Meaning: Sleeping among ox blankets and weeping together. The phrase describes a husband and wife living in extreme poverty.
Source: "Biography of Wang Zhang" in History of the Han. "At that time, Zhang was a student in Chang'an. He lived alone with his wife. Zhang fell ill. Having no quilt, he lay in ox blankets and took leave of his wife, weeping."
1.Wang Zhang was a senior official at the time of the Han dynasty emperor Chengdi. He was known at court for his frank speaking.
2.He was born to a poor family. As a young man he went to study in Chang'an, where he and his wife lived in extreme poverty.
3.That winter Wang Zhang fell seriously ill. He and his wife didn't have so much as a quilt to their name, and had no choice but to get through the winter by huddling up in ox blankets woven from coarse hemp.
4.Fearing he would not live long, Wang Zhang tearfully bade his wife farewell. But she rebuked him, saying: "You have outstanding talent and learning, yet you are ready to give up just because we are poor. Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?"
5.Wang Zhang gritted his teeth, took better care of himself so that he recovered his health, and set about his studies with determination.
6.Later, Wang Zhang became an administrative officer in the capital.
7.In those days Chengdi's uncle Wang Feng monopolized power. Wang Zhang and some other upstanding courtiers wrote a report to the emperor.
8.But because Chengdi was unwilling to remove his own uncle from office, he took no action on Wang Zhang's report.
9.In this way Wang Zhang offended Wang Feng. In the end Wang Feng concocted false charges against Wang Zhang, who died in prison.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)