黃袍加身

See also: 黄袍加身

Chinese

			to add; plus	body; torso; person body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy; (a measure word used for clothes) suit
trad. (黃袍加身)		黃袍	加	身
simp. (黄袍加身)		黄袍	加	身
Literally: “to add to oneself a yellow robe; to drape oneself with a yellow robe”.

Etymology

The idiom comes from the event in 960 when military commander Zhao Kuangyin removed child emperor Guo Zongxun from the throne and proclaimed himself a new emperor after being presented an imperial dragon robe by his subordinates.

After becoming emperor, Zhao, for fear that military figures might betray him like he betraying his emperor, invited them to a wine banquet and successfully persuaded them to retire. This happened in 961 and gave rise to another idiom, 杯酒釋兵權／杯酒释兵权 (bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán).

諸校露刃列於庭，曰：「諸軍無主，願策太尉為天子。」未及對，有以黃衣加太祖身，眾皆羅拜，呼萬歲，即掖太祖乘馬。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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诸校露刃列于庭，曰：「诸军无主，愿策太尉为天子。」未及对，有以黄衣加太祖身，众皆罗拜，呼万岁，即掖太祖乘马。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 1345 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Song

Zhū xiào lù rèn liè yú tíng, yuē: “Zhū jūn wúzhǔ, yuàn cè tàiwèi wèi tiānzǐ.” Wèijí duì, yǒu yǐ huáng yī jiā tàizǔ shēn, zhòng jiē luóbài, hū wànsuì, jí yē tàizǔ chéngmǎ. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): huángpáojiāshēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄆㄠˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄕㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: huángpáojiāshēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄆㄠˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄕㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: huángpáojiashen
    • Wade–Giles: huang²-pʻao²-chia¹-shên¹
    • Yale: hwáng-páu-jyā-shēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hwangpaurjiashen
    • Palladius: хуанпаоцзяшэнь (xuanpaoczjašɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ pʰɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹
    • Yale: wòhng pòuh gā sān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wong⁴ pou⁴ gaa¹ san¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: wong⁴ pou⁴ ga¹ sen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɔːŋ²¹ pʰou̯²¹ kaː⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

Idiom

黃袍加身

1. to stage a coup d'état; overthrow a government; take the throne
   • 2016, 陳列, “兵變知多少？”, in Lianhe Zaobao‎^[1]:

     趙匡胤黃袍加身仰仗的是兵變，掌權後難免擔心別的將領如法炮製，一旦兵權在握也來奪位，於是策劃了“杯酒釋兵權”這齣好戲。 [MSC, trad.]
     赵匡胤黄袍加身仰仗的是兵变，掌权后难免担心别的将领如法炮制，一旦兵权在握也来夺位，于是策划了“杯酒释兵权”这出好戏。 [MSC, simp.]

     Zhào Kuāngyìn huángpáojiāshēn yǎngzhàng de shì bīngbiàn, zhǎngquán hòu nánmiǎn dānxīn biéde jiānglǐng rúfǎpàozhì, yīdàn bīngquán zàiwò yě lái duó wèi, yúshì cèhuà le “bēijiǔshìbīngquán” zhè chū hǎoxì. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. to be crowned (as a monarch, ruler, winner, champion, etc.)