During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Western Han Dynasty, there was an official named Zhao Guanghan, who enforced the law with unwavering resolve and feared no powerful figures. When serving as the governor of Yingchuan, he executed many local tyrants who oppressed the people, earning deep affection from the common folk.
Later, he was transferred to serve as the capital's chief administrator, overseeing law and order in Chang'an. Known for his sharp mind and investigative skills, he had an intimate grasp of every type of person in the city, so when a crime occurred, he could quickly find clues to solve it; and when suspicious situations arose, he could follow the faintest traces to prevent incidents before they happened.
Once, in Chang'an, a group of idle youths gathered in an empty house to plot a robbery. As they huddled in secret, Zhao Guanghan arrived with his men and swept them all into a single net.
On another occasion, two bandits learned that the imperial guard Su Huijia was wealthy, so they kidnapped him on the road and demanded a ransom from his family.
When Su Hui's family reported the crime to the capital's authorities, Zhao Guanghan quickly tracked down the culprit's hideout and led his officers there in pursuit.
Arriving at the criminal's hideout, Zhao Guanghan, concerned that a forceful entry might harm the hostage, ordered his deputy to knock and announce, "Listen up, you inside! Governor Zhao of the capital has surrounded this house. Only by releasing the hostage and surrendering can you expect lenient treatment!"
"The two thugs, hearing Zhao Guanghan outside and realizing there was no escape, had no choice but to release the hostage and open the door to surrender. Zhao Guanghan said, 'Lucky for you, you didn't kill the hostage, or your entire family would have been implicated!'"
Zhao Guanghan brought the two thugs back to the Jingzhao Prefect's office, interrogated them, and then ordered them jailed with instructions to treat them well, even sending them wine and meat.
When autumn arrived, Zhao Guanghan sentenced both men to death according to the law, but he did not pursue any further charges against their families.
Zhao Guanghan handled many similar cases during his tenure as the capital's governor. Therefore, Ban Gu, author of the *Book of Han*, praised him, saying, "His ability to uncover hidden crimes was like that of a god," meaning he exposed evildoers and misdeeds with divine accuracy.
Later, the idiom "fa jian ti fu" came to describe exposing treachery so it cannot hide.
Source: *Book of Han*, "Biography of Zhao Guanghan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "发奸擿伏" came to describe exposing treachery so it cannot hide.