During the Warring States period, a man named Rong Fen was appointed by the state of Yan as the Lord of Gaoyang and sent as commander to lead an army against Zhao. Rong Fen was a skilled general, and when the King of Zhao heard the news, he was terrified and immediately summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures. Chancellor Zhao Sheng proposed a plan: "The famous Qi general Tian Dan is both brave and resourceful. If we cede three cities to Qi as a condition to invite Tian Dan to lead our Zhao forces, we are sure to achieve victory."
But General Zhao She disagreed, saying, "Does our state of Zhao have no generals to lead the army? Before the battle has even begun, we are to cede three cities to Qi—how can that be! I am well acquainted with the situation of the Yan army. Why not send me to lead the troops and resist them?"
Zhao She further analyzed, "First, even if Tian Dan were willing to command Zhao's army, victory is not guaranteed—we might still lose to Rong Fen, making his invitation pointless. Second, even if Tian Dan is truly skilled, he would hardly exert himself for our benefit, since a stronger Zhao would threaten Qi's dominance. So why would he seriously fight the Yan army for our gain?"
Zhao She continued, "If Tian Dan comes, he will surely keep our Zhao army bogged down on the battlefield, 'wasting days and dragging on endlessly,' squandering time. Dragging on like this for years will drain our nation's manpower, wealth, and resources. The consequences would be unthinkable!"
However, King Xiaocheng of Zhao and his prime minister Zhao Sheng ignored Zhao She's advice, ceding three cities and hiring Tian Dan of Qi to command the Zhao army. As expected, Zhao only captured a small city from Yan, failing to achieve a decisive victory. The idiom "Kuang Ri Chi Jiu" (Wasting Days, Dragging On) later came to describe pointless delays that stretch on endlessly.
Source: *Strategies of the Warring States*, Chapter "Strategies of Zhao IV"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "旷日持久" came to describe how pointless delays that stretch on endlessly.