Only High Wind Knows the Sturdy Grass

Wang Ba was from Yingyang Prefecture in the end of the West Han Dynasty. When Liu Xiu rose up and rebelled against the government, his troops passed Yingyang Prefecture and Wang Ba joined in the troops with a group of his friends.

In the army, Wang Ba was loyal and devoted, and he won many battles. In the famous Kunyang Campaign, Liu Xiu led his troops against Emperor Wang Mang's main army and defeated it completely. And Wang Ba made great achievements in the campaign and he won Liu Xiu's trust from then on.

Later Liu Xiu led his army across the Yellow River and fought Wang Lang in Handan, Hebei Province, but he met with tremendous setback and failures in his military operations.

Wang Lang offered a great reward for catching or killing Liu Xiu, and the situation was terribly dangerous.

At that time, all of Wang Ba's friends escaped from Liu Xiu's army silently, but only Wang Ba stayed there. So Liu Xiu said to him,“All those who followed me and joined my army in Yingyang Prefecture have left me except you. It is indeed that‘Only the High Wind Knows the Sturdy Grass'!”

Later when Liu Xiu conquered the whole country and became the emperor, he made Wang Ba a side general and always regarded him highly.

Now we use“Only High Wind Knows the Sturdy Grass” to indicate that one person never changes his belief in the face of important trials.

It tells us that we must be loyal to our motherland and people. And we must become the“sturdy grass in high wind” when we are needed.