During the Western Han Dynasty, there was a man named Yi Zong. Born into humble beginnings, he spent his youth idling away and running with a gang of street thugs, making a living through robbery. The authorities launched several manhunts but never managed to capture him.
Yi Zong's older sister, Yi Xu, was a gifted physician. When the Empress Dowager summoned her to treat an illness, Yi Xu's miraculous skills restored the Empress Dowager's health, earning her great favor. Ignoring Yi Xu's objections, the Empress Dowager recommended Yi Zong to Emperor Wu of Han for an official post. The emperor summoned Yi Zong and appointed him magistrate of Shangdang County.
Yi Zong, a man with a bandit's past, knew the corruption of officialdom inside out
Soon after, Yi Zong was reassigned as the magistrate of Chang'an. He handled all cases with absolute impartiality, never showing leniency. When the son of Empress Dowager's grandson, Lord Xiucheng, broke the law, Yi Zong arrested and punished him without hesitation. Emperor Wu, impressed by Yi Zong's unwavering commitment to justice, promoted him to Commandant of Henei Commandery (southwest of present-day Wuzhi, Henan).
When Yi Zong took office in Henei, he heard about a local bully named Rang who used his wealth and influence to oppress the people and commit countless crimes. Yi Zong immediately ordered his soldiers to execute Rang's entire household. The news spread quickly among the common folk, who rejoiced and celebrated. From then on, the social atmosphere in Henei improved dramatically, and Yi Zong was promoted to the position of Nanyang Prefect for his achievements.
In Nanyang, a wealthy landowner named Ning Cheng owned over a thousand hectares of land and tens of millions in cash, and his processions were more lavish than the local governor's. Yet, when he heard that the new governor, Yi Zong, was arriving, Ning Cheng was so terrified that he personally went outside the city to welcome him. Yi Zong, however, was not impressed; he uncovered numerous crimes committed by Ning Cheng, his family, and other local bullies, and ordered their arrest. Forced to flee to other regions, Ning Cheng and several other powerful landowners saw all their property confiscated.
In 119 BCE, Emperor Wu appointed Yi Zong as the governor of Dingxiang in present-day Inner Mongolia, a region plagued by unrest with prisons overflowing. Upon taking office, Yi Zong discovered that many prisoners and their families had bribed officials. He immediately ordered the execution of over 400 people, including both the bribe-takers and the criminals involved. From that day on, every mention of Yi Zong's name sent a chill down the spines of Dingxiang's officials and citizens.
In 117 BC, the official Yi Zong offended Emperor Wu of Han when he mistakenly arrested the emperor's envoy Yang Ke, and the emperor had him executed on charges of defying imperial orders.
Later, people used the idiom "not cold yet shivering" to describe extreme fear.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Cruel Officials"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "不寒而栗" came to describe extreme fear.