During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Huo Xu from Ye County in Wei Commandery (present-day southwestern Linzhang, Hebei). From a young age, he was diligent and studious, reading all the Confucian classics and writing excellent essays, earning him a local reputation.
Huo Xu's uncle, Song Guang, served as an official in the commandery. Known for his unwavering integrity, he offended several powerful figures, who then submitted a false report accusing him of tampering with an imperial edict. Wrongfully accused, Song Guang was taken to the capital and thrown into prison.
Song Guang, a man of unyielding integrity, refused to confess to false charges and would not bribe the interrogating officials. As a result, the brutal jailers subjected him to relentless torture, yet they could never break his spirit.
At that time, the Grand General Liang Shang, who held the reins of government, harbored doubts about the case and intended to assign someone for a retrial, but his hands were full with state affairs and he had no time to attend to it.
At just fifteen, Huo Xu had known his uncle Song Guang since childhood and was certain he would never commit fraud. He wrote a letter to General Liang Shang, vigorously defending Song Guang. The letter read:
"Song Guang, as a prefectural governor, has always abided by the law and sought the court's trust. Even if he had doubts about an imperial edict, he would not risk a capital offense to alter it. This is like 'drinking poison to quench thirst'—how could he possibly do such a thing?"
The "poisonous bird" (zhen) was a legendary creature whose feathers, when steeped in wine, created a deadly brew—a metaphor for solving an immediate problem with a method that leads to far worse consequences.
After reading the letter, Liang Shang deeply admired Huo Xu's courage and intellect. He immediately petitioned Emperor Shun to pardon Song Guang. Soon, Song Guang was acquitted and released. Huo Xu's reputation spread throughout the capital overnight. Later, he was appointed to high office by the imperial court.
Later, people used the idiom "drinking poison to quench thirst" to describe seeking only to solve immediate difficulties while ignoring future disasters.
Source: *Book of the Later Han*, "Biography of Huo Xu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "饮鸩止渴" came to describe how seeking only to solve immediate difficulties while ignoring future disasters.