During the fourth year of Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan reign in the Tang Dynasty, a devastating locust plague struck the Shandong region, with swarms devouring vast fields of crops. The renowned prime minister Yao Chong, Duke of Liangguo, was deeply troubled and proposed that the court adopt the Han Emperor Guangwu's method of burning locusts, sending imperial censors to Shandong to lead the extermination. However, many court officials opposed him, arguing that the plague was heaven's will, which must not be defied, and that locusts could not be killed—only virtuous deeds and prayers to the gods could avert the disaster.
The emperor then asked Yao Chong about the opinions circulating among his court officials.
Yao Chong argued, "These mediocre scholars cling to outdated rituals without adapting to reality. During the Wei and Later Qin dynasties, locusts first appeared in small numbers, but because no one dared to swat them, they devoured all crops and grass, leading to the horrific tragedy of cannibalism. Now in Shandong, locusts have bred beyond count, and there is little grain stored north and south of the Yellow River. If we fail to harvest, the people will inevitably suffer displacement and starvation. This concerns the nation's survival—we cannot remain rigidly bound to tradition. Your Majesty is merciful and cherishes life, unwilling to kill. Leave this matter to me without troubling you for a decree. If I cannot eliminate the locusts, I willingly forfeit all my titles and offices." His heartfelt concern for the country and its people was profoundly moving.
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang decreed, "Anyone who speaks against the locust extermination will be put to death!"
Once the emperor's resolve was firm, who dared to hesitate? In the end, the locust plague was quelled by fire, sparing the people from a great famine.
Good, to love; evil, to hate. The idiom "Love Life, Abhor Killing" describes cherishing life and detesting slaughter.
Source: *Old Book of Tang*, "Biography of Yao Chong"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "好生恶杀" came to describe how cherishing life and detesting slaughter.