When young, Northern Song official Fu Bi was already highly learned. Someone recommended him to the top scholar Fan Zhongyan, who greatly admired him and called him "a talent fit to be a king's advisor."
Fan Zhongyan presented Fu Bi's writings to Yan Shu, the powerful Privy Councilor overseeing military and state affairs, who was so impressed by Fu Bi's talent that he married his daughter to him and recommended him to Emperor Renzong of Song. The emperor then appointed Fu Bi as a judge in Heyang and later promoted him to a magistrate in Kaifeng.
Soon after, the Khitan amassed troops along the border, demanding that the Northern Song cede territory to sue for peace. The imperial court dispatched Fu Bi to negotiate, and through reasoned arguments and firm insistence, he ultimately preserved the nation's territorial integrity.
During the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty, Fu Bi served as Grand Chancellor. When Wang Anshi vigorously pushed for reforms at court, the two often clashed. Realizing he could not prevail, Fu Bi frequently claimed illness and sought to resign. Emperor Shenzong agreed to his resignation and asked who should succeed him. Fu Bi proposed Wen Yanbo, but the emperor rejected the suggestion. When Fu Bi then proposed Wang Anshi, he fell silent, and the emperor understood the rift between them.
Later, when Wang Anshi implemented his New Policies, Fu Bi found himself increasingly marginalized due to differing political views, so he requested retirement to his hometown. Emperor Shenzong agreed and bestowed upon him the title Duke of Han. During his years in the countryside, Fu Bi frequently submitted memorials offering constructive advice and candid criticism. Though the emperor did not adopt all of his suggestions, he continued to hold Fu Bi in high regard.
Fu Bi was a man of great integrity, never casually showing joy or anger. He handled matters fairly and never abused his power for personal gain. He once said that a person should "guard their mouth like a sealed bottle and restrain their desires like defending a city," meaning one must speak cautiously and strictly curb selfish impulses.
Later, people used the idiom "tight-lipped as a sealed bottle" to describe being cautious in speech or guarding secrets closely.
Source: Zhou Mi (Song Dynasty), *Miscellaneous Records of Guixin*, Supplementary Collection
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "守口如瓶" came to describe being cautious in speech or guarding secrets closely.