Li Mi, a celebrated scholar of the Western Jin Dynasty, lost his father at just six months old. When he turned four, his mother was remarried by her brother, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother, Lady Liu. Later, Li Mi served as a Palace Secretary in the Shu Kingdom, handling state affairs by the emperor's side, and gained renown for his exceptional writing.
In 263 AD, the Kingdom of Wei conquered Shu. Within two years, Sima Yan usurped the Wei throne and founded the Western Jin dynasty. To win over former Shu officials, Emperor Wu of Jin summoned them to court, including Li Mi, whom he appointed as crown prince's tutor.
Li Mi was genuinely willing to serve the Jin Dynasty, but practically, he had to fulfill his filial duty by caring for his grandmother, Lady Liu, until her final days. So he submitted a memorial, "A Petition of Sincere Feelings," pleading with the emperor to excuse him from the summons. In his petition, Li Mi wrote with heartfelt sincerity, "I am caught between loyalty to my sovereign and devotion to my grandmother. Without my grandmother, I would not be alive today; without me, she cannot finish her days." His words were so moving and elegantly phrased that the emperor, moved by his filial piety, granted his request. This story illustrates the timeless Chinese value of filial piety, where family duty can rightfully take precedence over imperial service.
Li Mi began his memorial by recounting his tragic life story: his father died young, his mother remarried, and only his grandmother's compassion saved him from being orphaned. He had no uncles, no brothers, his family was declining, and he himself had children very late. With no close relatives to visit outside and no servants to tend the house inside, he lived utterly alone, his only companion being his own shadow. Yet his grandmother was perpetually ill, bedridden, and dependent on him to prepare her medicine.
Li Mi continued, "After the Jin Dynasty was established, I was recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt official, and later as a Cultivated Talent. I declined both because there was no one to support my grandmother. Later, an imperial edict appointed me as a Gentleman of the Palace, and soon after as a Crown Prince's Attendant. The prefectural and county authorities urged me to take up the posts, but my grandmother's illness was severe, leaving me in a dilemma."
Li Mi concluded his memorial: "Your Majesty's dynasty governs the realm through filial piety, and all the orphaned and elderly receive the court's compassion and care. But my grandmother is now advanced in years—like the sun sinking behind the western hills, her breath is faint and her days are numbered. Without my grandmother, I would not be here today; without me, she cannot see out her remaining years. I am forty-four, and she is ninety-six. My time to serve Your Majesty in loyalty is still long, but my time to fulfill my filial duty to her is very short. Thus I humbly beg Your Majesty to allow me to care for her until the end."
After reading Li Mi's "Petition of Deep Affection," Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty was deeply moved and stopped urging him to take office. To commend his filial devotion, the emperor bestowed upon him two maidservants and ordered the local authorities to support his grandmother. After Lady Liu passed away, Li Mi completed the mourning period and only then assumed official posts such as imperial attendant.
Later, the idiom "standing alone and helpless" came to describe someone who is lonely, destitute, and without support.
Source: *Li Mi*, "Petition for Compassion"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "茕茕孑立" came to describe how someone is lonely, destitute, and without support.