During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin Dynasty, a power struggle erupted between the emperor and his uncle, Prince Sima Daozi, who then clashed with his own son, Sima Yuanxian. This internal strife within the imperial family emboldened powerful aristocratic families stationed at frontier garrisons to expand their influence, forging alliances to challenge the throne.
Wang Gong, the garrison commander of Jingkou, conspired with regional governors to rebel against the imperial court, but the plot was exposed and he was executed. The rebellious governors then united behind Huan Xuan, the governor of Jiangzhou, as their leader, raising an army to seize all territory west of the capital, Jiankang.
Huan Xuan's nephew, Huan Zhen, was appointed governor of Huainan. There, he imposed ruthless taxes, confiscating all summer and autumn harvests for military grain. Starving and poorly clothed, the people were still not left idle: men were driven into deep mountains to fell timber, hauling it to the riverbank to build warships, while women, the elderly, and children dug clay, fired bricks, stacked stone for city walls, and sewed military uniforms.
Huan Zhen fought bravely, always charging ahead. He demanded rapid marches from his troops, executing anyone who fell behind in battle. After each engagement, his soldiers suffered heavy casualties. His rule was: for every soldier killed, two must be conscripted, forcing officers to press-gang civilians.
Huan Xuan, though not a kind-hearted man himself, felt that Huan Zhen had gone too far. He rebuked Huan Zhen, saying, "A few years ago, a Confucian scholar told Sima Daozhi that in peacetime, the state treasury was empty, and in wartime, there was neither grain nor supplies; the people toiled on corvée labor, starving by day and sleepless by night, abandoning newborn sons and leaving the elderly to die at home. The people are the foundation of the army—if they resent you, soldiers won't fight bravely, and no number of troops will help. I think you need to restrain yourself; a righteous army is invincible under heaven."
Huan Zhen agreed verbally but turned around and did as he pleased. Finally, pressured by public outrage, Huan Xuan had no choice but to dismiss Huan Zhen from his post.
Huan Xuan marched into Jiankang, killed Sima Daozi and Sima Yuanxian, deposed Emperor An of Jin, and declared himself emperor with the state name "Chu." However, his good fortune was short-lived; no sooner had Huan Xuan ascended the throne than General Liu Yu gathered his forces, stormed Jiankang, and slaughtered Huan Xuan's entire family.
Huan Zhen, entrenched in Jiangling, gnashed his teeth upon hearing of Huan Xuan's death and lamented, "What righteous army? Without plundering the people, where would the grain and weapons come from? Without conscripting every household, how could we muster a strong force? My uncle was foolish, refusing to use me, leading to his own death and the ruin of his family. Had he appointed me as the vanguard, the realm would have been pacified long ago. Now that my uncle is dead, I am trapped here in Jiangling, isolated and weak. What fate awaits me, no one can tell."
Historical records state that Huan Zhen thereafter "indulged in wine and women, was tyrannical and unjust, and committed many atrocities." "Tyrannical and unjust" describes a ruler who is cruel and violent, having lost all moral principles.
Source: *Book of Jin*, "Biography of Huan Yi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "暴虐无道" came to describe how a ruler is cruel and violent, having lost all moral principles.