10 Chinese Idioms & Classical Quotes in Guardians of the Dafeng (大奉打更人) Every Fan Should Know
2026-03-31
Guardians of the Dafeng (大奉打更人) — known to novel readers as Dàfèng Dǎgēngrén — is one of the most beloved Chinese web novels ever written, and its 2026 drama adaptation has brought its wild mix of Confucian philosophy, martial arts cultivation, political intrigue, and shameless comedy to a massive new audience. The story follows Xu Qi'an (许七安), a modern man reborn into an ancient world where Confucian scholars wield supernatural power through moral cultivation, where Buddhists can reshape reality, and where a lowly nightwatchman can quote Song Dynasty philosophers one moment and crack dirty jokes the next.
What makes Guardians of the Dafeng unique among C-dramas is how deeply it's saturated with classical Chinese literature. The novel's author, 卖报小郎君 (Mài Bào Xiǎo Lángjūn), wove real poems, philosophical texts, and idioms into the plot — not as decoration, but as weapons, punchlines, and turning points. Xu Qi'an's greatest power isn't martial arts. It's his knowledge of Chinese literary history from his previous life.
Here are the ten most important classical references in Guardians of the Dafeng — the quotes, idioms, and philosophical concepts that drive the story. Each one will teach you something real about Chinese culture.
1. 横渠四句 (Héngqú Sì Jù) — Zhang Zai's Four Sentences
为天地立心，为生民立命，为往圣继绝学，为万世开太平
Wèi tiāndì lì xīn, wèi shēngmín lì mìng, wèi wǎng shèng jì juéxué, wèi wànshì kāi tàipíng.
Line by line:
- 为天地立心 — "Establish a heart for heaven and earth" — give moral consciousness to the universe
- 为生民立命 — "Establish a destiny for the living people" — secure a meaningful life for all
- 为往圣继绝学 — "Continue the lost teachings of past sages" — carry forward the wisdom that would otherwise die
- 为万世开太平 — "Open an era of peace for ten thousand generations" — build lasting peace for all of posterity
This is the single most important passage in the entire novel. In the real world, these four sentences were written by Zhang Zai (张载, 1020-1077), a Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian philosopher from Hengqu (横渠) in modern-day Shaanxi province. They represent the ultimate aspiration of a Confucian scholar: not personal glory, but the transformation of the world through moral philosophy. Zhang Zai believed that scholars had a sacred obligation — not to serve the emperor, but to serve humanity itself.
In Guardians of the Dafeng, Xu Qi'an inscribes these four sentences at the Yasheng Stele (亚圣碑, Yàshèng Bēi) — the "Sub-Saint Stele" — during a pivotal confrontation at Cloud Deer Academy (云鹿书院). For two hundred years, a rival Confucian faction had used the stele to suppress Cloud Deer Academy's scholarly righteousness, sealing away its intellectual and supernatural power. When Xu Qi'an carves Zhang Zai's words into the stone, the sheer moral weight of the passage shatters the seal. The stele cracks. Two centuries of suppression end in a single act of literary brilliance.
The scene works because Xu Qi'an isn't a Confucian scholar — he's a nightwatchman, a street-level cop in the Dafeng capital. He shouldn't know these words. But he carries them from his previous life, from a world where Zhang Zai's philosophy became one of the most quoted passages in Chinese intellectual history. The moment is simultaneously a triumph of Confucian idealism and a cosmic cheat code.
Why it matters today: Zhang Zai's Four Sentences remain one of the most widely quoted passages in Chinese culture. They appear on university walls, in political speeches, and in graduation addresses. If you learn one classical Chinese quote from this entire article, make it this one.
2. 天不生我许七安，大奉万古如长夜 (Tiān bù shēng wǒ Xǔ Qī'ān, Dàfèng wàngǔ rú cháng yè)
"If heaven had not given birth to me, Xu Qi'an, the Great Feng would be in eternal darkness like an endless night."
This line is Xu Qi'an's signature boast, and it's one of the most audacious parodies in Chinese web literature. It rewrites the famous tribute to Confucius:
天不生仲尼，万古如长夜 — Tiān bù shēng Zhòngní, wàngǔ rú cháng yè — "If heaven had not given birth to Confucius, ten thousand ages would be like an endless night."
