During the late Spring and Autumn period, the Zhou emperor's authority had waned, and many feudal lords began asserting independence by expanding their territories.
At that time, the state of Jin was a major feudal state. It had six senior ministers: Zhao, Wei, Han, Fan, Zhi, and Zhonghang. Among them, Zhi Bo was an ambitious man who constantly schemed to expand his own sphere of influence.
Once, Zhi Bo allied with the Han, Zhao, and Wei clans to attack the Zhonghang clan. After wiping them out, he seized their lands. A few years later, Zhi Bo sent a messenger to demand territory from Han Kangzi. Fearing Zhi Bo, Han Kangzi swallowed his pride and ceded a region of ten thousand households.
After acquiring this land, Zhibo was quite pleased. He then sent an envoy to Wei Huanzi demanding territory. Wei Huanzi initially refused, but fearing Zhibo would launch an attack, he reluctantly ceded a piece of land as well.
At this moment, Zhi Bo was immensely pleased with himself, believing the entire world feared him. He then sent an envoy to demand that Zhao Xiangzi cede the territories of Cai and Gaolang.
However, Zhao Xiangzi refused, saying, "The land is our ancestors' legacy—I cannot simply give it away!"
When Zhi Bo learned that Zhao Xiangzi refused to cede territory, he was furious and summoned Han Kangzi and Wei Huanzi to join him in attacking Zhao Xiangzi.
Zhao Xiangzi, knowing he was outnumbered, followed his strategist Zhang Mengtan's advice to retreat and hold firm in Jinyang city. For three years, Zhibo besieged Jinyang but could never break through.
As the situation in Jinyang grew dire—food nearly exhausted and the city flooded by Zhi Bo's forces—Zhao Xiangzi dispatched his advisor Zhang Mengtan to secretly persuade Han Kangzi and Wei Huanzi. Zhang argued, "If Zhi Bo destroys Zhao, you two will be next. Join me in turning against him." Convinced, they agreed, and together they launched a surprise counterattack, crushing Zhi Bo's army and ending the siege.
Han Kangzi and Wei Huanzi, already resentful of Zhibo's insatiable greed, realized that destroying Zhao Xiangzi would bring them no benefit. So they agreed to join forces with Zhao Xiangzi, eliminate Zhibo, and divide his lands equally among themselves.
The three families agreed that Zhao Xiangzi would launch a surprise attack under cover of night, with Han Kangzi and Wei Huanzi as his inside allies. Their united forces defeated Earl Zhi and killed him.
And so, the insatiable Zhibo met a tragic end.
Later, the idiom "Insatiable Greed" came to describe someone whose greed knows no bounds.
Source: *Zuo Zhuan*, "Duke Xiang's 31st Year"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "贪得无厌" came to describe how someone whose greed knows no bounds.