Tao Kan, a celebrated general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, lost his father as a child and grew up in poverty. Though highly talented, he found no place to put his abilities to use, serving only as a minor county official to support his family. It wasn't until his forties, thanks to the recommendation of the renowned scholar Fan Kui, that he was summoned by Liu Hong, the governor of Jingzhou, to take up posts as an inspector and registrar.
In 305 AD, General Chen Min rebelled, sending his brother Chen Hui to attack Wuchang. Liu Hong appointed Tao Kan as Governor of Jiangxia to lead the defense. On his first command, Tao Kan displayed brilliant military skill, swiftly defeating Chen Hui and, alongside imperial forces, crushing Chen Min's revolt.
Soon after, Tao Kan was promoted to General of the Soaring Dragon and Governor of Wuchang for his merits. He then received imperial orders to campaign across the land, and for his battlefield achievements, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Chaisang.
Later, Tao Kan was reassigned as Governor of Guangzhou and then Governor of Jiaozhou. While serving in Jiaozhou, he learned that Colonel Guo Mo, driven by personal vengeance, had killed General Liu Yin in Jiangzhou, forged an imperial edict, and falsely accused Liu Yin of rebellion. When Prime Minister Wang Dao learned of this, fearing the court lacked the strength to punish the formidable Guo Mo, he not only refrained from punishing him but instead appointed him as General of the Western Garrison and Governor of Jiangzhou as a gesture of appeasement.
Tao Kan immediately sent a memorial to the court, requesting to dispatch troops to punish Guo Mo. At the same time, he wrote to Wang Dao, saying, "Guo Mo killed a provincial official, and the court appointed him as that official; if he killed the prime minister, would they then appoint him as prime minister?"
After reading Tao Kan's letter, Wang Dao found his reasoning sound and dispatched him to lead an army against Guo Mo.
Guo Mo, realizing he was no match for Tao Kan, planned to flee Jiangzhou with his troops. But Tao Kan's army moved with lightning speed, surrounding the city before Guo Mo could escape.
Song Hou, a general under Guo Mo, also sensed that Guo Mo was doomed to fail. Seizing the moment when Guo Mo was off guard, Song Hou captured him and surrendered to Tao Kan. In this way, relying on his formidable reputation alone, Tao Kan crushed Guo Mo's rebellion without a single drop of blood spilled, adding yet another great achievement to his name.
For his repeated military achievements, Emperor Cheng of Jin appointed Tao Kan as Grand General; after his death, the court posthumously honored him as Grand Marshal.
Later, the idiom "no blood on the blade" came to describe achieving victory without a fight.
Source: *Book of Jin*, "Biography of Tao Kan"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "兵不血刃" came to describe achieving victory without a fight.