In the early Western Han Dynasty, the northern Xiongnu frequently raided south. Li Guang, a renowned general from Longxi (present-day eastern Gansu), rose to counterattack, protecting the people's lives and property. After he was transferred to be the governor of Youbeiping (at the border of present-day Hebei and Liaoning), the Xiongnu dared not advance south a single step; they both feared and respected him, calling him the "Flying General."
In 123 BC, the veteran general Li Guang was reassigned as a rear commander under the great general Wei Qing for a campaign against the Xiongnu. After the battle, many officers were granted noble titles, yet Li Guang alone received no reward.
Two years later, General Li Guang led 4,000 cavalry to join forces with the Marquis of Bowang, Zhang Qian, in a two-pronged campaign against the Xiongnu. Li Guang's contingent was ambushed and surrounded by 40,000 Xiongnu horsemen under the Wise King of the Left. Li Guang fought desperately, and though Zhang Qian's main army eventually arrived to break the siege, the Chinese forces suffered heavy losses.
Once, Li Guang privately asked Wang Shuo, a court astrologer, "Since fighting the Xiongnu, I've participated in every campaign. Among my officers, dozens have been enfeoffed as marquises. I am no less capable than others—why have I not earned a noble title?"
"General, have you ever done anything you regret?" Wang Shuo asked in return.
Li Guang recalled that during a campaign to suppress a Qiang rebellion, he had killed over 800 prisoners. Wang Shuo sighed and said, "The greatest disaster one can bring upon himself is to kill enemies who have already surrendered. This is why you, General, were never granted a noble title."
In 119 BCE, the imperial court launched another massive campaign against the Xiongnu. The veteran general Li Guang, now sixty years old, volunteered to lead the charge as the vanguard, serving under the command of Wei Qing.
After the main army passed the Great Wall, they encountered the main force of the Xiongnu. General Wei Qing, confident of victory, decided to lead the frontal assault himself while ordering his vanguard, Li Guang, to take a detour.
Li Guang's troops got lost several times on the march and arrived at the rendezvous point days late. Wei Qing sent men to summon Li Guang's subordinates for questioning. Seeing the messengers' aggressive manner, Li Guang said angrily, "My men are not guilty. I alone bear the responsibility for the delay. I will go to the General's headquarters myself to face the inquiry."
He said to his men, "In my life, I have fought over seventy battles against the Xiongnu. This time, following the Grand General, I thought I would finally engage the Chanyu's forces. Unexpectedly, the Grand General diverted me, and I lost my way—truly the will of heaven! I am over sixty now and cannot face those petty scribes who twist words and ink."
At this point, General Li Guang, overcome with grief and indignation, drew his sword and took his own life on the spot. After Li Guang's death, people across the land, whether they knew him or not, were deeply sorrowful.
Later, people used the idiom "The peach and plum trees do not speak, yet a path forms beneath them" to describe how sincerity naturally moves others.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of General Li"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "桃李不言，下自成蹊" came to describe how sincerity naturally moves others.