This tribute (sometimes attributed to the Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi) expresses the idea that Confucius's teachings were so foundational to Chinese civilization that without him, humanity would have stumbled through history in darkness. It's one of the most reverent statements in all of Chinese intellectual tradition.
And Xu Qi'an — a nightwatchman who solves crimes, frequents brothels, and makes dirty jokes — casually replaces Confucius's name with his own.
The humor works on multiple levels. First, the sheer audacity: comparing yourself to the most revered sage in Chinese history is the kind of thing that would get you expelled from any academy. Second, the irony: Xu Qi'an is not a philosopher or a sage. He's a pragmatic, street-smart reincarnator who stumbled into a world of cultivation politics. Third — and this is the twist that makes the line great rather than merely funny — as the novel progresses, it becomes increasingly true. Xu Qi'an actually does save the Dafeng Empire. He actually does change the course of history. The joke becomes prophecy.
Cultural note: In Chinese internet culture, this pattern of self-aggrandizing parody (replacing a historical figure's name with your own in a famous quote) has become a meme format. Xu Qi'an's version is the most famous example.
3. 尔俸尔禄，民脂民膏。下民易虐，上天难欺 (Ěr fèng ěr lù, mín zhī mín gāo. Xià mín yì nüè, shàng tiān nán qī)
"Your salary and your stipend are the fat and marrow of the people. The common people are easy to abuse, but heaven is hard to deceive."
Line by line:
- 尔俸尔禄 — "Your salary and wages" — everything officials earn
- 民脂民膏 — "The fat and grease of the people" — squeezed from the sweat and labor of commoners
- 下民易虐 — "The common people below are easy to oppress"
- 上天难欺 — "But heaven above is hard to deceive"
This passage originates from the Admonition to Officials (戒石铭, Jièshí Míng), famously issued by Emperor Meng Chang (孟昶) of Later Shu during the Five Dynasties period (934 CE) and later adopted by Song Dynasty Emperor Taizu, who ordered it carved on stone tablets placed in every government office across the empire. For centuries, this inscription stood in county magistrate offices as a warning: remember where your wealth comes from.
In Guardians of the Dafeng, this quote appears in the context of the novel's powerful anti-corruption theme. The Dafeng Empire is rotting from within — corrupt officials siphon tax revenue, nobles exploit peasants, and the imperial court is more interested in political maneuvering than governance. Xu Qi'an, as a nightwatchman tasked with investigating crimes, repeatedly confronts officials who have forgotten that their comfortable lives rest on the suffering of common people.
The quote's power lies in its final line: 上天难欺. You can abuse the powerless — they can't fight back. But the moral order of the universe is watching. In the novel's Confucian cultivation system, this isn't metaphor. Confucian scholars literally gain supernatural power from moral righteousness. Corruption doesn't just harm people; it weakens the spiritual fabric of the nation.
Use it: When criticizing officials or leaders who abuse their position at the expense of the people they serve.
4. 莫愁前路无知己，天下谁人不识君 (Mò chóu qián lù wú zhījǐ, tiānxià shéi rén bù shí jūn)
"Don't worry that the road ahead has no one who understands you — under heaven, who doesn't know your name?"
This couplet comes from the Tang Dynasty poet Gao Shi's (高适) "Farewell to Dong Da" (别董大, Bié Dǒng Dà), written around 747 CE. The full poem:
千里黄云白日曛 — A thousand miles of yellow clouds dim the white sun 北风吹雁雪纷纷 — The north wind blows the geese through swirling snow 莫愁前路无知己 — Don't worry that the road ahead has no true friend 天下谁人不识君 — Under heaven, who doesn't know your name?
Gao Shi wrote this to his friend Dong Tinglan (董庭兰), a famous musician who was leaving the capital. The setting is bleak — dim sun, bitter wind, heavy snow — but the message blazes with confidence. You're leaving, yes. The road is long and cold, yes. But you're Dong Tinglan. Everyone already knows who you are. The farewell isn't sorrowful; it's a declaration of faith.
In Guardians of the Dafeng, this poem captures the camaraderie and loyalty that define Xu Qi'an's relationships. Despite being a lowly nightwatchman, Xu Qi'an builds a reputation that precedes him everywhere — among scholars, martial artists, officials, and even enemies. The quote serves as both encouragement and recognition: a reminder that real talent and real character cannot stay hidden, no matter how humble the starting point.
Use it: To encourage someone who's departing or facing uncertainty — a way of saying "your talent and reputation will carry you through."
