📖 Meaning
To deal with someone strictly according to military law. It implies imposing severe, uncompromising punishment without leniency, as would be done in a military tribunal. The phrase conveys the gravity of martial discipline applied to any offender.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Book of Han' (《汉书》), specifically the 'Biography of Wang Mang' (《王莽传》), compiled by Ban Gu during the Eastern Han dynasty. Wang Mang, who usurped the Han throne and established the short-lived Xin dynasty, issued a decree stating that anyone who dared to violate irrigation regulations would be punished according to military law. The phrase encapsulated his harsh, militaristic approach to governance, where even civil offenses were met with military-grade severity.
💡 Example Usage
泄露军机者，一律军法从事，绝不宽恕。
Anyone who leaks military secrets will be dealt with according to military law, without any mercy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 军法从事
- Pinyin: jūn fǎ cóng shì
- Literal Translation: military, law, according to, handle
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4