A thousand kilograms of gold were used to buy the ashes of a horse(千金買骨)
In 311 BC, during the Warring States period
in China, there was a newly
appointed young king of the Kingdom of Yan.
This young king had dreams for the future of the Kingdom of Yan, and he longed
to make it powerful.
The young king knew that in order for a kingdom
to become strong, there was one very important requirement, and that was to be
able to recruit many capable people to work in the central government of the
Kingdom of Yan.
There was a very wise advisor in the
central government of the Yan Kingdom. His name was Guo Wei.
The King of Yan went to ask Guo Wei for
advice.
The King of Yan said
I want to expand our kingdom, and I need
many capable people to help me. How can I quickly attract those capable people
to come to Yan Kingdom and work for our Yan Kingdom?
Guo Wei replied with a smile.
Let me tell you a story.
There was an ancient king who longed to own
a good horse. He was even willing to pay up to a thousand kilograms of gold to
buy it. But he couldn't buy it.
One day, a man said to the king, "I
have a way to buy you a great horse in a short time.
But there is only one condition: you must
trust me completely and give me a thousand kilograms of gold first.
The king agreed to the man's request.
Three months later, the man came back to
report to the king.
The man said to the king, "I have
searched everywhere and finally found this best horse.
The king said happily.
Let me see this horse.
The man took a bag of things and five
hundred kilograms of gold out of his backpack.
The man said to the king, "When I
found the best horse, it happened to die of disease.
So I bought the horse's ashes for five
hundred kilograms of gold.
I only spent 500 kilograms of gold, so I
can give you back 500 kilograms of gold.
The king was very angry when he heard this
answer and scolded the man loudly.
You idiot, what do I need these ashes for?
You actually spent 500 kilograms of gold to buy them.
Facing the angry king, the man replied
calmly and with a smile.
Please don't be angry, there is a reason
why I am doing this.
Word of what I have done has spread
throughout the land, and people all over the land know that you are willing to
pay a very high price to buy the best horse.
These people would think that if the ashes
of a great horse can be sold for five hundred kilograms of gold, then a great
horse that is alive and well can definitely be sold for a higher price.
I promise that in the near future, many
people will bring their best horses to the palace to sell to you.
You will be able to take your time and
choose the best horse you want to buy.
As the man expected, within a year the king
had bought three very rare and excellent horses.
After hearing this story, the King of Yan
asked Guo Kui.
I understand your story, but where am I
going to buy the ashes of that wonderful horse that died?
Who is this wonderful horse that died?
Guo Wei replied with a smile.
I am that wonderful horse who died.
You allowed me to serve as your advisor
because of my talent, but there are countless people in China who are more
talented than I am.
You should publicly appoint me to an
important position in the central government of the Kingdom of Yan, treat me
with respect, and pay me a high salary.
If you do this, I guarantee that within a
few months, talented people from all the kingdoms will come to the Kingdom of
Yan, and you will be able to find many talented people quickly.
Just as Guo Wei had expected, within a year,
the king of Yan Kingdom had recruited many talented people to the central
government of Yan Kingdom to help him strengthen Yan Kingdom.
The direct translation of this idiom is a
thousand kilograms of gold were used to buy the ashes of a horse
The "thousand catties of gold" in
this idiom means a lot of gold, not exactly a thousand catties of gold.
It is used to describe a person's,
company's or country's urgent desire to recruit more, better and more
outstanding talent.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
Would you like to start your own business?
If you want to realise your dream, whose help do you think you need?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
千金買骨(A thousand kilograms of gold were used to buy the ashes of a horse)
西元前311年，中國戰國時代的燕王國有一個新上任的年輕國王，這個年輕國王對燕王國的未來懷抱著夢想，他渴望讓燕王國變的強大。
這個年輕國王知道如果一個王國要強盛有一個很重要的先決條件，這個先決條件就是要能夠聘請到很多有能力的人到燕王國的中央政府內工作。
燕王國的中央政府內有一個很有智慧的參謀，這個參謀的名字叫做(郭隗)。
燕王國的國王去請教郭隗。
燕王國的國王說。
我想要壯大我們王國，我需要很多有能力的人才來幫我，我要怎樣才可以快速地吸引到那些有能力的人才來燕王國為我們燕王國效力呢?
郭隗笑著回答。
我說一個故事給你聽。
有一個古代的國王，他十分渴望擁有一匹好馬。他甚至願意付出高達一千斤的黃金去購買。但他一直買不到。
有一天，有一個男人跟國王說，我有辦法可以在短時間內、為你買到一匹很棒的馬。
但只有一個條件，你要充分的信任我，你必須先給我一千斤的黃金。
國王答應了這個男人的要求。
過了三個月後，這個男人回來跟國王報告。
這個男人對國王說，我到處尋找，終於找到了這一匹最棒的馬。
國王很開心的說。
快讓我看這一匹馬。
這個男人就從自已的背包中，拿出一包東西與五百斤的黃金。
這個男人對國王說，我找到這匹最棒的馬的時候，這匹馬剛好病死了。
所以我用五百斤的黃金把這隻馬的骨灰買了下來。
我只花了五百斤的黃金，因此我還可以退還給你五百斤的黃金。
國王聽到這回答非常生氣地大聲斥責這個男人。
你這個笨蛋，我要這些骨灰幹嘛，你竟然還花了五百斤的黃金去買。
面對暴怒的國王，這個男人平靜且微笑著回答。
請你先不要生氣，我會這樣做是有道理的。
我做的這件事情已經傳遍了全國各地，全國的百姓都知道你是真的願意付出極高的代價來買一匹最棒的馬。
這些百姓的心中會想，一匹很棒的馬的骨灰都可以賣五百斤的黃金，那麼一匹活得的很棒的馬一定可以賣到更高的價錢。
我保證在不久的將來，就會有很多百姓把他們手中最好的馬帶來皇宮想要賣給你。
你到時候可以慢慢挑選，你一定可以挑到你所想買的最棒的馬。
就如同這個男人所預期的，一年內，國王買到了三匹非常罕見的超級棒的馬。
燕王國的國王聽完這個故事後他問郭隗。
你的故事我聽懂了，但是可是我要去那邊買到那匹死掉的很棒的馬的骨灰呢?
誰是那匹已經死掉的很棒的馬呢?
郭隗微笑著回答國王。
我就是那一匹已經死掉的很棒的馬。
你因為我的才能所以讓我能夠擔任你的參謀，但是全中國中比我有才能的人不知道有多少。
你應該公開的聘任我擔任燕王國的中央政府內的重要職位，你要用尊敬的態度對待我，你要給我很高的報酬。
如果你這樣做，那麼我保證在幾個月內各個王國的有才能的人都會到燕王國，你到時候就可以快速地找到很多有才能的人。
就如同郭隗預期的，一年內，燕王國的國王聘任了很多有才能的人到燕王國的中央政府內協助自己一起壯大燕王國。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是花一千公斤的黃金買了一匹馬的骨灰。
這句成語中的一千斤的黃金的意思是形容非常多的黃金，而並非真的是剛好一千斤的黃金。
這句成語被用來形容一個人或一家公司或一個國家非常迫切地希望招攬到更多更好更優秀的人才。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你希望開創一份屬於自已的事業嗎?你如果要完成自己的夢想你認為你需要誰的協助?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為戰國策-燕策1-燕昭王收破燕後即位
https://ctext.org/zhan-guo-ce/yan-yi/zh
2025/01/22更新