Wu Qi was a man from the State of Wei during the Warring States period, known for his mastery of military strategy.
When the Marquis Wen of Wei, known for his wisdom and virtue, took the throne, the military strategist Wu Qi saw his chance and pledged allegiance. The marquis appointed Wu Qi as commander, and Wu Qi led a campaign against the state of Qin, swiftly capturing five cities.
As commander, Wu Qi shared the same clothes and food as his lowliest soldiers, slept without a mat, marched without a horse, and personally carried provisions, enduring every hardship alongside them. When a soldier developed a malignant ulcer, Wu Qi sucked out the pus. The soldier's mother, upon hearing this, burst into tears. Someone asked, "Your son is a nobody, yet the general himself sucked his pus—why are you crying?" She replied, "That's not it. Years ago, Lord Wu sucked the pus from my husband's ulcer, and he fought so fiercely in battle that he died at the enemy's hands. Now Lord Wu has done the same for my son—I have no idea where or when he will meet his end. That's why I weep."
Marquis Wen of Wei appointed Wu Qi as governor of the Xihe region to defend against the states of Qin and Han, impressed by his military skill, incorruptibility, and ability to earn the trust of all his soldiers through fair treatment.
After Marquis Wen of Wei died, Wu Qi served his son, Marquis Wu of Wei. While boating down the Yellow River, Marquis Wu turned to Wu Qi and said, "These mountains and rivers are so perilous and magnificent—this is the treasure of Wei!"
Wu Qi replied, "The stability of a state lies in bestowing virtue upon the people, not in the strategic advantage of its terrain. In ancient times, the Sanmiao tribe had Dongting Lake to its left and Pengli Marsh to its right, yet because it neglected virtue and abandoned trust, Yu the Great was able to destroy them. King Jie of Xia possessed the Yellow and Ji Rivers to his left and Mount Tai and Mount Hua to his right, yet because he failed to practice benevolent governance, King Tang of Shang exiled him. King Zhou of Shang had Mengmen Mountain to his left and Taihang Mountain to his right, yet because he lacked virtue, King Wu of Zhou put him to death. From this, it is clear that a state's security depends on granting grace to the people, not on the strength of its geography. If you fail to show kindness, even those who share your boat will become your enemies!" Marquis Wu praised him, saying, "Well spoken."
Later, the idiom "Enemies in the Same Boat" came to describe a state of total isolation, meaning even those on the same vessel have become foes.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biographies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "舟中敌国" came to describe a state of total isolation, meaning even those on the same vessel have become foes.