沆瀣一氣

Chinese

Etymology

A story during the Tang dynasty:

又乾符二年，崔沆放崔瀣，譚者稱「座主門生，沆瀣一氣」。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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又乾符二年，崔沆放崔瀣，谭者称「座主门生，沆瀣一气」。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Song dynasty, 錢易 (Qian Yi), 《南部新書》

Yòu Qiánfú èr nián, Cuī Hàng fàng Cuī Xiè, tánzhě chēng “zuòzhǔ ménshēng, hàngxièyīqì”.

In the second year of Qianfu (i.e. 875 CE), a student, named Cui Xie, was admitted by an examiner, named Cui Hang, during the imperial examinations. Both Xie and Hang meant “mist of vapour in the air” in Classical Chinese, and people at the time remarked: “the examiner and the student ― Hang and Xie ― are of the same gang”.

Pronunciation

Idiom

沆瀣一氣

1. (derogatory, literary) to act in collusion; to gang up
   • 2020, Wang Chen, “zh:关于《全国人民代表大会关于建立健全香港特别行政区维护国家安全的法律制度和执行机制的决定（草案）》的说明 (Explanation on the Decision of the National People's Congress on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to Safeguard National Security (Draft))”, in Communique of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress‎^{s:zh:Page:中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会常务委员会公报2020年第二号.pdf/10}, page 285:

     近年來，一些外國和境外勢力公然干預香港事務，通過立法、行政、非政府組織等多種方式進行插手和搗亂，與香港反中亂港勢力勾連合流、沆瀣一氣 [MSC, trad.]
     近年来，一些外国和境外势力公然干预香港事务，通过立法、行政、非政府组织等多种方式进行插手和捣乱，与香港反中乱港势力勾连合流、沆瀣一气 [MSC, simp.]

     jìnnián lái, yīxiē wàiguó hé jìngwài shìlì gōngrán gānyù xiānggǎng shìwù, tōngguò lìfǎ, xíngzhèng, fēizhèngfǔzǔzhī děng duōzhǒng fāngshì jìnxíng chāshǒu hé dǎoluàn, yǔ xiānggǎng fǎnzhōngluàngǎng shìlì gōulián héliú, hàngxièyīqì

     Moreover in recent years, certain foreign or external forces have flagrantly interfered in Hong Kong's affairs. They have made intervention and created disturbances in various ways, such as by legislative and administrative means and through non-governmental organizations. In collusion with those anti-China Hong Kong disputers, these same forces colluded with them in disruption