Ouyang Xiu was a renowned literary figure of the Northern Song Dynasty, excelling as a writer, poet, historian, classicist, and bibliographer.
Orphaned at age four, he grew up in dire poverty yet never ceased his diligent studies, advancing rapidly in his learning. At twenty-two, he journeyed to the capital for the imperial examinations, achieved the top score as a *zhuangyuan* (champion scholar), and thus entered officialdom.
Ouyang Xiu, young and brilliant, caught the emperor's eye and rose to the rank of Vice Privy Councilor. But when he defended the failed reformer Fan Zhongyan, he was swiftly demoted to governor of Chuzhou.
During his time in Chuzhou, the poet Ouyang Xiu often traveled through the mountains and rivers with friends. Southwest of the city stood Mount Langya, behind which was an unnamed pavilion surrounded by peaks with breathtaking scenery. Ouyang Xiu and his companions frequently visited for feasts and outings, naming it the Drunken Old Man's Pavilion. He later immortalized the spot in his famous essay, *The Story of the Drunken Old Man's Pavilion*.
At the beginning of this essay, the author writes:
"All around Chuzhou are mountains. Among the southwestern peaks lies Langya Mountain. Walking seven li along the mountain path brings you to Brewing Spring. There stands a pavilion, built by the monk Zhixian. The pavilion was named by the prefect who called himself the Old Drunkard, hence its name: the Old Drunkard's Pavilion."
"The governor often drinks here with his guests, and he himself frequently gets drunk, so he calls himself the Drunken Old Man. The Drunken Old Man's true intention is not in the wine, but in appreciating the beauty of the mountains and waters."
This prose piece, with its elegant language and fresh tone, has become an immortal masterpiece passed down through the ages.
Later, the idiom "The Old Tippler's Heart Is Not in His Cup" came to mean that one's real intention lies elsewhere, or that one has ulterior motives.
Source: Ouyang Xiu (Song Dynasty), *The Story of the Drunken Old Man's Pavilion*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "醉翁之意不在酒" came to describe one's real intention lies elsewhere, or that one has ulterior motives.