📖 Meaning
Refers to the chief instigator or ringleader who masterminds a plot or conspiracy. It describes the person who originates and orchestrates a scheme, typically in a criminal or conspiratorial context. The idiom emphasizes the primary role of the person who conceived and initiated the wrongful plan.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Chapter 18 of Shi Nai'an's classic Ming dynasty novel 'Water Margin' (水浒全传). In the story, Bai Sheng is captured and brought before the authorities for his involvement in the robbery of the birthday gifts. Under interrogation, he is bound with ropes and pressed to reveal who was the mastermind behind the entire scheme, using the phrase '主情造意' to ask who the chief instigator was.
💡 Example Usage
经过审讯，警方终于查出了这起案件的主情造意之人。
After interrogation, the police finally identified the mastermind behind this case.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 主情造意
- Pinyin: zhǔ qíng zào yì
- Literal Translation: mastermind, circumstance, fabricate, scheme
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4