During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, two cousins named Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were known as the "Two Yuans." They came from a prestigious family that had produced three generations of high-ranking officials, and Yuan Shu's father, Yuan Feng, served as the Minister of Works. In his youth, Yuan Shu was idle and indulgent, often joining other noble sons in flying falcons and chasing dogs on hunting trips outside the city. Later, he reformed his ways and was recommended as a "Filial and Incorrupt" candidate, earning an official post.
Yuan Shu's arrogance remained unchanged. As an official, he enacted no laws, cared nothing for his subordinates or the people, and indulged in insatiable greed and extreme luxury. When serving as the governor of Nanyang, he even plundered the common folk to fund his own lavish lifestyle and army. In the second year of the Jian'an era, ignoring his advisors' objections, he declared himself emperor in Shouchun, keeping hundreds of palace consorts dressed in silks and feasting on delicacies while his starving subjects suffered. The local people endured unbearable hardship, with many dying of hunger. Eventually, Yuan Shu earned the hatred of the people, lost the loyalty of his followers, and found himself with nowhere to turn. Instead of reflecting on his mistakes, he grew furious and died vomiting blood.
“Flying hawks and running hounds” means releasing swift hawks and fast dogs to go hunting and catch game.
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Biography of Yuan Shu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "飞鹰走狗" came to describe releasing swift hawks and fast dogs to go hunting and catch game.