The well-known idiom "a cunning rabbit has three burrows" originates from the story of Feng Xuan, a retainer of Lord Mengchang of the Qi state during the Warring States period. Feng Xuan helped Lord Mengchang create three secure locations, allowing him to navigate the complexities of the era and achieve a prosperous and safe life. This idiom is often used to describe someone who plans carefully and thinks ahead.
Cao Gui discusses warfare, saying, “the key to victory in battle lies in the spirit of courage and morale: at the first drumbeat the Qi soldiers’ spirits were raised. On the second time, their spirits declined. Finally, on the third time, their spirits had been exhausted. Their spirits were exhausted while those of our soldiers' still brimmed. Consequently we defeated them.” Originally, it referred to ancient battles, where the first drumbeat was the most invigorating for soldiers' morale. Later, it was used metaphorically to emphasize the importance of seizing the right moment and using the initial burst of energy to achieve success in endeavors.
The idiom "one day of exposure, ten days of freezing" is derived from Mencius' statement "exposing them for one day and then freezing them for ten days" and refers to the lack of perseverance in work or learning, which makes it difficult to achieve success.
During the Warring States period, various states competed with each other. Dai Su met with King Hui of Zhao and told him the fable about the fighting sandpiper and clam, to make him understand the principle that the ultimate beneficiary would be the fisherman. As a result, King Hui agreed to cancel the plan to attack the state of Yan. This idiom is often used later to describe situations where people were preoccupied with fighting each other, others would take advantage of the situation.