During the Han Dynasty, a man named Zhai Gong served as the Grand Judge of the central court in 135 BCE, a position that brought him great power and influence. At the height of his career, his home was always crowded with visitors—guests filled his halls, seeking his favor and friendship. But when he later fell from power and lost his official post, those same guests vanished overnight, leaving his gates deserted. Watching the empty courtyard, Zhai Gong sighed deeply and wrote a poignant observation on his gate: "In times of life, one experiences death; in times of wealth, one experiences poverty. Only then do you truly know who your friends are." This story reminds us that true friendship is tested not by prosperity, but by adversity.
Zhai Gong was a generous man who loved making friends with learned people from all over. He told his gatekeeper, "When someone comes to the door, whether rich or poor, noble or humble, treat them all as honored guests with warmth and hospitality."
His home was constantly bustling with guests, hosting small banquets every three days and grand feasts every five, sometimes continuing day and night, with so many visitors that they practically blocked the main gate.
However, fortune is fickle. Zhai Gong offended the emperor's favored minister and was dismissed from office.
Once, even his regular visitors stopped coming; anyone passing by Zhai's gate would take a detour, fearing they might encounter a jinx. Where the courtyard and entrance had once bustled like a marketplace, now it was so desolate that one could set up a net to catch sparrows right outside the door.
Zhai Gong was deeply distressed and indignant, but he could do nothing about it.
Later, Zhai Gong was reinstated as Commandant of Justice. His former guests all wanted to visit him again. Zhai Gong posted a notice on his gate: "In life and death, true friendship is known. In poverty and wealth, true character is shown. In honor and disgrace, true bonds are revealed."
Duke Di compared life and death, poverty and wealth, nobility and lowliness, lamenting the fickleness of human relationships and the coldness of the world, in order to make those guests who worshipped power and wealth feel ashamed. Later, the idiom "One Life, One Death" came to refer to critical moments concerning life and death.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Ji and Zheng"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "一死一生" came to describe One Life, One Death came to refer to critical moments concerning life and death.