Xiang Zhuang | to dance; to wield; to brandish | (double-edged) sword | idea; meaning; wish idea; meaning; wish; desire; Italy (abbrev.) |
(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing |
Duke of [[w:Pei Commandery; Liu Bang | |||
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trad. (項莊舞劍,意在沛公) | 項莊 | 舞 | 劍 | , | 意 | 在 | 沛公 | |
simp. (项庄舞剑,意在沛公) | 项庄 | 舞 | 剑 | , | 意 | 在 | 沛公 |
From the Records of the Grand Historian. In 206 BC, late Qin dynasty warlord Xiang Yu invited his rival Liu Bang to a feast at Hongmen (鴻門宴/鸿门宴 (hóngményàn)). During this feast, Xiang Yu's cousin, Xiang Zhuang, tried to assassinate Liu Bang (also known as the Duke of Pei) by pretending to offer to perform a sword dance.
項莊舞劍,意在沛公