During the Warring States period, the states of Zhao and Chu maintained close ties, with envoys frequently traveling between them to exchange greetings, strengthen bonds, and share information.
In the state of Zhao, Lord Pingyuan's wealth and extravagant lifestyle were legendary.
During the siege of Handan by Qin forces, the city ran out of food and fuel, with common folk barely surviving on husks, yet Lord Pingyuan kept hundreds of beauties in his mansion feasting on leftover meat and rice; while the people patched tattered clothes, his concubines wore silk and satin; while citizens melted down their bronze and iron for weapons, Lord Pingyuan's household still had full sets of bells and vessels. As the crisis deepened, a retainer advised him, "My lord, if you distribute your wealth to the soldiers and people, they will fight with gratitude." Lord Pingyuan heeded this counsel, giving away all his possessions. Inspired, three thousand volunteers formed a suicide squad, charged out of the city, and fought so fiercely that the Qin army retreated thirty li. Just then, reinforcements from Lord Chunshen of Chu and Lord Xinling of Wei arrived, lifting the siege. Lord Pingyuan's act of emptying his coffers to save the state earned him lasting praise. Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Lord Pingyuan"
Two years later, the State of Zhao had fully recovered its strength.
Lord Pingyuan sent an envoy to the State of Chu to pay respects to Lord Chunshen, bearing lavish gifts. To flaunt Zhao's wealth before the Chu court, the envoy adorned himself extravagantly: his hair was piled high and fastened with a tortoiseshell hairpin, and at his waist hung a sword whose jewel-encrusted scabbard glittered in the sunlight. After completing the formalities, the envoy made a request to Lord Chunshen: "I am one of Lord Pingyuan's top retainers and would very much like to meet your retainers and make some friends."
The messenger, convinced he would outshine the Chu envoy, wore a smug expression of self-satisfaction.
Lord Chunshen smiled faintly and said, "Very well, you have had a long journey. Rest at the guesthouse first. Tomorrow, I will host a banquet in the grand hall, and you shall meet my retainers."
The next day, Lord Chunshen hosted a grand banquet, first inviting the Zhao envoy to take his seat. The envoy had lost his previous arrogance, as the luxury of the guesthouse far surpassed anything in Zhao, and the splendor of the hall before him was unprecedented. Lord Chunshen ordered, "Invite all my retainers to the feast."
As soon as the words were spoken, the retainers filed in one by one. The moment the Zhao envoy saw them, he was utterly astonished—every single retainer wore shoes adorned with precious pearls when they came to meet him.
The Zhao envoy's face reddened, thinking his outfit would outshine them, only to be outdone instead. Returning to his master Lord Pingyuan's home, the Zhao envoy said, "Incredible! Lord Chunshen's three thousand retainers all wear pearl-studded shoes!"
"Pearl Shoes" refers to shoes adorned with pearls, worn only by honored guests.
The idiom "Three Thousand Pearl Slippers" describes a gathering of numerous distinguished guests.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Lord Chunshen"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "三千珠履" came to describe a gathering of numerous distinguished guests.