King Wu of Zhou led his mighty army to overthrow the Shang dynasty and establish the Zhou dynasty.
Although the war had ended, its "aftermath" was visible everywhere: the mountains and rivers lay desolate and barren, and King Zhou of Shang's cruelty and debauchery had left the people destitute and suffering. They feared war so much that even mentioning it made them tremble.
Faced with such a situation, King Wu of Zhou was deeply anxious—how could he revive the nation and restore its economy? He then implemented benevolent governance, hoping the people would return to their fields and take up farming.
King Wu of Zhou then reduced the military and promoted cultural education.
After the war ended, King Wu of Zhou ordered the warhorses released to the southern slopes of Mount Hua and the oxen set free in the fields of Taolin, declaring, "The war is over—let the people focus on farming and rebuilding." This gesture signaled that the army was disbanded and weapons laid down, urging everyone to turn their efforts to peaceful production.
Seeing King Wu of Zhou issue such orders, the people gradually felt at ease, and the Zhou dynasty quickly flourished and prospered.
Later, people used the idiom "Return the Horses, Release the Oxen" to describe the cessation of war and the end of military action.
Source: *Book of Documents*, Chapter "Completion of the War"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "归马放牛" came to describe cessation of war and the end of military action.