Dong Hu's pen(dǒng hú zhī bǐ)

Dong Hu's pen

Dong Hu's pen, a Chinese idiom, Pinyin D ǒ NGH ú zh ī B ǐ, means that posterity calls those who are fair and impartial, and who make up false statements not because of their likes and dislikes or interests. From Zuo Zhuan, the second year of Xuangong.

The origin of Idioms

According to the second year of Xuangong in Zuozhuan, Zhao Chuan killed linggong in Jin Dynasty, but Zhao Dun, as the prime minister, didn't take charge of it. Dong Hu thought that Zhao Dun should be responsible, so he recorded that Zhao Dun killed his monarch in history. Killed by Zhao dun. Later Confucius praised and said: "Dong Hu, a good history of ancient times, calligraphy is not hidden."

Idiom usage

In Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guoquan is unconvinced by the elder brother's view. Last year, Wang Kaiyun, the Hunan sergeant, wrote the annals of the Hunan army. Wang Kaiyun also threatened that he had nothing to do with the compilation of Xiang army's ambition. He wanted to uphold the principle of "no praise, no evil", and keep a good history for Xiang army. 　　

Idiom story

After succeeding to the throne, Duke Ling of Jin Dynasty was very licentious and arrogant. He often stood upstairs and shot people on the road with a catapult to amuse the beauties around him. Once the cook cooked bear's paw was not suitable for his taste, so King Ling of Jin killed the cook and ordered eight pieces of corpses to be put into the wasteland with bamboo baskets. The prime minister Zhao Dun (Zhao Guojun's ancestor) was very indignant at these undisciplined behaviors, and repeatedly admonished him. Not only did he not listen, but he also harbored resentment and wanted to get rid of Zhao Dun secretly. Zhao Dun fled for refuge after hearing the news. Zhao Dun's nephew, Zhao Chuan, had already seen the essence of Jin linggong's corruption and killed him when he was drunk. After that, Zhao Chuanli became king of Jin Chenggong, and Zhao Dun became prime minister again. Zhao Dun was praised by the government and the public for his ability. The historian Dong Hu held different opinions. He wrote in the historical bamboo slips without concealment: "Zhao Dun killed his king." Zhao Dun was shocked and went to Dong Hu to explain that he was not guilty of killing his king. Dong Hu insisted: "you are in phase. Although you left the capital when the monarch was killed, you didn't go out of the country. After the monarch was killed, you didn't do the murderer. Who should be responsible for the charge of killing the monarch Later, when Confucius heard about it, he commented: "Dong Hu, the good history of ancient times, calligraphy is not hidden." Zhao Dun is also a "good doctor in ancient times, who suffered evil for the law," which is really unjust. Since then, later generations have praised Dong Hu's pen as a model of historians' impartial writing. Dong Hu, also known as Shi Hu, is the Grand Historian of Jin State in the spring and Autumn period. He is a descendant of Shi Xinyou of the Zhou Dynasty. His surname is Dong because of Dong Du's Classics. It is said that Lianghu village, 50 miles east of Yicheng County, is its hometown. Dong Hu's direct writing is the first of its kind in China. In the second year of Xuangong in Zuo Zhuan, it is recorded that Yigao, the Duke of Ling in Jin Dynasty, amassed wealth and harmed his subjects. As the ruling Minister of Zhengqing, Zhao Dun tried his best to admonish him many times. Instead of changing, linggong wantonly harmed him. He first sent people to assassinate him, but failed to do so. At the banquet, he was attacked and killed by a group of soldiers, but failed. Zhao Dun was forced to flee. When he fled to the border of Jin State, he heard that linggong had been killed by his younger brother Zhao Chuan. Ganshi returned to Jindu and continued to be in power. Dong Hu recorded the incident with "Zhao Dun killed his monarch" and declared it to the court officials as a sign of written attack. Zhao Dun argued that it was Zhao Chuan who killed him, not his crime. Dong Hu stated his reasons and said, "son is the prime minister. He will not cross the border when he dies. He will not ask for thieves. Who is not son?" It means that as a minister in power, when he escaped from the country, he did not break the original righteousness of monarch and minister. When he returned to the court, he should organize people to fight against the disorderly ministers. If he did not fight, he would not fulfill his duty. Therefore, he should bear the name of "regicide", which was decided by the "calligraphy" of history. The historiographers at that time were very different from the later generations. They not only canonized historical policies, but also served as secretaries, that is to say, they assisted the monarchs and ministers in carrying out the laws and regulations governing the country. It is their specific duty to publicize the king's orders and record merits and demerits. They have the dual tasks of governing history and administration. In fact, they are civilian ministers who have the power to praise and criticize Zang. At that time, the "calligraphy" of recording events was made according to rites, and the core of rites was to maintain the justice of the monarch and his ministers. Zhao Dun did not fight against the tyrannical officials, but lost the justice of the monarch and his ministers, so Dong Hu decided to commit the crime of regicide. In this regard, Confucius greatly praised Dong Hu as a "good ancient history" of "calligraphy is not hidden", and later generations called him "good Fox" to praise beauty. This is because in the spring and Autumn period when rites collapsed and music was destroyed, the powerful officials had the power of life and death. The calligraphy principle of violating rites and righteousness had already lost its dignity. Adhering to this principle, not all of them could be praised, but would often lead to death. As a result, the two brothers were killed one after another. Therefore, Confucius praised him and later generations praised him for his upright spirit of adhering to principles. This spirit has been persistently inherited by upright historians, and has become the most noble moral sentiment in the history and Morality Tradition of our country. of course, with the development of the times, the meaning of straight pen gradually gets rid of the limitation of calligraphy, which takes the violation of etiquette and righteousness as the content. Starting from Sima Qian, it has been endowed with the spirit of "no false beauty, no hidden evil", which has the essence of historical materialism. This tradition carries forward the development of the Progressive historians of the descendants, and compiling many works that are called "historical records", which are the cream of our historical works. The opening of the book is due to the direct writing spirit of Dong Hu, the great historian of Jin Dynasty, who is not afraid of power and adheres to principles.

Chinese PinYin : dǒng hú zhī bǐ