During the Northern Wei dynasty of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the capital was originally at Pingcheng (east of present-day Datong, Shanxi Province), but Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang. Shortly after the relocation, an amusing dispute over right-of-way erupted between Luoyang's magistrate, Yuan Zhi, and the imperial censor-in-chief, Li Biao. Yuan Zhi argued, "I am the lord of this land—why should I yield to a mere censor?" Li Biao retorted, "I hold the emperor's seal and oversee the realm—why should I give way to a local official?" Their quarrel reached the emperor, who ruled with a smile, "Luoyang is my capital; you two are my pillars. Let each take his own path—no need to fight over precedence." This story illustrates the delicate balance of power and etiquette in ancient court life.
Yuan Zhi, a man of considerable talent and considerable pride, looked down on the noble officials he deemed less learned than himself.
One day, Yuan Zhi was riding in his carriage through the streets when he happened to encounter Li Biao's carriage coming from the opposite direction. In those days, officials traveled with great pomp, surrounded by attendants—the higher the rank, the larger the entourage. Commoners had to clear the way from afar, and lower-ranking officials were expected to yield to their superiors. By rank, Yuan Zhi should have given way to Li Biao, but because he looked down on him, he deliberately refused to move aside. Seeing this, Li Biao grew furious and scolded Yuan Zhi on the spot. Yuan Zhi, unwilling to back down, retorted, and the two erupted into a heated argument.
Their argument escalated until the two men brought their dispute before Emperor Xiaowen for judgment.
Li Biao argued, "I am the Imperial Censor-in-Chief, while Yuan Zhi, the Magistrate of Luoyang, is merely a local official here. How dare he refuse to yield the road and confront me?"
Yuan Zhi argued, 'I am the governor of the capital region—every resident of Luoyang is registered under my jurisdiction. How can I, like an ordinary local official, yield the road to a Censor-in-Chief?'
Emperor Xiaowen heard both sides but did not judge who was right or wrong. He simply smiled and said, "Luoyang is my capital; we should part ways. From now on, you can each take your own road—isn't that good enough?"
"Biao" refers to the bit in a horse's mouth; "yang biao" means to urge the horse forward, and together, the idiom "parting ways" describes two people going their separate directions.
Later, the idiom "Parting Ways" came to describe going separate paths, each taking their own road without interference. It is also used metaphorically for differing interests, achievements, or goals, where people are not on the same path.
Source: *Book of Wei*, "Biography of Hejian Gong Qi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "分道扬镳" came to describe going separate paths, each taking their own road without interference.