5. Xu Qi'an's Idiom Wordplay (成语新编, Chéngyǔ Xīnbiān)
This is the novel's signature comedy device, and it's brilliant. Xu Qi'an takes classical four-character idioms — elegant, scholarly expressions used in formal writing for centuries — and reinterprets them with vulgar double meanings. Here are the most famous examples:
交浅言深 (jiāo qiǎn yán shēn)
Classical meaning: "Shallow acquaintance, deep words" — speaking too intimately with someone you barely know.
Xu Qi'an's version: He strips the idiom back to its literal components. 交 can mean "intercourse" (交合). 浅 means "shallow." 言 sounds like a euphemism. 深 means "deep." The reinterpretation turns a warning about social propriety into a description of... physical intimacy. The idiom's formal context makes the vulgarity funnier — it's like hearing a Shakespeare quote repurposed as a dirty joke.
深入浅出 (shēn rù qiǎn chū)
Classical meaning: "Deep entry, shallow exit" — to explain a complex topic in simple terms, making difficult ideas accessible.
Xu Qi'an's version: Again, he takes the spatial language literally. 深入 — "enter deeply." 浅出 — "come out shallowly." The reinterpretation is... anatomical. Teachers and professors who use this idiom to praise clear explanations will never look at it the same way after reading Guardians of the Dafeng.
胸有沟壑 (xiōng yǒu gōuhè)
Classical meaning: "Having hills and valleys in the chest" — describing someone with a brilliant strategic mind, a person who has already mapped out the terrain of a problem before anyone else sees it.
Xu Qi'an's version: He uses this to describe Princess Huaiqing (怀庆公主) — but he's not talking about her strategic intelligence. 胸 means "chest." 沟壑 means "hills and valleys." He's commenting on her figure. The joke works because Huaiqing is, in fact, both strategically brilliant and beautiful — so the idiom is technically accurate in both senses. She is not amused.
井井有条 (jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo)
Classical meaning: "Orderly as wells in a row" — describing something well-organized and methodical.
Xu Qi'an's version: He uses this to describe the management of a brothel. The establishment is indeed well-run — the logistics of scheduling, customer management, and entertainment are impressively efficient. The idiom is technically correct. The context makes it absurd.
Why this comedy device works: Classical Chinese idioms carry enormous cultural weight. They're the language of scholars, officials, and examinations — the linguistic marker of an educated person. By systematically dragging them into the gutter, Xu Qi'an performs a kind of cultural subversion. He proves he knows the classics well enough to dismantle them. It's the humor of a man who memorized Confucius and then chose chaos.
6. 我这一生不信神，不畏佛，不敬君王，只为苍生 (Wǒ zhè yīshēng bù xìn shén, bù wèi fó, bù jìng jūnwáng, zhǐ wèi cāngshēng)
"In my life, I don't believe in gods, I don't fear Buddhas, I don't revere kings — I live only for the common people."
This is the declaration of Wei Yuan (魏渊), the leader of the nightwatchmen and Xu Qi'an's mentor figure. In a world where gods are real, Buddhas possess terrifying power, and the emperor commands absolute political authority, Wei Yuan rejects all three as objects of devotion. His loyalty is not upward — not to the supernatural, not to the divine, not to the throne. It's downward, to 苍生 (cāngshēng) — the common people, the ordinary masses, the ones who suffer most when gods quarrel and emperors scheme.
This quote crystallizes one of the novel's core philosophical positions. The Dafeng world has Confucian scholars, Buddhist monks, Daoist priests, martial artists, and sorcerers — all wielding supernatural power. But power doesn't equal moral authority. Wei Yuan has seen gods fail, Buddhas turn cruel, and kings betray their people. The only allegiance that has never betrayed him is his commitment to ordinary human beings.
The line echoes a long tradition in Chinese literature of officials and heroes who define themselves through service to the people rather than loyalty to the throne. It connects to the Confucian concept of 民为贵 (mín wéi guì) — "the people are the most important" — from Mencius, and to the historical tradition of righteous officials (清官, qīngguān) who risked their careers and lives to protect commoners from abuse.
Use it: As a statement of humanistic values — that institutions, religions, and rulers deserve loyalty only insofar as they serve the people.
