Ngô Khởi, Chu Mãi Thần

Definition
  1. Proper Noun (Historical Figure Pair):
    • A proverbial pair symbolizing ruthless ambition and dramatic reversal of fortune: Refers to two distinct historical Chinese figures, Ngô Khởi (Wu Qi) and Chu Mãi Thần (Zhu Maichen), whose stories are combined in Vietnamese idiom to represent extreme actions taken for career advancement and the profound humiliation of poverty followed by spectacular success and vindication.
Usage Examples
  • Proper Noun:
    • Câu chuyện Ngô Khởi, Chu Mãi Thần là bài học về lòng tham và sự kiên nhẫn. (The story of Ngô Khởi, Chu Mãi Thần is a lesson about greed and patience.)
    • Anh ta sẵn sàng làm mọi thứ như Ngô Khởi, Chu Mãi Thần để thăng tiến. (He is willing to do anything like Ngô Khởi, Chu Mãi Thần to get ahead.)
Advanced Usage
  • The phrase is primarily used in a proverbial or allusive context to comment on moral compromise for power or on the unpredictable nature of fate, where extreme hardship precedes great reward.
Variants and Related Words
  • Ngô Khởi (Wu Qi): Specifically refers to the historical strategist and reformer from the Warring States period, infamous in folklore for killing his wife to gain the trust of a ruler.
  • Chu Mãi Thần (Zhu Maichen): Specifically refers to the historical figure from the Western Han dynasty, known for being abandoned by his wife due to poverty, who later became a high-ranking governor and publicly humiliated his former wife when she sought reconciliation.
Synonyms
  • Symbols of ambition and vindication: Emblems of ruthless pursuit of success and dramatic comeback.
  • Paragons of fate's reversal: Exemplars of a complete and often ironic turnaround in life circumstances.
Related Idioms
  • The stories of these two figures are often referenced separately or together to imply themes of "cắt đứt tình cảm vì công danh" (severing relationships for career) and "rửa hận" (avenging past humiliation).
    • Hành động của hắn chẳng khác gì Ngô Khởi. (His action is no different from that of Ngô Khởi.)
    • Sự thành công của ông ấy là một kiểu Chu Mãi Thần thời hiện đại. (His success is a modern-day version of Chu Mãi Thần.)