📖 Meaning
To buy horses and recruit soldiers. It means to gather manpower and resources in preparation for war or a major undertaking. It is a variant of the more common idiom 招兵买马.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in Ming dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu's renowned work 'The Peony Pavilion' (牡丹亭), specifically in the scene '牝贼' (The Female Bandit). In this scene, a character receives news and congratulates another, suggesting they use their authority to buy horses and recruit soldiers. The expression reflects the military practice of assembling forces before a campaign, and over time became a metaphor for gathering resources and people for any large-scale endeavor.
💡 Example Usage
他回到家乡后，便暗中买马招军，准备起兵反抗朝廷。
After returning to his hometown, he secretly bought horses and recruited soldiers, preparing to raise an army against the imperial court.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 买马招军
- Pinyin: mǎi mǎ zhāo jūn
- Literal Translation: buy, horse, recruit, army
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4