During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Jin Dynasty, the generals Su Jun, stationed in Liyang, and Zu Yue, stationed in Shouchun, led their troops into the capital Jiankang under the pretext of eliminating the imperial advisor Geng Liang, seizing control of the court.
In this critical moment, Wen Jiao, the governor of Jiangzhou, stepped forward and, together with Yu Liang who had fled to him, recommended the Grand General of the Western Expedition and governor of Jingzhou, Tao Kan, as their leader to raise an army against the rebels. However, because the rebels held the upper hand and had taken Emperor Cheng hostage, Tao Kan suffered several defeats in a row. Soon, their army also ran into a shortage of food supplies.
After repeated defeats in battle, Tao Kan grew fearful and lost confidence. He reproached Wen Qiao, saying, "When we raised our army, you promised we would have generals and grain—all I had to do was lead. But now, where are the generals? Where is the grain? If supplies don't arrive soon, I'll have no choice but to take my troops back home and wait for better days."
Wen Qiao countered, "Your reasoning is flawed. Victory over the rebels hinges on our unity. In the past, Liu Xiu and Cao Cao triumphed against overwhelming odds because they led righteous armies. Su Jun and Zu Yue are charlatans—brave but foolish. We will defeat them. Now the emperor is in peril, and the nation is at a critical juncture. We cannot change course midstream. It's like riding a wild beast: if you don't kill it, how can you dismount halfway? If you defy the collective will and retreat alone, you'll demoralize the troops and doom the campaign. That responsibility is yours alone!"
After hearing Wen Qiao's reasoning, Tao Kan found it persuasive and reluctantly abandoned his plan to return home. Wen Qiao then laid out a detailed battle strategy, coordinating attacks on the rebel forces from both land and water. He personally led a crack cavalry unit in a surprise assault. The campaign ultimately succeeded: Su Jun was killed, and Zu Yue, after fleeing elsewhere, was also captured and executed.
Later, the idiom "riding a tiger and finding it hard to dismount" came to describe a situation where one encounters unforeseen difficulties but cannot stop without suffering major losses, forcing them to continue.
Source: *Book of Jin*, "Biography of Wen Qiao"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "骑虎难下" came to describe a situation where one encounters unforeseen difficulties but cannot stop without suffering major losses, forcing them to continue.