During the reign of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo was promoted to Chancellor and enfeoffed as Marquis of Mei, seizing absolute power and terrorizing the capital. With a brutal temperament, he wielded harsh punishments and revenge at will—those who obeyed him thrived, while those who opposed him perished. Wherever his army marched, they burned, looted, and committed every atrocity. In the palace, everyone trembled like cicadas in autumn, barely able to protect themselves, while the common people's grievances filled the air.
When various warlords rose against the tyrant Dong Zhuo, they elected Yuan Shao as their leader. Sun Jian led his troops north to join the campaign, meeting Yuan Shu at Luyang. One day, Sun Jian was hosting a farewell feast outside the East Gate for his officer Gong Qiu, who was being dispatched to oversee military supplies. Suddenly, scouts reported that Dong Zhuo had sent tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry, with dozens of light cavalry already approaching. Sun Jian remained calm, continuing to drink and laugh with his guests, while quietly ordering his troops to form ranks and stand ready. Only when the main enemy force arrived did Sun Jian slowly rise and lead his men back into the city. Seeing Sun Jian's disciplined and imposing formation, Dong Zhuo's army dared not attack and withdrew.
Afterwards, Sun Jian told those around him, "Why didn't I immediately mount up and return to the city at the sight of the cavalry just now? If I had done that, it would surely have caused panic, the ranks would have fallen into chaos, and if the enemy pursued us, we would never have made it back to the city."
When Sun Jian moved his army to camp east of Liang County, he was suddenly surrounded by Dong Zhuo's massive forces. Fighting as he retreated, Sun Jian broke through the encirclement with only a few dozen cavalry. He was known for always wearing a distinctive red turban, and the enemy pursued him relentlessly. In desperation, Sun Jian tore off his turban and handed it to his general, Zu Mao, saying, "Take this and lead them away!" The Dong Zhuo troops immediately chased after Zu Mao, allowing Sun Jian to escape through a side path.
After his defeat, Sun Jian regrouped and re-engaged Dong Zhuo's forces at Yangren, routing them completely.
After several fierce battles, Dong Zhuo, intimidated by Sun Jian's bravery and skill, sent General Li Jue and others to Sun Jian's camp to propose peace and a marriage alliance, offering to recommend Sun Jian's sons for official posts. Unmoved, Sun Jian refused, declaring, "Dong Zhuo defies heaven's will and subverts the royal house. If I do not wipe out his three clans and proclaim it to the world, I will die with my eyes open. How could I make peace or a marriage alliance with a traitor? I will not kill you—leave at once." Sun Jian pressed on, advancing to within a few dozen li of Luoyang. Forced to flee, Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an and set Luoyang ablaze. When Sun Jian entered the city, it was utterly deserted, with no sign of life for hundreds of li. Overwhelmed by the desolation, Sun Jian wept.
Later, the idiom "die with eyes wide open" came to mean someone who dies without closing their eyes, describing a person who remains unwilling to accept their fate even in death.
Source: *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, "Biography of Sun Jian"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "死不瞑目" came to describe how someone dies without closing their eyes, describing a person who remains unwilling to accept their fate even in death.