Wang Mang was the nephew of Empress Dowager Wang of the Han Dynasty. Her father and brothers were enfeoffed as marquises during the reigns of Emperors Yuan and Cheng, holding high positions as regents—a family known as "nine marquises and five ministers." Only Wang Mang, because his father and elder brother died early, was not enfeoffed and lived in relative poverty. But he refused to accept his lot, scheming tirelessly to build a reputation. He cared for his mother and widowed sister-in-law, raised his late brother's son, and nursed his sick uncle without undressing, earning a reputation for filial piety. Moved by this, his uncle recommended him to Empress Dowager Wang and the emperor, appointing him as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. As his rank rose, he lived frugally, saving money to lavish on generals, ministers, and scholars, growing his fame and rising to the position of Grand Marshal.
After the deaths of Emperor Cheng and Emperor Ai of Han, the succeeding emperors were all very young, so Wang Mang became unscrupulous: he harmed court officials, often killing and implicating hundreds of people; poisoned the common people with extreme cruelty; and continuously waged wars abroad, until he usurped the throne and made himself emperor. This caused resentment both inside and outside the court, with people wishing they could eat his flesh and flay his skin.
According to historical records, Wang Mang's appearance perfectly matched his tyrannical rule: a massive mouth, a tiny chin, bulging red eyes, a voice like a frog with a broken croak, and standing just over five feet three inches in modern measure—shorter than most men of his time, so he always wore thick-soled shoes, tall hats, and puffed out his chest. A physician summoned as an imperial advisor often saw him, and when someone asked about Wang Mang's looks, the advisor replied, "Wang Mang may be short, but his eyes burn like coals and his voice grates like stone—a man who looks every bit the usurper he became."
"Wang Mang is what people call a man with owl eyes, tiger's mouth, and jackal's voice—he devours others, and will himself be devoured."
The informant reported him to Wang Mang, who flew into a rage, executed the candidate and his entire family, and rewarded the petty informant. From then on, Wang Mang often covered his face with a fan or screen, and except for his closest confidants, no one ever saw his true face again.
"Chi" refers to a fierce meat-eating hawk. "Wen" means an animal's mouth. "Hu wen" is a tiger's mouth, extremely large. The idiom "Chi Mu Hu Wen" describes a person with a fierce and sinister appearance.
Source: *Book of the Later Han*, Chapter "Biography of Wang Mang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "鸱目虎吻" came to describe a person with a fierce and sinister appearance.