出師表
The Memorial on Marching Out
Meaning
To declare one’s resolve before a great undertaking. "Submitting the chu-shi-biao" now means formally throwing your hat in the ring; the companion phrase jugong-jinchui means bending one’s body in utter devotion.
Origin story
After Liu Bei’s death, Zhuge Liang served the young emperor Liu Shan while preparing the northern campaigns. Before marching against Wei, he submitted a memorial to the throne: gratitude to the late Emperor, counsel to keep worthy ministers close and flatterers far, and his vow to restore the Han. This is the Chu Shi Biao, so moving it was said no loyal heart could read it dry-eyed. The Later Memorial’s line "I shall bend my body and give my all, ceasing only in death" became the emblem of his devotion — though that second memorial’s authenticity has long been debated.
Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms — Zhuge Liang (jugong-jinchui is from the disputed Later Memorial)
People
Modern examples
- He formally threw his hat in the ring for mayor, declaring his resolve like a general marching out.
- The product launch was the company’s declaration of war on the global market.