Shortly after Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, he issued a nationwide call for talent
Emperor Wu of Han ordered the seizure of a vast tract of land near Chang'an to build an imperial hunting park. Dongfang Shu vehemently opposed the plan, arguing, 'This will drain the people's strength and harm the nation's interests.' The emperor ignored him. Later, Dongfang Shu submitted a memorial proposing agricultural reforms and military strengthening, but again, his advice went unheeded.
Dongfang Shuo faced repeated setbacks. So, he wrote "The Biography of Master Feiyou," a satirical allegory criticizing Emperor Wu of Han, fabricating the following story:
Once upon a time, there was a Master Feiyou who served as an official in the State of Wu for three years yet remained obscure, never offering any political opinions. The ruler found this strange and asked him, "If you have talent but do not contribute it, that is disloyalty; if you contribute it and I do not adopt it, that is my ignorance. You say nothing at all—could it be that I am ignorant?"
Master Feiyou repeatedly bowed with clasped hands, yet still refused to speak a single word.
"Sir, you may speak now—I am all ears," said the attendant. "Are you ready? Are you truly ready?" Non-You sighed deeply and replied, "Easier said than done!" He then recounted numerous historical examples of loyal ministers executed for their honest counsel, while flattering sycophants rose to power and glory. Finally, he repeated with a heavy heart, "Truly, easier said than done!"
Stirred by these words, the King of Wu was deeply shaken; from that day forward, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to governing with vigor and diligence, ultimately leading the state of Wu to prosperity and strength.
Dongfang Shuo, through the voice of his fictional character Master Feiyou, expressed his own views in this essay. Soon after, Emperor Wu of Han read "The Biography of Master Feiyou" and from then on began to take Dongfang Shuo's opinions seriously.
Later, people used the idiom "Easier Said Than Done" to indicate that doing something is not as simple as talking about it.
Source: *Book of Han*, "Biography of Dongfang Shuo"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "谈何容易" came to describe doing something is not as simple as talking about it.