During the Tang Dynasty, the renowned official Di Renjie served as the Grand Judge of the Supreme Court under Emperor Gaozong. He had a remarkable talent for resolving complex cases, clearing over 17,000 backlogged cases in a single year without a single error. As the Imperial Inspector of Jiangnan, he ordered the demolition of more than 1,700 superstitious temples. While serving as the Prefect of Yuzhou, he worked tirelessly to correct wrongful convictions, saving over 2,000 people from execution, earning him widespread admiration.
During Empress Wu Zetian's reign, she employed ruthless officials, encouraged informants and arbitrary punishments, and enforced a reign of terror. Even the upright Di Renjie was not spared; the infamous torturer Lai Junchen framed him and threw him into prison. Though later released, Di was demoted to magistrate of Pengze.
A few years later, Di Renjie's reputation among the people grew daily. To win hearts and minds, Empress Wu Zetian promoted him to chief minister.
Di Renjie noticed that Empress Wu Zetian favored her Wu clan relatives and the corrupt ministers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, so he advised her to promote the worthy and capable. He then recommended his trusted students and friends, such as Zhang Jianzhi, Huan Yanfan, Jing Hui, and Yao Chong, to the empress one after another.
On one occasion, Empress Wu Zetian asked Di Renjie to recommend another candidate for the position of Shangshu Lang, an official who handles government affairs directly under the emperor. Without shying away from potential criticism, Di Renjie promptly proposed his own son, Di Guangsi, for the role. Wu Zetian agreed, and as it turned out, Di Guangsi proved to be exceptionally competent in the position.
Di Renjie, a Tang Dynasty official, was renowned for his exceptional talent in recommending capable individuals to the imperial court, achieving remarkable political success.
Once, someone said to him, "All the talents under heaven are now in your service!"
The meaning is that all of your students have been assigned to important roles!
Di Renjie replied gravely, "Recommending talent is for the nation, not for personal gain."
In truth, the talents Di Renjie recommended held no real power at court. He deeply feared the Wu clan's cronies would run amok, endangering the Tang dynasty's future. So on his deathbed, he urged Zhang Jianzhi and others to seize the chance to eliminate the villains.
Later, Zhang Jianzhi and others took advantage of Empress Wu Zetian's severe illness, led the imperial guards to kill the brothers Zhang Zongchang and Zhang Yizhi, and reinstated Li Xian, restoring the dynasty name "Tang." Later, people used the idiom "Peaches and Plums Fill the World" to describe someone who has students everywhere.
Source: *Zizhi Tongjian*, Chapter "Empress Wu Zetian of Tang, First Year of Jiushi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "桃李满天下" came to describe how someone who has students everywhere.