During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, metaphysical philosophy was all the rage. A young nobleman named Yin Hao, fascinated by the profound teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi, devoured classics like the *Book of Changes* and *Laozi* from childhood. By the time he was twenty, he had already earned a reputation as a master of these esoteric arts.
Once, someone asked Yin Hao, "How do you explain that those about to take office dream of coffins, and those about to gain wealth dream of dung?" Yin Hao replied without hesitation, "Official positions and wealth are inherently like rot and filth, so those who obtain them dream of such things."
Yin Hao's reply became the era's most celebrated expression of scholarly integrity, elevating his fame to such heights that even high-ranking officials and nobles flocked to his door seeking guidance.
At that time, General Yu Yi, who was striving to reclaim the north, invited Yin Hao to serve as his military advisor. Yin Hao, considering himself above worldly affairs, firmly declined. Yu Yi thus believed Yin Hao was undeserving of his reputation and unfit for important roles. He often told others, "A man like Yin Hao should be shelved away and only considered for minor tasks when the world is at peace."
In 343 AD, Emperor Kang of the Eastern Jin Dynasty passed away, and soon after, the general Yu Yi and Prime Minister He Chong also died, leaving the dynasty in dire straits. When Yin Hao was recommended as the governor of Yangzhou, he tried to decline but was forced to accept the post.
In 351 AD, Yin Hao was appointed General of the Central Army, overseeing military affairs across five provinces. Ordered north, he suffered repeated defeats. The next year, Yin Hao was routed by Qin forces at Xuchang, then crushed by Yao Xiang, a Qiang chieftain who had feigned surrender to the Eastern Jin.
Huan Wen, a political rival of Yin Hao, seized the opportunity to demand that the imperial court punish Yin Hao, and as a result, Yin Hao was stripped of his rank and reduced to a commoner.
Despite his great reputation, Yin Hao lacked real ability, proving that Yu Yi's earlier assessment of him had been quite accurate.
Later, people used the idiom "shelved on a high shelf" to describe something set aside and left unused.
Source: *Book of Jin*, "Biography of Yu Yi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "束之高阁" came to describe how something set aside and left unused.