During the early Warring States period, the renowned military strategist Wu Qi was known for his exceptional leadership and strict discipline.
Wu Qi was a man from the State of Wei from a wealthy family. In his youth, he traveled far and wide seeking fame and fortune, but achieved nothing, causing his family's decline. Some villagers mocked him:
"Generals and ministers are born to their station—how could Wu Qi ever be that material?" "A complete wastrel."
Wu Qi, grinding his teeth in fury, silently marked every one of the thirty-plus men who had mocked him. One night, sword in hand, he went from door to door and slaughtered them all.
He could no longer stay in the State of Wei, so he fled the capital that very night. Before leaving, bidding farewell to his mother, he bit his arm and swore, "If I, Wu Qi, do not become a high minister or general, I will never set foot in the State of Wei again."
Without a word, he turned east and walked straight toward the neighboring state of Lu, never once looking back.
In the state of Lu, the scholar Zengzi was renowned for his moral teachings, so Wu Qi sought him out as a master. Wu Qi listened intently to Zengzi's Confucian lectures, rising early and working late to master the lessons. But soon, Wu Qi abandoned Confucianism to study the art of war instead.
During a visit to the State of Lu, a high-ranking Qi official named Tian Ju lodged at an inn near the home of a young scholar named Wu Qi. Over four or five days, Tian Ju noticed Wu Qi studying intently every time he passed his window. Intrigued, Tian Ju struck up a conversation and was impressed by Wu Qi's eloquence and insight. Convinced that Wu Qi would achieve great things, Tian Ju gladly offered his daughter Tian Shi's hand in marriage.
Tian was beautiful and virtuous, and Wu Qi was deeply satisfied with her; after their marriage, the couple shared a profound and loving bond.
Days later, when Qi invaded Lu, Duke Mu of Lu considered appointing Wu Qi as general but hesitated because Wu Qi was married to a daughter of Tian Ju, a Qi minister. Realizing his wife had become an obstacle to his advancement, Wu Qi wrestled with the dilemma: a hard-won chance at command and irresistible fame and wealth versus his virtuous wife, who had just sewn his clothes by lamplight the night before. Ultimately, the allure of glory proved too strong—Wu Qi gritted his teeth and killed his wife, refusing to let the opportunity slip away.
Poor Tian saw her husband raise his sword and charge at her, and before she could grasp what was happening, she collapsed into a pool of blood.
Wu Qi presented the blood-stained sword to Duke Mu of Lu, saying, "Now there is no longer any connection between me and the state of Qi."
Duke Mu of Lu, though finding him excessively ruthless, ultimately appointed Wu Qi as his chief general, reasoning that in times of need, a capable commander was too rare to dismiss.
Wu Qi achieved his goal, but his act of killing his wife to secure a general's post—a deed of ruthless ambition and cold-heartedness—became a tale whispered for a thousand years.
Later, the idiom "Killing One's Wife to Seek a Generalship" came to describe those who deliberately commit heinous acts in pursuit of fame and fortune.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biographies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "杀妻求将" came to describe those who deliberately commit heinous acts in pursuit of fame and fortune.