During the Warring States period, among the seven major kingdoms, Qin（秦） was the most powerful. The other six kingdoms tried to form an alliance to resist Qin together. However, King Qin（亲王） sent his strategist Zhang Yi（张仪） to divide them.

Zhang Yi persuaded the King of Wei（魏王）, saying:

“Your country borders five others. If you try to please them all, you might end up surrounded by enemies. The kingdom could become ‘split into pieces’. It’s better to ally with Qin.”

Convinced by this argument, the King of Wei broke from the alliance and sided with Qin. This weakened the unity of the six states and led to the idiom “四分五裂（sì fēn wǔ liè）” — literally, “split into four parts and broken into five.”

Summary

  • Idiom: 四分五裂
  • Pinyin: sì fēn wǔ liè
  • Literal Translation: split into four parts and broken into five
  • Extended Meaning: Used to describe a situation that is disunited, fragmented, or completely torn apart — whether it’s a group, a country, or an organization.

Character Introduction

  • 张仪 (Zhāng Yí): A famous diplomat and strategist from the Qin state, known for using diplomacy (especially the strategy of “vertical and horizontal alliances”) to divide other states and strengthen Qin’s position.
  • 魏王 (Wèi Wáng): The King of Wei, one of the six states during the Warring States period, whose decision to ally with Qin contributed to the disintegration of the alliance.