During the Spring and Autumn period, Zi Pi of the state of Zheng wanted to appoint a young man named Yin He as the governor of his fief. When asked about this, Zi Pi explained, "He is young but eager to learn—he will pick up the skills along the way." A wise advisor countered, "That is like entrusting a man who has never handled a blade with the task of cutting fine silk. You would surely ruin the silk! Governing a fief is far more delicate than cutting silk—how can you risk it on someone untrained?" Zi Pi heeded the advice, and the story became a timeless reminder that responsibility should be matched with experience.
Zichan heard about this and gently advised Zipi, "Yin He is too young; I don't know if he is capable." Zipi replied, "He is cautious and honest, I like him, and he won't betray me. Let him learn, and he will understand how to govern the fief."
Zichan replied, "No, that won't do. When someone cares for another, they always seek to benefit that person. But if you care for someone and hand them government affairs, it's like giving a knife to someone who can't use it and telling them to cut something—they're bound to get hurt. In this way, your care only harms them, so who would dare seek your favor?"
At this point, Zichan emphasized, "You are the pillar of Zheng. If the pillar breaks, the rafters will collapse, and I will be crushed beneath. When it concerns matters of state, how dare I not speak my mind completely?"
Zichan further used vivid metaphors to illustrate Zipi's mistake in appointing Yin He as governor of his fief: "Just as you wouldn't let someone who can't sew learn tailoring on fine silk, or let someone who can't drive learn charioteering on a hunt, you cannot entrust a critical post to an inexperienced youth."
After hearing Zichan's earnest and heartfelt advice, Zipi suddenly saw the light and exclaimed, "Excellent! I truly lack wisdom. I have heard that a gentleman focuses on great and distant matters, while a petty person concerns himself with small and immediate things. By that measure, I am indeed a petty person. I cherish the clothes on my body, yet I neglect and underestimate the important offices and great fiefs that protect me. Without your words, I would never have realized these mistakes..."
From then on, Zipi recognized Zichan's loyalty and entrusted him with all the affairs of Zheng. This trust allowed Zichan to fully apply his talents in governing the state.
"The idiom 'Beams Break and Rafters Fall' describes the main beam cracking and rafters collapsing, later used as a metaphor for total collapse."
Source: *Zuo Zhuan*, "Duke Xiang's 31st Year"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "栋折榱崩" came to describe how the main beam cracking and rafters collapsing is used as a metaphor for total collapse.