Feng Sheng He Li – Alarmed at the slightest sound

Idiom Story

The idiom “风声鹤唳” originates from the events during the late Eastern Jin Dynasty and the early period of Northern China’s disunity. After the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty, China was divided into several states, with the Eastern Jin ruling the south and multiple northern states, including the powerful Former Qin under Fu Jian.

In 383 AD, Fu Jian, aiming to unify the country, led a massive army of 900,000 troops southward to attack the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Jin forces, led by Generals Xie Xuan and Liu Laozi, had only 80,000 soldiers. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Jin army achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Fei River through clever tactics.

Liu Laozi’s night raid caused severe losses to Fu Jian’s advance troops, killing 15,000 soldiers. Fu Jian, overconfident, was persuaded to withdraw his front lines to allow the Jin army to cross the Fei River. This tactical retreat led to chaos as Fu Jian’s rear troops mistakenly thought the front lines had been defeated and began fleeing in panic. The confusion spread rapidly, leading to a rout where the Qin forces trampled over each other and were overwhelmed by the advancing Jin soldiers.

The fleeing Qin soldiers, terrified and disoriented, became hyper-sensitive to any sound, such as the wind rustling or cranes calling, interpreting them as signs of the Jin army’s imminent arrival. This led to a state of utter panic and constant flight, causing high casualties from exhaustion, hunger, and cold. The phrase “风声鹤唳” thus captures the essence of this widespread panic and disorder.

This story reflects the idiom’s meaning of being excessively fearful and agitated, where even minor disturbances are magnified into sources of dread.