Chasing deer in the Middle Kingdom. Refers to many forces competing for the world.
Idiom Pronunciation:
逐鹿中原
zhú lù zhōng yuán
Origin:
《史记·淮阴侯列传》：秦失其鹿，天下共逐之。
Story:
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty of China, the founding emperor of the Sixteen Kingdoms of Hou Zhao was named Shi Le. One day, Shi Le hosted a banquet for the ambassadors of Goryeo, and when he was almost drunk, he asked his minister Xu Guang in a loud voice, “Which of the kings since ancient times am I better than?” Xu Guang thought for a while and said, “Your extraordinary wisdom exceeds that of Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, and your excellent skills are better than those of the founder of the Wei Dynasty.
“How can a person not know himself? You’re exaggerating a bit!” Shihler laughed at this and said, “If I meet Gao Huang, I will serve him in the north and compete with Han Peng for the whip and the first ear. If I meet Guangwu, I will drive in the Central Plains, and I don’t know who will die.” It means that if I meet Han Gaozu Liu Bang, I will be his subordinate and obey his orders, just compete with Han Xin and Peng Yue; if I meet Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu, I will hunt with him in the Central Plains and compete with him, and I don’t know “who will die”.
This is how the idiom of “hunting for the deer in the Central Plains” was derived. Later, people used the phrase “who’s hand the deer will die” to compare the object of the competition between the two sides not knowing who will win and who will lose, and by extension, the competition between the two sides not knowing who will win and who will lose.
Similar Idioms:
- 龙争虎斗
- 鹿死谁手
