During the reign of Emperor Xuandi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD), the Qiang people (one of the ethnic minorities at that time) often appeared and disappeared in the northwest border areas; they harassed the local residents, attacked the towns and slew the officials. Knowing this, the court immediately held a meeting to discuss countermeasures. All the ministers advocated immediately sending troops to suppress the Qiang people. However, when Emperor Xuandi asked who could lead such an army, nobody replied.
A 76-year-old general named Zhao Chongguo came forward and said that he would like to go to the northwest border areas to make reconnaisance. Emperor Xuandi was very pleased and said to him, “How many forces, weapons and provisions do you estimate you will need? Please tell me!”
Zhao Chongguo said, “It is hard to make a correct estimation and lodge specific requirements since I am not aware of the real situation. Seeing is believing. I would like to go there myself and have a look and find out the situation. Then I will inform Your Majesty.”
Zhao Chongguo went to Jincheng County in northwest China to make a field survey and crossed the Yellow River to spy out the situation of the areas of the Qiang people. He also inquired of captives about the relations among the heads of the Qiang troops. Thus informed, he proposed the strategy of sending troops to the frontier to guard instead of making attack and suggested the policy of disconcerting the Qiang enemies by striving for harmony. Emperor Xuandi, however, listened to the opinions of other ministers and still stood for attack.
Zhao Chongguo disagreed and argued strongly on just grounds, listing the 12 advantages of his proposal and the 12 disadvantages of attack. After Zhao had presented communiques to the emperor
many times and the emperor and ministers had discussed it repeatedly, the proportion of ministers in favor of Zhao Chongguo gradually increased to five tenths from three tenths and finally to eight tenths. Emperor Xuandi at last agreed to the proposal of Zhao Chongguo. As a result, the implementation of Zhao’s proposal brought about a situation of peace and harmony between Han people and Qiang people, resulting in stabilized relations.
The idiom is from Chroniclesofthe HanDynasty:BiographyofZhaoChong uo, meaning that it is better to see for oneself rather than to hear many times second-hand.
