vương mệnh tại thân
Definition
- Idiom (Four-character idiom):
- The king's mandate rests upon one's person: A classical idiom meaning to be carrying out a royal commission or imperial order. It describes a person who is acting with the authority of the king or emperor, often while traveling or on an inspection tour on the monarch's behalf.
- To be on a royal mission: The phrase signifies that one is executing a specific duty or journey commissioned by the sovereign, imbuing the person with the king's authority for that purpose.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Quan đại thần ấy vương mệnh tại thân, đi tuần tra các vùng biên ải. (That high-ranking mandarin is on a royal mission, inspecting the border regions.)
- Với tư cách khâm sai, ông ta vương mệnh tại thân, mọi người đều phải tuân lệnh. (As an imperial envoy, he bears the king's mandate; everyone must obey his orders.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is primarily used in historical, literary, or formal contexts to describe officials, envoys, or generals acting under direct imperial authority. It conveys legitimacy, supreme duty, and often, a sense of solemn responsibility.
Variants and Related Words
- Khâm sai (n): Imperial envoy or commissioner, a person specifically appointed by the emperor for a task. This is a common title for someone who would be described as "vương mệnh tại thân."
- Phụng mệnh (v): To receive and obey an order (often from a superior or the king). This is a related verb phrase.
Synonyms
- On a royal commission: Acting under orders from the sovereign.
- Bearing the imperial mandate: Carrying the authority of the emperor.
- Acting with the king's authority: Exercising power delegated by the monarch.
Related Idioms
- Thay trời hành đạo: To act on heaven's behalf (to administer justice). This shares the conceptual theme of acting with a higher, delegated authority.
- Phụng chỉ tuần tra: To undertake an inspection tour by imperial decree. This is a more descriptive phrase for a specific action implied by "vương mệnh tại thân."