Zong Que was a man of the Liu Song dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Even as a youth, he harbored great ambitions. Once, when he was very young, he was chatting with his uncle, who wanted to test him and asked:
“What is your ambition?” “I wish to ride the long wind and break through ten thousand miles of waves,” he said after a moment’s thought.
His uncle was astonished, never imagining that young Zong Que could harbor such grand ambitions at such a tender age.
Born in Nieyang, Nanyang, Zong Que grew up in a time of relative peace, when most people studied literature to secure official posts. But Zong Que thought differently—he loved martial arts and practiced tirelessly, despite being looked down upon by his neighbors.
By the time Zong Que turned fourteen, he had mastered martial arts. That year, his elder brother Zong Bi got married, and the household was filled with joy. But one night, a gang of bandits came to rob them, making off with many valuables. The terrified family hid, but Zong Que alone grabbed a blade, chased down the thieves, drove them off, and recovered the stolen goods.
During the Liu Song Dynasty, Emperor Wen sent the governor of Jiaozhi, Tan Hezhi, to campaign against the king of Linyi, Fan Yangmai. The young general Zong Que volunteered for the campaign. Impressed by his courage, Emperor Wen not only approved his request but also appointed him General Who Quells the Martial.
On the battlefield, the Linyi army unleashed a herd of elephants against the Song forces, who could not withstand the assault and retreated in disarray to their camp. As defeat loomed, the Song commander was at a loss, unsure how to counter the stampeding beasts.
At this moment, Zong Que recalled that the lion, as king of all beasts, could intimidate elephants, so he suggested to the commander, "Let's use fake lions to counter the elephants." The commander, having no other way to resist the Linyi troops, agreed to let Zong Que try the fake lion strategy.
Under Zong Que's guidance, the Song army crafted many fake lions. When the enemy released their elephants in the next battle, the Song troops rolled out the fake lions, and the terrified elephants fled, trampling numerous Linyi soldiers in their panic. The Song army pursued the retreating enemy and won a decisive victory.
Zong Que was not only a brilliant strategist but also a man of remarkable generosity. Once, he visited his fellow townsman Yu Ye, who, seeing Zong Que as a mere military man, served him only simple tea and plain rice—though Yu Ye always hosted lavish feasts for other guests. Zong Que, however, took no offense, ate heartily, and left with a cheerful demeanor.
Later, Zong Que became the governor of Yuzhou, and Yu Ye became an official under his command
Zong Que's reputation continued to grow. In 459 AD, the Prince of Jingling, Liu Dan, rebelled. Lacking a credible commander, he falsely claimed that Zong Que supported him, deceiving his troops into following his orders.
Later, when the imperial court sent troops to suppress the rebellion, Zong Que learned that the rebel leader was commanding soldiers under his name, so he rode alone to the city gate and shouted, "I am Zong Que!"
Some rebels, upon seeing Zong Que's approach, trembled with fear; others, realizing their leader had deceived them, burned with fury. As morale crumbled, the rebellion was swiftly crushed.
Zong Que achieved great success, rising to the rank of General of the Left Guard and being enfeoffed as the Marquis of Taoyang. His childhood ambition and relentless effort remain an inspiring example for people today.
Later, people began using the idiom "Riding the Wind and Breaking the Waves" to describe those with lofty ambitions.
Source: *Book of Song*, Biography of Zong Que
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "乘风破浪" came to describe those with lofty ambitions.