Yu Yan, a towering man of the Eastern Han Dynasty strong enough to lift a cauldron, once served as a lowly village warden. Despite his humble rank, he feared no powerful figure. When a guest of the Wei family—a favored concubine of the usurper Wang Mang—broke the law, Yu Yan personally led his men to arrest the offender. This bold act angered the imperial relatives, and as a result, his career stalled for years.
Yu Yan, a man of great kindness, once rescued his infant cousin who had been abandoned in a ditch by her mother, raising her as his own. During the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Yu Yan served as the magistrate of Xiyang County, where he treated his subordinates with such care that every holiday, he would send them home to reunite with their families.
Yu Yan later resigned and returned to his hometown. The local governor, Fu Zong, admired his reputation and invited him to serve as the governor's chief steward. Fu Zong was extravagantly wasteful and misused public funds. Yu Yan, disapproving, advised him:
“In ancient times, Yan Ying, a high-ranking minister of Qi, served three dukes—Duke Ling, Duke Zhuang, and Duke Jing—yet remained so frugal that his deerskin coat was tattered and incomplete. Similarly, Ji Wenzi, who served as prime minister of Lu under three rulers—Duke Xuan, Duke Cheng, and Duke Xiang—made his wife wear coarse cloth and fed his horses only grass, never grain. Now you waste wealth and chase luxury—beware!”
Fu Zong was deeply displeased by the advice and continued his life of debauchery, spending money like water. Seeing that Fu Zong refused to change his ways, Yu Yan resigned from his position as steward.
Soon, Fu Zong was investigated for embezzling public funds, sentenced to death, and before his execution, he wept and sighed:
"I really shouldn't have ignored Yu Yan's loyal advice!" Later, the idiom "Deer Fur Coat Unfinished" came to describe a frugal life.
Source: *Book of the Later Han*, "Biography of Yu Yan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "鹿裘不完" came to describe a frugal life.