During the reign of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, the imperial advisor Wang Zhang was known throughout the court for his fearless outspokenness—some ministers deeply respected him, while others trembled at the mere sight of him.
Wang Zhang was born into a poor family and went to study in Chang'an as a young man, where he was a struggling student at the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of learning in the land.
After marriage, Wang Zhang continued to live in poverty with his wife. One bitter winter, he fell gravely ill, and they had no blanket—only a rough cowhide to huddle under. Shivering in the freezing wind, Wang Zhang, believing he was dying, wept and began to bid his wife farewell. His wife sternly scolded him, saying, "Is this how a man of ambition behaves? Your illness will pass, but your spirit must not break!"
"Do you see anyone in the capital or the court whose talent and learning surpass yours? They all enjoy wealth and honor. Yet now you are utterly disheartened by illness and weep tears—isn't that too spineless?"
Wang Zhang, moved by his wife's wise words, wiped away his tears and resolved to share hardships with her, recover his health, and strive tirelessly to rise above his circumstances one day.
Later, Wang Zhang indeed achieved fame and success, serving as a Left Assistant General of the Household during Emperor Yuan's reign and later being promoted to Governor of the Capital under Emperor Cheng.
At the time, Emperor Cheng's maternal uncle Wang Feng wielded absolute power through his exclusive control over court affairs. Although Wang Zhang had been recommended for office by Wang Feng, he deeply disapproved of Wang Feng's character and thus kept a deliberate distance from him.
Wang Feng, relying on his immense power, placed his own relatives in key positions at court. When Wang Zhang learned of this, he prepared to submit a memorial impeaching Wang Feng alongside other upright officials, urging the emperor to select worthy talents instead. His wife advised him:
"You should be content. Back when we were wrapped in ox blankets and weeping together, life was so hard. Now that things are better, why must you go looking for trouble?"
This time, Wang Zhang refused to heed his wife's advice. Stubbornly convinced that even if it cost him his position, he must speak the truth, he stayed up all night drafting a memorial to Emperor Cheng. However, the emperor, unwilling to dismiss his own uncle Wang Feng, simply let the matter drop.
Wang Feng harbored a deep grudge against Wang Zhang and eventually found an opportunity to frame his entire family. Later, people used the idiom "Weeping in Cow Blankets" to describe a couple enduring poverty together.
Source: *Book of Han*, "Biography of Wang Zhang"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "牛衣对泣" came to describe a couple enduring poverty together.