During the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, eunuchs seized power, running rampant and committing every evil imaginable, while their relatives and friends abused this influence to act with impunity.
Zhang Shuo, the magistrate of Yewang (present-day Qinyang, Henan), was the brother of the powerful eunuch Zhang Rang. Flouting his influence, he openly extorted bribes, preyed on the people, and even murdered pregnant women. The locals seethed with rage but dared not speak out.
In 165 AD, Li Ying, hailed as "the model of the realm," became Colonel of the Capital. Within days of taking office, someone reported the heinous criminal Zhang Shuo to him. Li Ying immediately ordered Zhang Shuo's arrest. However, Zhang Shuo caught wind of this and fled overnight to his brother Zhang Rang's home.
When Li Ying learned of this, he personally led a team of officials to search the residence, yet they found nothing. Undeterred, Li Ying ordered a second, more thorough search, and finally captured Zhang Shuo hiding in a secret passage within a double wall. The usually arrogant eunuch Zhang Rang dared not utter a word.
Li Ying, fearing that Zhang Rang might try some trick, wasted no time interrogating Zhang Shuo and then had him executed.
Zhang Rang, upon learning of his brother's death, stormed to Emperor Huan of Han in a fury to weep and complain. The emperor immediately summoned Li Ying to the palace and rebuked him for killing Zhang Shuo without prior approval. Li Ying replied with righteous indignation, "I have been in office for only ten days, worried only about cases piling up beyond my ability to handle. I never imagined that swift justice would become a crime."
Li Ying added, "I have offended the eunuchs, and the outcome will be more bad than good. Even if Your Majesty sentences me to death, I will never retreat. I only ask for a five-day reprieve to bring the unforgivable criminals to justice. After that, even if I am boiled in oil, I will face death without regret."
Li Ying then listed Zhang Shuo's many crimes, leaving Emperor Huan of Han speechless, who could only say to Zhang Rang, "Your brother got what he deserved—how can you blame Colonel Li?" From then on, Li Ying's reputation soared, and the eunuchs no longer dared act recklessly. The emperor, puzzled, asked them why, and they kowtowed, replying, "We fear Colonel Li!" Later, people used the idiom "Death Without Turning Back" to describe facing danger without retreat, even unto death.
*Book of the Later Han*, "Biography of Li Ying"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "死不旋踵" came to describe facing danger without retreat, even unto death.