During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, as warlords carved up the land and chaos reigned, the entire realm—from the imperial court to local fiefs—valued military might above all else, desperately recruiting generals and strategists. Yet one man stood apart: Sun Yu, a kinsman of the great warlord Sun Quan.
Sun Yu, the Grand Administrator of Danyang in Eastern Wu, commanded over ten thousand troops amid the chaos of war. Yet beyond the clang of swords and the thunder of hooves, he cherished the quiet rustle of ancient scrolls. Even in the midst of military campaigns, he would carve out moments to immerse himself in study, a book always in hand. But Sun Yu didn't hoard this passion; he actively encouraged the sons and brothers of his officers to read as well, believing that wisdom from the past could sharpen their minds for the battles ahead.
At that time, a man named Ma Pu from Jiyin, who was "devoted to learning and antiquity" and highly knowledgeable, was treated with great courtesy by Sun Yu, who tasked him with teaching the children of the officials in his residence, numbering several hundred. Sun Yu also took this opportunity to establish schools in Danyang and Lujiang commanderies, using spare time to lecture everyone on scholarship.
"Devoted to learning" means focusing on scholarship; "fond of antiquity" means loving ancient texts
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Biography of Sun Yu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "笃学好古" came to describe how devoted to learning means focusing on scholarship and fond of antiquity means loving ancient texts.