lit. cut sleeve (idiom) / fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.
lit. use sb's spear to attack his shield (idiom, derived from Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子) / turning a weapon against its owner / fig. to attack an opponent using his own devices / hoist with his own petard
Guozijian, the highest educational administrative body in imperial China, in some dynasties also functioning as the highest institution of academic research and learning (Imperial College, aka Imperial Academy)
Pan Yue (247-300), later known as 潘安[Pan1 An1], prominent Western Jin poet, also famous for his good looks, such that his name became a byword for "extremely handsome man"
Wu Han (1909-1969), historian, author of biography of Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋, hounded to his death together with several members of his family during the cultural revolution
the empty city stratagem (in which Zhuge Liang presents himself as unperturbed while making it evident that his city is undefended, hoping his adversary will suspect an ambush) / double bluff
lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom) / fig. to ride on sb else's success / Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too / Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹[Zhu1 Xi1]) / to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game / to give sb a taste of his own medicine
(Tw) (slang) a prank, prevalent in Chinese schools and known as "happy corner" in Hong Kong, in which several people carry a victim with his legs spread open, bringing his groin up against a pole or tree trunk
Kong Yiji, protagonist of a short story of the same name by Lu Xun 魯迅|鲁迅[Lu3 Xun4] depicting the life of a poor, unsuccessful scholar who clings to his Confucian ideals despite his dismal circumstances
Ku Hung-ming or Gu Hongming (1857-1928), Malaysian man of letters, highly regarded for his literary works written mostly in English, and known for his monarchist views
choronym (a family's region of origin, used as an indicator of superior social status in a surname-choronym combination) (For example, the Tang writer Han Yu 韓愈|韩愈[Han2 Yu4] is also known as 韓昌黎|韩昌黎[Han2 Chang1li2], where 韓|韩[Han2] is his surname and 昌黎[Chang1li2] is his clan's ancestral prefecture 郡[jun4].)
to come first in triennial palace examinations (idiom, refers to the carved stone turtle head in front of the imperial palace, next to which the most successful candidate in the imperial examinations was entitled to stand) / to be the champion / to be the very best in any field
Mukden Palace, aka Shenyang Imperial Palace, the main imperial palace during the early years of the Qing dynasty (1625-1644), a secondary palace in subsequent years, now a museum
(idiom) to come first in triennial palace examinations (refers to the carved stone turtle head in front of the imperial palace, next to which the most successful candidate in the imperial examinations was entitled to stand) / to be the champion / to be the very best in any field
identity / aspect of one's identity (i.e. sth that one is – mayor, father, permanent resident etc) / role / capacity (as in "in his capacity as a ..." 以…的身份[yi3 xx5 de5 shen1 fen4]) / status (social, legal etc) / position / rank
(in classical literature) young military officer of high rank for his age / (during the Cultural Revolution) young militant in the Red Guard / (in modern usage) rising star (in sport, politics etc)
(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he / him / his / (bound form) other / another / some other (as in 他日[ta1ri4] and 他人[ta1ren2])
Guanzi or Guan Zhong 管仲 (-645 BC), famous politician of Qi 齊國|齐国 of Spring and Autumn period / Guanzi, classical book containing writings of Guan Zhong and his school
Wu Sangui (1612-1678), Chinese general who let the Manchus into China and helped them establish the Qing Dynasty, later leading a revolt against Qing in an effort to start his own dynasty
Buddha (term of respect for Sakyamuni 釋迦牟尼|释迦牟尼[Shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2]) / His Holiness (refers to a Buddhist grandee) / Buddha / God / emperor / in late Qing court, refers exclusively to Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后[Ci2 xi3 tai4 hou4]
Diaochan (-192), one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3], in fiction a famous beauty at the break-up of Han dynasty, given as concubine to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo 董卓[Dong3 Zhuo2] to ensure his overthrow by fighting hero Lü Bu 呂布|吕布[Lu:3 Bu4]
Dorgon (1612-1651), fourteenth son of Nurhaci 努爾哈赤|努尔哈赤[Nu3 er3 ha1 chi4], successful general, instrumental in Manchu conquest of China, ruled China as regent 1644-1650 for his nephew Emperor Shunzhi 順治帝|顺治帝[Shun4 zhi4 di4]
秦越人[Qin2 Yue4 ren2] (407-310 BC), Warring States physician known for his medical skills, nicknamed Bian Que after the earliest known Chinese physician allegedly from the 黃帝|黄帝[Huang2 di4] era
Hongmen feast / (fig.) banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest / refers to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] escaped attempted murder by his rival Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3]
lit. to make three visits to the thatched cottage (idiom) (allusion to an episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4] in which Liu Bei 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮|诸葛亮[Zhu1 ge3 Liang4] to his cause by visiting him three times) / fig. to make earnest and repeated requests of sb
Alai (1959-), ethnic Tibetan Chinese writer, awarded Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2000 for his novel 塵埃落定|尘埃落定[Chen2 ai1 luo4 ding4] "Red Poppies"
The four tones
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