During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Wei minister Gao Yun once said, "When I served as a Zhongshu official, I focused on practical matters for the people and devoted myself to the state. If Heaven has eyes and my lifespan is favorable, I should live to be a hundred."
Shortly after, Gao Yun felt slightly unwell. His family, worried, called a physician to examine him. Yet Gao Yun continued his daily routines—coming and going, handling affairs, reciting poetry, and painting—refusing to take to his sickbed, as if nothing were amiss.
When Emperor Gaozu and Empress Dowager Wenming heard that Gao Yun was ill, they sent the imperial physician Li Xiu to examine him. Li Xiu took Gao Yun's pulse and observed his complexion for any abnormalities. Gao Yun, grateful for the imperial favor, casually remarked to Li Xiu, "Though I am advanced in years, I am still agile and strong, with no ailments. Please reassure His Majesty that I wish to continue serving the state to the best of my ability." After completing his diagnosis, Li Xiu exchanged a few pleasantries and quietly departed.
After returning to the palace, Li Xiu reported his findings to the emperor, whispering, "Gao Yun appears healthy on the surface, but there's something abnormal inside him—I fear he hasn't long to live." The emperor pondered this, then ordered Li Xiu to keep it secret. He dispatched envoys to bestow upon Gao Yun numerous imperial gifts—rare treasures, fine delicacies, and everything from wine and rice to salt, over a hundred items of the highest quality, along with bed curtains, clothes, bedding, and tea, all displayed in the courtyard. The emperor also sent messengers back and forth to Gao Yun's home, offering comfort and urging him to take good care of himself.
Gao Yun, his face beaming with joy, told others, "Heaven has been so kind to me, caring for me in every way, allowing me to spend my later years in peace. The imperial gifts bestowed by the emperor are truly abundant, and I can use them to generously entertain my guests." He then wrote a memorial to the emperor, expressing his heartfelt gratitude without any other concerns.
For many days, no one could detect any sign of illness in Gao Yun, so when he passed away late one night, even his own family did not notice. As the household prepared his funeral, the emperor issued a decree bestowing 1,000 bolts of silk, 2,000 bolts of cloth, 500 jin of cotton, 50 bolts of brocade, 100 bolts of multicolored silk, and 1,000 dou of grain to aid the funeral expenses. Such imperial gifts and honors had never been seen since the founding of Wei. When Gao Yun was laid to rest, the emperor posthumously granted him the titles of Imperial Advisor, Minister of Works, Governor of Jizhou, and General, along with the posthumous name "Wen," marking a farewell of unparalleled splendor and mourning.
The idiom "Joy Written All Over One's Face" describes being unable to contain inner happiness.
Source: *Book of Wei*, "Biography of Gao Yun"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "喜形于色" came to describe being unable to contain inner happiness.