To Return the Jade Intact To Chao

During the Warring States Period, the king of Chao received a very rare, very valuable piece of jade. When the king of Ch'in heard about this, he offered him fifteen cities in exchange for the jade. As Ch'in was a very strong state, the king of Chao did not dare refuse, and so sent Lin Shiang-ru to Ch'in with the jade.

As soon as he set eyes on it, the king of Ch'in loved the jade. He looked it over carefully, and then passed it around among his attendants, praising it all the while. He did not mention the fifteen cities, and Li Shiang-ru soon realized that he had no intention of making the exchange at all. So Lin said to the king, "Your Majesty, this jade has a small flaw in it." Reaching out as if to point out the flaw to the king he instead took the jade and stood with it next to a stone pillar. He told the king that unless he was still planning to offer Chao the cities in exchange, he would not receive the jade, but the king just laughed and asked Lin how he intended to get the jade out of Ch'in. Lin then said, "If the king forces me, I will smash this jade along with my head against this pillar." Seeing that he was serious, the king had no choice but to let him return to Chao with the jade.

Now, when we return a thing intact to its owner, we can say that we are "returning the jade intact to Chao."

完璧歸趙

戰國時代，趙王無意間得到了一塊寶玉和氏璧，秦昭襄王聽說後非常想要據為己有，因此就派人到趙國，對趙王說秦國願意以十五個城與趙國交換這塊玉。趙王心裡非常捨不得，但是因為趙國國勢很弱，因此不敢得罪秦王，怕秦王一不高興，就派兵攻打趙國。為了這件事，趙王傷透了腦筋。

大臣藺相如知道這件事以後，就自告奮勇帶著和氏璧出使秦國，他心裡知道秦王雖然喜歡這塊玉，事實上根本不想用十五個城來交換。到了秦國後，藺相如就抱著和氏璧、大聲對秦王說：「如果大王您不顧信用，想要搶我手上這塊寶玉，我就一頭撞上皇宮裡的柱子，相信寶玉一定會粉碎！」秦王聽了雖然很生氣，但是怕他真的撞上柱子而摔壞寶玉，因此一點都不敢輕舉妄動。後來藺相如更趁秦王不注意的時候，派人連夜把和氏璧送回去。秦王雖然惱怒，但是因為知道自己行事不夠光明正大，怕傳出去成為笑柄，只好把藺相如放了。