Chinese Idiom: 一寒如此 or 一寒至此 (Yi Han Ru Ci)
English Translation: Utter Poverty
pīn yīn: yī hán rú cǐ
Idiom Meaning: Expresses the extreme state of poverty in a dramatic way. “如此” can also be written as “至此.”
Historical Source: “Old Book of Tang · Biography of Li Jing.”
Idiom Story: During the Warring States period, the high official Xu Jia and the Prime Minister Wei Qi falsely accused Fan Ju and beat him severely, leaving him for dead in the latrine. Unexpectedly, Fan Ju survived, escaped to the Qin state, and adopted the name Zhang Lu. He was soon appointed as the Prime Minister of Qin, becoming a powerful figure in the Qin administration.
When Qin prepared to attack Wei, Wei was anxious and sent Xu Jia to plead for mercy. Upon arriving in Qin, Xu Jia was shocked to see Fan Ju, who had dressed in rags and looked destitute, in a shabby state at an inn. Xu Jia was astonished and asked, “Uncle Fan, you’re still alive! How are you living? What are you doing now?” Fan Ju replied that he was working as a laborer. Xu Jia, feeling pity, invited him to sit down and shared a meal with him, sympathetically saying, “Uncle Fan, you have fallen into such poverty!” He then gave Fan Ju a silk robe.
When Xu Jia later discovered that Zhang Lu was actually Fan Ju, he quickly apologized and pleaded for mercy. Fan Ju replied, “Considering you gave me the silk robe and showed some old friendship, I will spare your life. However, you must inform the King of Wei to quickly send me Wei Qi’s head!”
Wei Qi was later forced to commit suicide as a result.
