Chinese Idiom: 师出无名 (Shi Chu Wu Ming)
English Translation: Army marches without a proper name
pīn yīn: shī chū wú míng
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to the situation where a military campaign or action is conducted without a legitimate reason or just cause. It can also be used more generally to describe actions taken without proper justification.
Historical Source: 《汉书·高帝纪上》 (Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Emperor Gaozu of Han).
Idiom Story:
After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang led his army to capture the Qin capital, Xianyang, overthrowing the Qin rule. Soon after, Xiang Yu, with his forces, entered Xianyang, executed the last Qin emperor, Zi Ying, and burned the Qin palaces, with the fires burning for three months.
Xiang Yu then reported the situation to the Chu King, who had been appointed as the nominal ruler of the new order. According to their agreement, the one who first defeated the Qin army and entered Xianyang would become the new king. Despite Xiang Yu’s later arrival in Xianyang, he claimed the title of the “Hegemon of Western Chu” and designated Liu Bang as the “King of Han,” relegating him to the remote and less fertile region of Bashu. Xiang Yu also gave the Chu King a meaningless title—”Yidi” (義帝, Righteous Emperor)—but soon had him secretly killed.
These actions by Xiang Yu caused significant discontent among the various feudal lords. Liu Bang, upon reaching Luoyang, was advised by a local official named Dong Gong, who suggested that success in significant undertakings required just cause. Dong Gong argued that without a legitimate reason, grand endeavors could not succeed. He compared Liu Bang’s situation to that of King Wu of Zhou, who overthrew the tyrannical King Zhou of Shang with righteousness and virtue. Thus, Liu Bang was encouraged to wage war on Xiang Yu, positioning himself as a just and virtuous ruler.
The phrase “师出无名” (Army marches without a proper name) highlights the idea that without a legitimate reason or just cause, one’s actions are unjustified and may not succeed.
