Examples from historical records

Battlefield Resolve & Strategy

• 破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) — break cauldrons, sink boats → Fight with do-or-die resolve.
  Story link: Xiang Yu’s army burns supplies to force victory.
  Use: 关键一战，我们必须破釜沉舟。

• 背水一战 (bèi shuǐ yī zhàn) — battle with one’s back to the river → Make a decisive stand under pressure.
  Story link: Han general Han Xin positions troops with no retreat.
  Use: 项目时间紧，只能背水一战。

• 围魏救赵 (wéi Wèi jiù Zhào) — besiege Wei to rescue Zhao → Relieve pressure by attacking the source elsewhere.
  Story link: Sun Bin’s stratagem in the Warring States.
  Use: 竞争激烈时，可围魏救赵，从侧面突破。

Politics, Court Intrigue & Ethics

• 指鹿为马 (zhǐ lù wéi mǎ) — call a deer a horse → Deliberately twist facts; bully truth.
  Story link: Zhao Gao tests the court’s obedience.
  Use: 这种说法简直指鹿为马。

• 负荆请罪 (fù jīng qǐng zuì) — carry brambles to seek punishment → Humbly admit fault and apologize.
  Story link: Lian Po apologizes to Lin Xiangru.
  Use: 我做错了，愿负荆请罪。

• 唇亡齿寒 (chún wáng chǐ hán) — without lips, the teeth feel cold → Interdependence: one’s fall harms the other.
  Story link: State-to-state alliances in antiquity.
  Use: 供应商与客户是唇亡齿寒的关系。

Tactics, Cautionary Tales & Misjudgment

• 纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng) — discuss warfare on paper → Armchair talk; theory divorced from practice.
  Story link: Zhao Kuo’s defeat at Changping.
  Use: 方案别纸上谈兵，先做小规模验证。

• 草木皆兵 (cǎo mù jiē bīng) — see soldiers in every bush and tree → Paranoia; overreacting under stress.
  Story link: After defeat, every shadow looks like an enemy.
  Use: 别草木皆兵，用数据判断。

• 四面楚歌 (sì miàn Chǔ gē) — songs of Chu on all sides → Be surrounded and isolated.
  Story link: Xiang Yu hears Chu songs in encirclement.
  Use: 舆论压力下他感到四面楚歌。

Endurance, Preparation & Long-Term Vision

• 卧薪尝胆 (wò xīn cháng dǎn) — sleep on brushwood, taste gall → Endure hardship to prepare for comeback.
  Story link: Goujian bides time to restore Yue.
  Use: 创业初期要卧薪尝胆。

• 韬光养晦 (tāo guāng yǎng huì) — sheathe brightness, nourish obscurity → Hide one’s strengths; build quietly.
  Story link: Statesmen’s strategy in complex times.
  Use: 先韬光养晦，时机成熟再出手。

Why Historical Sources Matter

• Precision of meaning: Stories anchor usage and prevent literal misreadings.
• Rhetorical weight: Historical pedigree raises formality and persuasive force.
• Memory hooks: Narrative + image → durable recall.

Quick Practice (Choose the Best Chengyu)

1. 理论很多但缺少实操 → 纸上谈兵
2. 四面压力、几无退路 → 背水一战 / 四面楚歌（语境不同：前者强调决战，后者强调孤立）
3. 先隐忍修炼，等待时机 → 韬光养晦
4. 盟友倒下，自己也受损 → 唇亡齿寒

Study Tips

• Triad法：事件 → 四字形式 → 现代例句。
• 对比记忆：破釜沉舟（断后求胜） vs 背水一战（逼出斗志）。
• 场景化：把每条放进职场、学习或团队的微故事中复述一遍。

Takeaway: 历史记录把战争、外交与人性的关键瞬间压缩为四字密码。掌握 破釜沉舟、背水一战、围魏救赵、指鹿为马、负荆请罪、纸上谈兵、草木皆兵、四面楚歌、卧薪尝胆、韬光养晦，你的表达会更有力度与文化分量。