便宜施行 Bián yí shī xíng Act at one's discretion

Explanation

指根据具体情况，灵活处理，不必拘泥于规章制度。体现了随机应变的能力和效率。

It means to handle things flexibly according to the specific situation, without being bound by rules and regulations. It reflects the ability and efficiency to respond spontaneously to changing circumstances.

Origin Story

话说汉朝时期，名将萧何辅佐汉高祖刘邦打天下，他不仅善于运筹帷幄，决胜千里，而且在处理政务方面也展现出卓越才能。一次，朝廷下令修建宗庙、宫殿、城池等大型工程，按规定，所有工程的设计和实施都必须报朝廷审批。然而，萧何为了加快工程进度，提高效率，便采取了‘便宜施行’的策略。对于一些不太重要的细节，或者一些紧急情况，他可以根据实际情况灵活处理，无需事先请示皇帝。当然，事后他会将处理结果上报皇帝，以求得批准。这种灵活的处理方式，不仅节省了时间，提高了效率，也避免了因繁琐的审批流程而耽误战机。萧何的‘便宜施行’，不仅保证了工程如期完成，也体现了他卓越的办事能力和对时机的把握。

huì shuō hàn cháo shíqí, míng jiàng xiāo hé fǔzuǒ hàn gāozǔ liú bāng dǎ tiānxià, tā bù jǐn shàn yú yùnchóu wéiwò, juéshèng qiānlǐ, érqiě zài chǔlǐ zhèngwù fāngmiàn yě zhǎnxiàn chū zhuóyuè cáinéng. yī cì, cháoting xià lìng xiūjiàn zōngmiào, gōngdiàn, chéngchí děng dàxíng gōngchéng, àn guīdìng, suǒyǒu gōngchéng de shèjì hé shíshī dōu bìxū bào cháoting shěnpī. rán'ér, xiāo hé wèile jiākuài gōngchéng jìndù, tígāo xiàolǜ, biàn cǎiqǔ le 'piányì shīxíng' de cèlüè. duìyú yīxiē bù tài zhòngyào de xìjié, huòzhě yīxiē jǐnjí qíngkuàng, tā kěyǐ gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng línghuó chǔlǐ, wúxū shìxiān qǐngshì huángdì. dāngrán, shìhòu tā huì jiāng chǔlǐ jiéguǒ shàng bào huángdì, yǐ qiú dé pīzhǔn. zhè zhǒng línghuó de chǔlǐ fāngshì, bù jǐn jiéshěng le shíjiān, tígāo le xiàolǜ, yě bìmiǎn le yīn fánsuǒ de shěnpī liúchéng ér dānwù zhànjī. xiāo hé de 'piányì shīxíng', bù jǐn bǎozhèng le gōngchéng rúqī wánchéng, yě tǐxiàn le tā zhuóyuè de bànshì nénglì hé duì shíjī de bǎwò.

During the Han Dynasty, the famous general Xiao He assisted Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang in conquering the empire. He was not only a brilliant strategist but also demonstrated extraordinary ability in handling government affairs. Once, the court ordered the construction of large-scale projects such as temples, palaces, and city walls. According to regulations, the design and implementation of all projects had to be submitted to the court for approval. However, to accelerate the progress and improve efficiency, Xiao He adopted the strategy of “biàn yú shī xíng”. For some less important details or in emergencies, he could handle things flexibly according to the actual situation without prior notification to the emperor. Of course, afterward, he would report the results to the emperor for approval. This flexible approach not only saved time and improved efficiency but also avoided delays caused by cumbersome approval procedures. Xiao He’s “biàn yú shī xíng” not only ensured the timely completion of the projects but also demonstrated his outstanding ability to handle affairs and his grasp of timing.

Usage

形容根据实际情况灵活处理问题，不拘泥于条文规定。

xíngróng gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng línghuó chǔlǐ wèntí, bù jūní yú tiáowén guīdìng

Describes the flexible handling of problems according to the actual situation, without sticking to the provisions of regulations.

Examples

• 战时紧急情况，可便宜行事。

  zhànshí jǐnjí qíngkuàng, kě piányì xíngshì.

  In wartime emergencies, one can act at one's discretion.

• 面对突发事件，他随机应变，便宜施行，最终成功解决了问题。

  miàn duì tūfā shìjiàn, tā suíjī yìngbiàn, piányì shīxíng, zuìzhōng chénggōng jiějué le wèntí

  In the face of unexpected events, he reacted spontaneously and flexibly, and ultimately successfully resolved the problem.

Related Idioms

• 便宜行事

• 权宜之计

Opposite Idioms

• 墨守成规

• 按部就班