An afterthought about cutting through the mess with a sharp knife

About cutting through the mess with a quick knife - cleanly and neatly; cut in two with a single stroke

Meaning: It is a metaphor for acting decisively and solving complicated problems quickly. The words come from "Book of Northern Qi: Chronicles of Emperor Wenxuan"

Allusion: "Book of Northern Qi: Chronicles of Emperor Wenxuan": "Gaozu tried to observe the consciousness of the disciples, and each sent his envoys to control the tangled threads. The emperor alone drew his sword and cut it, saying : 'Those who rebel must be killed! '"

Idiom story:

Gao Huan was the prime minister of Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. He had six sons. One day, he wanted to test which son was the smartest, so he called all six sons to him. He said to his sons: "I have a lot of mess here. Now I will give each of you a handful. You can sort it out and see who can sort it out the fastest and best." The competition began, and the children were busy and nervous. They all quickly pulled out the mess one by one, and then straightened it out one by one. This method is very slow, and some children turn into knots when they are anxious. The children were all sweating profusely. The second son, Gao Yang, is different. He found a sharp knife and cut off the intertwined tangles with several cuts, and then sorted them out, so that they were sorted out quickly. Gao Huan was very surprised when he saw Gao Yang doing this, and asked: "How did you come up with this method?" Gao Yang replied: "Anyone who messes up must be killed!" Gao Huan was very happy after hearing this, thinking that this child has a broad mind and a good way of thinking. It is different from the ordinary and will definitely achieve great results in the future. Later, Gao Yang indeed seized the throne of the Eastern Wei Emperor, established the Northern Qi regime, and became the Northern Qi Wenxuan Emperor himself. According to this story, people have derived the proverb "cutting the mess with a quick knife" to metaphorically take decisive measures to solve complex and difficult problems. Hemp refers to twine.