During the Southern Qi Dynasty, the scholar Kong Zhigui was already renowned in his youth for his vast knowledge. One day, a friend asked him, "With all your learning, why don't you seek a high official position?" Kong Zhigui replied with a smile, "I'd rather spend my days among the mountains and streams, reciting poetry and enjoying the company of friends, than be trapped in the dusty affairs of the court." His words reflected a deep appreciation for a life of leisure and intellectual pursuit, a sentiment that resonated with many scholars of his time. Today, this story reminds us that true fulfillment often lies not in worldly success, but in following one's own passions and values.
Kong Zhigui loved to surround himself with literary men, often drinking with them in wild abandon—he was a mad drinker, downing seven or eight large bowls at each sitting. Though he held an official post at court, he never bothered with politics. Instead, he built a miniature landscape in his home courtyard, where he would stroll alone, sipping wine and admiring the scenery. To mock those so-called recluses who pretended to shun the world while secretly coveting official rank, he wrote his famous piece, "A Satire on the Northern Mountain."
Kong Zhigui was elegant in demeanor, yet his courtyard was overgrown with weeds. He never bothered to clear them, and by summer, the yard was filled with the croaking of frogs. One day, a visitor asked him, "Do you know Chen Fan of the Eastern Han Dynasty?"
"He was a man from the time of Emperor Ling of Han, later killed by the eunuch Cao Jie during the partisan prohibitions." The other asked further, "At fifteen, Chen Fan once idled in a room with weeds overgrowing the courtyard. A visitor asked why he didn't clean up—what do you think he said?" "He replied, 'A true man lives to sweep the world clean, not just his own yard!'" "So, you want to follow his example?"
Just as Kong Zhigui was about to reply, the frogs in the courtyard began croaking again. He paused to listen, then said, "Why should I follow Chen Fan's example? He opposed the eunuchs and lost his life for it. I leave the weeds untouched so these frogs have a place to hide. Listen—how melodious their calls are! I enjoy them as if they were two ceremonial orchestras playing in harmony."
Later, the idiom "Two Ensembles of Music" came to be used as a metaphor for the croaking of frogs.
Source: *Book of Southern Qi*, "Biography of Kong Zhigui"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "两部鼓吹" came to describe a metaphor for the croaking of frogs.