Chinese Idiom: 小题大做 (Xiao Ti Da Zuo)
English Translation: Making a mountain out of a molehill
pīn yīn: xiǎo tí dà zuò
Idiom Meaning: This idiom means to make a big fuss over a minor issue, treating something trivial as if it were of great importance.
Historical Source: “Records of the Grand Historian” (史记·平原君列传)
Idiom Story
During the Spring and Autumn period, a conflict arose between the states of Yan and Zhao. Angered, Yan appointed Gaoyang Jun as the commander to lead an army of 100,000 soldiers to attack Zhao. The King of Zhao, Xiaocheng, was terrified upon hearing this news and felt that none of Zhao’s generals could match Gaoyang Jun. In desperation, he decided to seek help from the state of Qi by inviting the renowned general Tian Dan to serve as Zhao’s marshal and lead the army against Yan.
Taking advantage of Zhao’s predicament, the King of Qi agreed to help but demanded an exorbitant price: Zhao had to cede three major cities and 57 towns in the Linglu, Gaotang, and Pingyuan areas to Qi. To preserve his kingdom, King Xiaocheng reluctantly agreed to this harsh condition.
This decision shocked the Zhao court, leading to widespread discontent among the ministers. Among them, the most dissatisfied was Ma Fu Jun, Zhao She. However, even he did not dare openly oppose the decision and instead approached Pingyuan Jun privately.
“We have capable generals in Zhao,” Zhao She argued. “To invite Tian Dan at the cost of over 50 cities is a clear case of making a mountain out of a molehill. These cities were hard-won through the blood and lives of our soldiers, how can we just give them away to Qi so easily?”
Pingyuan Jun, however, dismissed the matter, saying, “The decision has been made, there’s no point in discussing it further.”
Frustrated, Zhao She retorted, “Our state has many valiant soldiers and capable generals. If I were to lead the army, I could defeat the Yan forces in less than a hundred days. Tian Dan is not someone we can rely on. If he’s incompetent, he will lose to Yan, and even if he’s skilled, he won’t fight wholeheartedly for Zhao. Using Tian Dan is a mistake that will harm Zhao rather than help it.”
Seeing that Pingyuan Jun remained indifferent, Zhao She sighed and left in disappointment.
This story illustrates the idiom “小题大做,” which was derived from Zhao She’s criticism of the king’s decision, highlighting the folly of making a big deal out of something that could have been managed internally without unnecessary sacrifices.
