During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the famed general Zu Ti lost his father as a child and was raised by his elder brothers. With a bold and unrestrained nature, he disliked being controlled, so even by fourteen or fifteen, he refused to study seriously, leaving his brothers deeply worried about his future.
But later, everything changed—Zu Ti developed a passion for reading. He not only devoured books on a wide range of subjects but also frequently traveled to the capital, Luoyang, to seek out scholars and delve into deeper discussions.
At twenty-four, Zu Ti and his close friend Liu Kun were appointed as record-keepers in Sizhou (northeast of present-day Luoyang, Henan). Sharing the same ambitions and aspirations, they both vowed to serve their country. By day they worked together, and at night they shared a single quilt to sleep.
One midnight, Zu Ti was startled awake by a rooster crowing in the distance. He shook his friend Liu Kun awake and asked, "Did you hear that rooster crow?" Liu Kun listened carefully and replied, "Yes, it's a rooster crowing. But a rooster crowing at midnight is an ill omen!" Zu Ti disagreed, saying, "It's no ill omen—it's a sound urging us to get up and exercise! Come on, let's get up!"
Liu Kun agreed with Zu Ti's view, and the two jumped out of bed, grabbed their swords, and began practicing in the courtyard, not stopping until dawn, drenched in sweat.
Later, people used the idiom "Rising at the Rooster's Crow" to describe determined individuals seizing time to train with vigorous spirit.
Source: *Jinyang Qiu*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "闻鸡起舞" came to describe determined individuals seizing time to train with vigorous spirit.