During the early Tai Shi era of the Liu Song Dynasty, under Emperor Ming, Xu Province Governor Xue Andu rebelled, and Qing Province Governor Shen Wenxiu quickly followed suit, turning against the court. At that time, the Qing provincial capital was at Dongyang City, where General Liu Huaizhen and his clan resided. When Shen Wenxiu revolted, the entire Liu family was trapped inside the city, unable to escape.
The Liu clan of Dongyang desperately sought to escape Shen Wenxiu's control. Liu Huaizhen's uncle, Liu Mizi, feigned loyalty to Shen Wenxiu, who entrusted him with 5,000 troops to aid Xue Andu. Once outside the city, Liu Mizi immediately declared rebellion against Shen Wenxiu. Meanwhile, Liu Huaigong, serving as governor of Beihai, and Liu Huaizhen's cousin Liu Shanming secretly gathered 3,000 clan members and old subordinates, seized the Dongyang city gate under cover of darkness, and fled to join forces at Beihai. Liu Chengmin rallied supporters in the Bohai region, answering the imperial call to crush the rebels.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Liu clan and the imperial court, Shen Wenxiu was forced to surrender. This not only saved their homeland but also earned many clan members titles such as General, Chief Clerk, and Governor for their role in suppressing the rebellion.
Later, the idiom "unable to extricate oneself" is used to describe being unable to free oneself from a certain situation.
Source: *Book of Southern Qi*, "Biography of Liu Shanming"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "不能自拔" came to describe being unable to free oneself from a certain situation.