📖 Meaning
A reserve supply sufficient for nine years. It refers to a nation maintaining substantial reserves during peacetime to prepare for extraordinary circumstances or emergencies. The idiom emphasizes the importance of foresight and prudent stockpiling in governance.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Han dynasty text 'Huainanzi' (《淮南子·主术训》), compiled under the patronage of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, during the Western Han dynasty. The text states that after eighteen years of good governance, a state should have six years of stored provisions, and after twenty-seven years, nine years of reserves. It reflects the ancient Chinese philosophy of statecraft that valued long-term planning and the accumulation of resources to ensure national stability through times of famine or crisis.
💡 Example Usage
明君治国当思未雨绸缪，务求九年之储，方能有备无患。
A wise ruler governing a state should plan ahead and strive to build a nine-year reserve, so as to be prepared for any eventuality.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 九年之储
- Pinyin: jiǔ nián zhī chǔ
- Literal Translation: nine, years, of, reserve
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4