During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, there was a highly incorruptible minister named Jia Huangzhong.
When Jia Huangzhong was a child, his family was so poor that meals consisted only of vegetables, never meat. His parents taught him, "Only when you succeed in your studies will you have meat to eat."
Initially, he studied under his father, and after his father passed away, his mother took over his education.
Through sheer diligence in his studies, he passed the imperial examination at just fifteen, entering the academy as a collator of texts. He was later appointed as a prefectural governor and eventually rose to the position of vice grand councilor.
During his tenure as an official, Jia Huangzhong was widely praised for his incorruptibility and uprightness. One year, while serving as governor of Xuanzhou, a famine struck, leaving countless people starving. He petitioned the imperial court to open the state granaries for relief, while also using his own salary to buy rice and cook porridge, saving thousands of lives.
Soon after, Jia Huangzhong was transferred to serve as the governor of Jinling. While inspecting the government treasury, he discovered dozens of chests filled with priceless gold, silver, and jewels left over from the previous Chen dynasty. He immediately cataloged the items and reported them to Emperor Taizong of Song. The emperor was overjoyed and praised Jia, saying, "If not for your incorruptible dedication, these treasures from the former dynasty would surely have been lost." Emperor Taizong also specially summoned Jia Huangzhong's mother to commend her for raising such an upright son.
But Jia Huangzhong was overly cautious in handling affairs, often unable to make decisive judgments on major matters. Once, he was again sent by Emperor Taizong to serve in a distant post. When bidding farewell to the emperor, Taizong admonished him:
“One should be respectful and cautious in all matters, whether as a ruler or a minister; but nothing should be overdone, for excess will compromise a minister’s dignity.”
When Jia Huangzhong died, his family was so poor that Emperor Taizong of Song specially bestowed 300,000 coins and 300 taels of silver upon his elderly mother as a mark of honor.
Later, the idiom "with great caution" came to describe extremely careful behavior, not daring to be the least bit negligent.
Source: *History of Song*, "Biography of Jia Huangzhong"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "小心翼翼" came to describe extremely careful behavior, not daring to be the least bit negligent.