During the Warring States period, a man named Fan Ju, known for his eloquence, initially served under Xu Jia, a high-ranking official in the state of Wei. But his efforts came to nothing, and he was falsely accused, nearly losing his life. Forced to change his name, he fled to the state of Qin.
At that time, King Zhao of Qin had reigned for thirty-six years, and the four most powerful figures in the state were the Marquis of Rang, the Lord of Huayang (brother of the Queen Dowager Xuan), and the Lords of Jingyang and Gaoling (the Queen Dowager's favored sons). The Marquis of Rang, serving as prime minister, held the reins of government, while the other three took turns commanding the military; relying on the Queen Dowager's influence, they controlled vast fiefs and wealth, surpassing even the king himself.
Fan Ju wrote a letter to King Zhao requesting a face-to-face meeting. The king received him in the palace, dismissed his attendants, and respectfully asked, "What advice do you have for me, sir?"
"Mm! Mm!" Fan Ju replied. King Zhao asked three times in a row, but Fan Ju only answered, "Mm! Mm!" The king knelt and pleaded, "Am I not worthy of your instruction?"
Fan Ju then launched into a lengthy discourse, saying, "Now I am a guest in Qin, and my relationship with you is still distant, yet I must speak on matters between ruler and subject, and even between blood relatives. If I speak today, I may face execution tomorrow, but I fear nothing—so long as my words benefit Qin, what is death to fear? What truly worries me is that if the world sees me killed for my loyalty to Qin, then all talented men will 'wrap their feet and stop,' unwilling to come to Qin at all!"
Fan Sui's sincere attitude deeply moved King Zhao of Qin, winning his trust. Soon, the king appointed Fan Sui as prime minister, took back the Marquess of Rang's seal of office, sent him into retirement, and ordered the lords Huayang, Gaoling, and Jingyang to live outside the passes. In this way, with Fan Sui's help, King Zhao strengthened central power, and the state of Qin gradually grew powerful.
Later, people used the idiom "wrapped feet not advancing" to describe hesitating to move forward.
Source: *Records of the Grand Historian*, "Biography of Li Si"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "裹足不前" came to describe hesitating to move forward.