoned their vehicles, horses, and military supplies, leading to a significant victory for Eastern Wu. The phrase “赤膊上阵” (bare-chested in battle) thus came to symbolize fearless and reckless determination in the face of overwhelming odds.