During the Zhenguan era of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the empire's power was at its peak, and trade with the Western Regions flourished. The capital, Chang'an, was not only the political, economic, and cultural heart of the nation but also a bustling international metropolis.
Merchants from the Western Regions often transported rare and exotic goods to Chang'an for trade. The journey was long and remote, occasionally plagued by bandits, yet the promise of hefty profits kept these foreign traders coming to the city.
Once, a foreign merchant acquired several precious pearls and planned to sell them in Chang'an. Fearing bandits along the way, he cut open his own belly, hid the pearls inside, applied a styptic, and after resting a few days, set off.
After a long and arduous journey, the Persian merchant finally arrived in Chang'an and checked into an inn. Once more, he cut open his abdomen with a knife to retrieve the pearl, but utterly exhausted and bleeding profusely, he could no longer hold on and died.
When word of this spread, it caused a sensation throughout Chang'an, with everyone remarking that the foreign merchant loved money more than life itself—only to lose both his fortune and his life.
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, remarked to his close ministers, "This merchant cherished pearls more than his own life, just like those officials who break the law for bribes and end up ruined—equally laughable!"
At that moment, the imperial advisor Wei Zheng happened to be present. Hearing Emperor Taizong's words, he interjected, "Your Majesty, a similar story was once discussed between Duke Ai of Lu and Confucius. Duke Ai told Confucius about a terribly forgetful man who moved houses but left his wife behind at the old home, forgetting to take her. Confucius replied, 'There are even more forgetful people—like the last rulers of the Xia and Shang dynasties, Jie and Zhou, who indulged in pleasure so thoroughly that they forgot their own lives.' This is not far off from the situation with the foreign merchant."
Emperor Taizong of Tang remarked, "Well said
Source: *Zizhi Tongjian*, Chapter "First Year of the Zhenguan Reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "剖腹藏珠" came to describe how a person loves money more than life itself, only to lose both fortune and life.