During the reign of Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu Chanyu sent an envoy to the Han court, expressing his wish to come to the capital for an audience with the emperor. At that time, Emperor Ai was unwell, and his ministers advised against accepting the Chanyu's visit.
Only Imperial Attendant Yang Xiong stood against the tide of opinion. He memorialized to Emperor Ai, saying:
"The Xiongnu Chanyu's visit for an audience is a major matter concerning border peace. If we refuse, it will worsen relations between the court and the Xiongnu. From the Qin Dynasty to the present, a wealth of historical facts show that we should maintain good relations with the Xiongnu to ensure border tranquility."
After reviewing the historical situation with the Xiongnu, Yang Xiong then compared the Xiongnu with other ethnic minorities, saying:
In past campaigns against other tribes, victories came swiftly—short ones lasting mere weeks, long ones at most a year or two—leaving enemy forces utterly crushed, their lands plowed flat, their villages swept clean, and commanderies established without lingering trouble. But the Xiongnu are different; they are a formidable border foe, which is why every dynasty has treated them with caution. If we now refuse the Chanyu's tribute mission, he will nurse a grudge, and our borders will know no peace.
Emperor Ai of Han found Yang Xiong's argument so compelling that he summoned the Xiongnu envoy and agreed to allow the Chanyu to visit the court.
Later, the idiom "Plow the Court, Sweep the Village" came to mean completely destroying one's enemy.
Source: *Book of Han*, "Biography of the Xiongnu"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "犁庭扫闾" came to describe completely destroying one's enemy.