横征暴敛 Héng zhēng bào liǎn exorbitant taxes and levies

Explanation

指官府无理地向人民强行征收苛捐杂税，残酷地剥削人民。

Refers to the unreasonable and forceful collection of exorbitant taxes and levies by the government, cruelly exploiting the people.

Origin Story

话说唐朝末年，黄巢领导农民起义，他们一路高歌猛进，所到之处，官兵们望风而逃。可是，起义军在取得胜利之后，一些将领却贪图享乐，他们开始横征暴敛，对百姓进行残酷的剥削，最终导致了农民起义的失败。起义军将领们曾经信誓旦旦，要为老百姓伸张正义，可是，他们却忘记了自己的初心，变成了他们曾经反抗的对象。这真是令人痛心疾首啊！而这一切，都是因为他们忘记了起义的初衷，沉迷于享受胜利果实，忘记了当初为了什么而战。因此，即使他们曾经取得了辉煌的成就，最终却也走向了失败。历史总是惊人的相似，每一次的教训，都值得我们深思。

huà shuō táng cháo mò nián, huáng cháo lǐng dǎo nóngmín qǐyì, tāmen yīlù gāo gē měng jìn, suǒ dào zhī chù, guānbīng men wàngfēng ér táo. kěshì, qǐyì jūn zài qǔdé shènglì zhī hòu, yīxiē jiànglǐng què tāntú xiǎnglè, tāmen kāishǐ héng zhēng bào liǎn, duì bǎixìng jìnxíng cánkù de bōxuē, zuìzhōng dǎozhì le nóngmín qǐyì de shībài. qǐyìjūn jiànglǐng men céngjīng xìnshìdàndàn, yào wèi lǎobǎixìng shēnzhāng zhèngyì, kěshì, tāmen què wàngjì le zìjǐ de chūxīn, biàn chéng le tāmen céngjīng fǎnkàng de duìxiàng. zhè zhēnshi lìng rén tòngxīn jíshǒu a! ér zhè yīqiē, dōu shì yīnwèi tāmen wàngjì le qǐyì de chūzhōng, chénmí yú xiǎngshòu shènglì guǒshí, wàngjì le dāngchū wèi shénme ér zhàn. yīncǐ, jíshǐ tāmen céngjīng qǔdé le huīhuáng de chéngjiù, zuìzhōng què yě zǒuxiàng le shībài. lìshǐ zǒngshì jīngrén de xiāngsì, měi yī cì de jiàoxùn, dōu zhídé wǒmen shēnsī.

In the late Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao led a peasant uprising. Their advances were significant, and the officials fled before them. After their victory, some generals fell into luxury and began to exploit the peasants cruelly. This ultimately led to the failure of the rebellion. The generals, who once swore to stand up for the peasants, had forgotten their original intentions and transformed into the very oppressors they once fought against. This is truly heartbreaking! All this happened because they forgot the original goals of the uprising and indulged in the enjoyment of the fruits of victory. They forgot what they were fighting for. Therefore, even though they had once achieved great successes, they ultimately failed. History always repeats itself in startling ways. Each lesson is worth pondering.

Usage

作谓语、定语、宾语；多用于贬义，指残酷剥削

zuò wèiyǔ, dìngyǔ, bǐnyǔ; duō yòng yú biǎnyì, zhǐ cánkù bōxuē

Used as predicate, attributive, and object; mostly derogatory, refers to cruel exploitation

Examples

• 官府横征暴敛，百姓怨声载道。

  guǎnfǔ héng zhēng bào liǎn, bǎixìng yuānshēng zàidào

  The government levied exorbitant taxes, and the people complained.

• 地主横征暴敛，农民揭竿而起

  dìzhǔ héng zhēng bào liǎn, nóngmīn jiēgān ér qǐ

  The landlords extorted the peasants, and the peasants rebelled.

Related Idioms

• 敲骨吸髓

• 苛捐杂税

Opposite Idioms

• 轻徭薄赋