Draw inferences from other people's stories.

One day, while chatting with courtiers, Emperor Taizong told such a story:

A businessman in the Western Regions accidentally got a pearl, which is priceless as never before. He loves it so much that he is afraid of being stolen, and he is not at ease where to put it. Later, he "cut open his body and hid it" and cut open his stomach to hide the pearl. This is quite safe, but his life is gone.

This story is called "give up the root and chase the end" or "cut the body and hide the pearl" Emperor Taizong said, "I have heard this story. Do you really think there will be such a person? " The courtier said, "I'm afraid so." Emperor Taizong said, "Everyone knows how ridiculous this businessman's foolish behavior of loving pearls rather than his body is. But some officials died because of taking bribes, and some emperors died because of the endless pursuit of enjoyment. Isn't it as stupid and ridiculous as him? "

At that time, Wei Zhi, an exhorting doctor, continued: "There are indeed some people who are greedy for money and forget their own lives. Lu Aigong once said to Confucius, "There was an forgetful man who forgot his wife after moving.". Confucius said:' This is not unusual, there are even more forgetful things: stubbornness means forgetting your own body'! " (See "Forgetting the Wife at Home")

"Give up the root and chase the end" is a metaphor for things that hurt the body and reverse the weight. Chapter 45 of A Dream of Red Mansions: Jia Baoyu went to see Lin Daiyu on a rainy night. There was no glass lamp, and she was afraid of slipping and breaking it. Daiyu said, "Is it valuable to lose the lamp or to lose someone?" ..... there is a limit to miss. Why do you suddenly have such a "give up the basics" temper? "