Li Yuanli, a Yuan Dynasty scholar known for his calm demeanor and love of quiet, never engaged in idle chatter. His mastery of Confucian classics earned him the titles of Professor and Doctor.
During the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty, he served as a Censorate Inspector, tasked with evaluating officials, rooting out corruption, and enforcing court discipline. Though his rank was modest, his authority was immense—every impeachment he filed was backed by irrefutable evidence.
In the second year of Yuanzhen, the imperial court planned to build a Buddhist temple on Mount Wutai in Shanxi, and the Empress Dowager, mother of Emperor Chengzong, wished to visit the site. The imperial censor wrote a memorial opposing the plan, stating, 'The court should always prioritize the welfare of the people. As a supervising censor, how could I sit idly by and watch the court's actions without speaking out? The construction of the Mount Wutai temple has mobilized tens of thousands of laborers, causing men to abandon farming and women to cease weaving. Local supplies are strained, prices are soaring, and the people are destitute. Now the Empress Dowager intends to visit—I believe this is inappropriate.'
Then, he wrote five more reasons for opposition, one of which stated: Wealth does not fall from the sky—it is all produced by the common people. If the Empress Dowager goes there, expenses will surely exceed a hundred times the usual amount, which is a waste of labor and resources.
Because the memorial was written in Chinese, the Mongol officials could not read it, so it was set aside and never acted upon.
A year later, Imperial Censor Wan Seng and Censor Cui Yu were at odds
Emperor Chengzong was furious and ordered Chancellor Wanze and Pingzhang Bukumu to investigate. Bukumu translated Li Yuanli's memorial into Mongolian and read it to Wanze, who responded, "His opinion matches mine. At the time, I also advised the Empress Dowager on this matter. She said, 'It is not I who wish to build the temple; it was the late Emperor Kublai who proposed it to me during his lifetime, and I gave him my word. None of you were aware of this.'"
Buhumu remarked, "None of the other officials dared to criticize this matter, but Li Yuanli alone spoke up—he deserves praise." Wanze reported this to Emperor Chengzong, who pondered for a moment and replied, "Li Yuanli is right." So the emperor dismissed the monk Wanseng from his post and reinstated Li Yuanli. Later, the idiom "exhausting the people and draining resources" came to be used for oppressive rulers who cruelly exploit the people and waste wealth.
Source: *History of Yuan*, "Biography of Li Yuanli"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "劳民伤财" came to describe exhausting the people and draining resources.