📖 Meaning
To deliberately flatter and indulge a ruler's or superior's wicked inclinations, actively encouraging them to commit wrongdoing. It describes the behavior of a sycophantic official who not only fails to remonstrate but actually leads the sovereign deeper into vice. The phrase carries a strong moral condemnation, as Mencius considered this act a graver sin than merely tolerating a ruler's faults.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Confucian classic Mencius (《孟子·告子下》), where the philosopher Mencius discusses the moral responsibilities of ministers. He distinguishes between two types of ministerial failure: 'prolonging a ruler's faults' (长君之恶), which he deems a minor offense, and 'catering to a ruler's vices' (逢君之恶), which he condemns as a major crime. The logic is that the former is passive negligence, while the latter is active complicity — the minister not only tolerates evil but fans its flames. Mencius's sharp distinction reflects the Warring States period's concern with the ethical duties of advisors toward their lords.
💡 Example Usage
他身为谏臣，却一味逢君之恶，最终断送了江山。
Though appointed as an official whose duty was to remonstrate, he did nothing but cater to the ruler's vices, ultimately bringing the dynasty to ruin.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 逢君之恶
- Pinyin: féng jūn zhī è
- Literal Translation: cater to, ruler, possessive, evil
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4