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春秋时代末期，吴国国王夫差连续征服了越国、鲁国和齐国，雄心勃勃，又继续向西北进军，打算一鼓作气征服晋国。 可正在这个时候，越王勾践抄了吴王的后路。他带领军队一直打到吴国的国都姑苏（苏州），又派人马占据淮河，把吴王的退路切断了。 这消息给吴王夫差当头泼了一盆冷水，他非常震惊，立即召集文臣武将商量对策。大家说，现在退回去等于两关打了败仗，还会两头挨打；如果能打败晋国，就等于在诸候国中当定了霸主，再回去收拾越王勾践也不算晚。 大主意已经拿定，当务之急是尽快征服晋国。考虑再三，决定出奇制胜。 一天傍晚，吴王下达了命令。全军将士吃得饱饱的，马也喂足了草料。从全军中挑出三万精兵强将。每一万人摆成一个方阵，共摆三个方阵。每个方阵横竖都是一百人。每一行排头的都是军官司。每十行，也就是一千人，由一个大夫负责。每项一个方阵由一名将军率领。中间的方阵白盔白甲，白衣服，白旗帜，白弓箭，由吴王自己掌握，称为中军；左边的方阵，红盔红甲、红衣服、红简直就像深不可测；右边的方阵则一水儿黑色。半夜出发，黎明时分到达离晋军仅有一里路的地方。天色刚刚显出亮色，吴军鼓声大作，欢呼之声震天动工地。 晋军从梦中醒来，一看吴军那三个方阵和声威气势，简直都惊呆了：那白色方阵，“望之如荼”——像开满白花的茅草地；那红色方阵，“望之如火”——如像熊熊燃烧的火焰；而那黑色的方阵，简直就象深不可测的大海。 故事出自《国语·吴语》。成语“如火如荼”，形容某种人群或事物阵容之大，气势之盛。 likefireandfloweringrush intheyearsaround480b.c.,chinawasinthelastphaseofthespringandautumnperiod.fuchai,kingofthestateofwu,conqueredthestatesofyue,luandchioneafteranother.thenfuchai,overweeninglyambitious,ledhisarmymarchingintothenorthwestinanattempttoconquerthestateofjininonevigorouseffort. butjustatthattime,goujian,kingofthestateofyue,outflankedfuchaiandattackedhimintherear.goujian'sarmyfoughtonebattleafteranotherandarrivedingusu,capitalofthestateofwu,atlast,andtookawaythebigboatsofthestateofwu.goujinalsosenthistroopstooccupythehuairiverimmediately,thuscuttingofffuchai'sretreat theshockingnewsreachedfuchai,kingofthestateofwu,likeahead-onblowtohim.sohecalledhiscivilianofficialsandmilitarygeneralsatoncetofindawaytodealwiththisserioussituation.hiscivilianofficialsandmilitarytheirtroopsnowwouldmeandefeat,andthattheywouldbeattackedbyboththetroopsofthejinarmyandthetroopsoftheyuearmy.but,iftheycoulddefeatthestateofjin,fuchaiwouldbecomeapowerfulchiefoftheprincesatthattime,anditwouldnotbetoolateforfuchaitosettlewithgoujianafterthat havingmadethisdecision,theyknewthatapressingmatterofthemomentwastoconquerthstateofjinasquicklyaspossible.afterconsideringoverandoveragain,theydecidedtotrytodefeatthejinarmybyasurprisemove. onedaytowardsevening,thekingofthestateofwugavehisorders.theofficersandmenofthewholearmyatetheirfill,andthesteedswerewellfedwithfodder.30,000officersandmenwerechosenfromthewholearmytofromthreephalanxes,with10,000officersandmeneach.thesoldersinthemiddlephalanxworewhitesuitsofarmour,andcarriedwhiteflagsandwhitebowsandarrows,andtheywereledbykingofthestateofwufuchaihimself.theothertwophalanxeswereledbyseniorgenerals.thesoldiersintheleftphalanxworeredsuitsofarmour,andcarriedredflagsandredbowsandarrows.theindealingwiththecase,becausetheempresswouldcertainlyblamehimandpunishhim.howcouldhesolvetheproblemthen?heturnedtheproblemoverandoverinhismind,andfinallythoughtouta"brilliantscheme". laijunchenhadasumptuousfeastprepared,andinvitedzhouxingtohishome.thetwoofthemurgedeachothertodrink,andtheytalkedwhiledrinking.afterthewinehadgoneroundthreetimes,ioftencomeacrossprisonerswhostubbournlyrefusetoadmittheyareguilty.iwonderifyouhaveanyeffectivemeasures."hearingthis,zhouxingsaid,"getabigvat,scorchithotwithcharcoalfireallaround,andthenlettheprisonercomeintothevat.willtheprisonerfailtomakeacomfessionofhiscrime?"hearingthis,laijunchennoddedhisheadinapprovalrepeatedly.hethenorderedhissubordinatestobringabigvat,andhadacharcoalfirelitallarounditaszhouxinghadsaid.hethenturnedtozhouxingandsaid,"someoneintherebellion.theempresshasorderedmetodealwiththecaseseverely.soibegyourpardon,butwouldyoukindlystepintothesoldiersintherightphalanxworeblacksuitsofarmour,andcarriedblackflagsandblackbowsandarrows.thewholearmysetoutatmidnight,andarrivedatdawnataplacewithinali'sdistanceofthejinarmy.whenthedaywasbeginningtobreak,thesoldiersofthewuarmybegantoberatthedrumsheavilyandtheirshoutingsresoundedlikerollsofthunder. awakeningfromtheirdreams,thesoldersofthejinarmywerealmoststupefiedbytheimposingmannerofthethreephalanxesofthewuarmy.thewhitephalanxwaslikeafieldcoveredwithfloweringrush,theredphalanxwaslikeaburningfire,andtheblackphalanxwassimplylikeaseatoodeeptofathom. thisstorycomesfromcomversationsfromthestates.latergenerationsoftenusethesetphrase"likefireandfloweringrush"torefertotremendousmomentum. | 
