There will be no intact eggs in an overturned bird’s nest. It is a metaphor for the destruction of a family, and no one will be spared. It is also a metaphor for the destruction of the whole, and the individual will not survive.
Idiom Pronunciation:
覆巢无完卵
fù cháo wú wán luǎn
Origin book:
《文子·上礼》：覆巢毁卵，凤凰不翔。
Origin Story:
Kong Rong, a native of Shandong at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty, was the twentieth generation grandson of Confucius, and had been an official for generations. During the reign of Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, Confucius Rong had been the minister of Beihai.
It is said that when Cao Cao launched an army of 500,000 to conquer Liu Bei and Sun Quan, Confucius Rong opposed and persuaded Cao Cao to stop sending troops. Cao Cao did not think so and continued to do as he pleased. Kong Rong had a few complaints behind his back. When the imperial official Qie Gu, who was usually at odds with Kong Rong, found out about this, he reported it to Cao Cao and added oil and vinegar to the story, saying that Kong Rong had always despised Cao Cao and so on. When Cao Cao heard this, he was so angry that he ordered all of Kong Rong’s family to be arrested and executed.
When Kong Rong was arrested, the whole family was terrified and did not know what to do. Only Kong Rong’s two children were sitting there playing like nothing else, not even looking scared. The family thought that the children were young and did not know what was going on, so they urged them to run away, but they did not care.
When the messenger who came to arrest him arrived, Kong Rong said, “I hope the punishment will be confined to myself, will the two children be able to save their lives?” Unexpectedly, the son went up calmly and said without any panic, “My father, you should stop pleading for mercy. Have you ever seen an intact egg under a knocked-down nest?” The crowd was stunned by his words.
Finally, they followed their father calmly and were taken away together to suffer.