7. 浩然正气 (hàorán zhèngqì) — Righteous Spirit
Hàorán zhèngqì — the vast, righteous spirit — is one of the most important philosophical concepts in Chinese thought, and it's the foundation of the entire Confucian cultivation system in Guardians of the Dafeng.
The concept originates from Mencius (孟子, Mèngzǐ), who described it in a famous passage:
我善养吾浩然之气... 其为气也，至大至刚，以直养而无害，则塞于天地之间。 "I am good at nourishing my vast, righteous spirit... This spirit is supremely great and supremely strong. Nourish it with uprightness and it will not be harmed, and it will fill the space between heaven and earth."
In Mencius's philosophy, 浩然正气 is not metaphorical. It's a real force that exists inside every morally cultivated person — an energy generated by righteous living, honest speech, and moral courage. A person who has truly cultivated 浩然正气 cannot be intimidated, corrupted, or broken, because the force of their moral character is as real and powerful as physical strength.
In Guardians of the Dafeng, this philosophical concept becomes literal supernatural power. Confucian scholars don't cultivate martial arts — they cultivate moral philosophy. Their power comes from reading, teaching, debating, and living according to Confucian principles. A scholar who has cultivated 浩然正气 can project it as a tangible force — cracking walls, shattering illusions, and compelling truth from liars. The Confucian cultivation ranks in the novel are essentially a ladder of moral development, from basic literacy to world-shaking philosophical power.
This is one of the novel's most creative ideas: taking Mencius's metaphor literally. What if righteous spirit really could fill the space between heaven and earth? What if a person's moral cultivation was as measurable and powerful as their martial arts? The result is a cultivation system where being a good person actually makes you stronger.
8. 言出法随 (yán chū fǎ suí) — "Words Become Law"
Yán chū fǎ suí — literally, "when words go out, the law follows."
Classical meaning: When a person of authority speaks, their words carry the force of law. Originally used to describe rulers or officials whose commands were immediately obeyed and enforced.
In the novel: This idiom becomes a literal cultivation ability for high-ranking Confucian scholars. When a Confucian cultivator reaches a sufficient level of moral authority and philosophical attainment, their words reshape reality. If they declare "you shall not pass," physical barriers materialize. If they pronounce a judgment, the universe enforces it.
This is the ultimate expression of the novel's Confucian power system. In classical Chinese political philosophy, the emperor's words were law because of institutional authority. In Guardians of the Dafeng, a Confucian scholar's words become law because of moral authority. The distinction matters: an emperor can issue unjust decrees because his power comes from position. A Confucian scholar's 言出法随 only works if their words align with genuine moral truth. Speak a lie, and the power fails. The universe itself becomes the judge of sincerity.
Use it in daily life: To describe someone whose words carry so much authority or credibility that they're treated as final — a boss, a judge, or a respected leader whose decisions are immediately followed.
9. 修身齐家治国平天下 (xiū shēn qí jiā zhì guó píng tiānxià) — Self-Cultivation to World Peace
"Cultivate the self, regulate the family, govern the state, bring peace to the world."
This passage comes from the Great Learning (大学, Dàxué), one of the Four Books (四书) of Confucianism, and it describes the Confucian path from personal development to global responsibility:
- 修身 (xiū shēn) — Cultivate your own character
- 齐家 (qí jiā) — Put your family in order
- 治国 (zhì guó) — Govern the state well
- 平天下 (píng tiānxià) — Bring peace to the entire world
The logic is sequential and absolute: you cannot govern a state if you cannot manage a family. You cannot manage a family if you cannot manage yourself. Each level requires mastering the previous one. It's a staircase of responsibility that begins with the individual and ends with the world.
In Guardians of the Dafeng, this progression maps directly onto Xu Qi'an's character arc. He begins as a man who can barely manage himself — a nightwatchman who frequents the entertainment district and cracks inappropriate jokes. Slowly, he learns to 修身: controlling his impulses, cultivating genuine moral courage, and taking responsibility for his actions. He then protects his family (齐家), including his younger siblings and the people he loves. He becomes entangled in the governance of the Dafeng Empire (治国), investigating corruption, fighting political enemies, and advising those in power. And ultimately — through the novel's long arc — he takes on the burden of 平天下, confronting threats that endanger the entire world.
The beauty of this framework in the novel is that it's not a checklist. Xu Qi'an doesn't complete one level and neatly move to the next. He's constantly failing at self-cultivation while trying to save the empire. He's cracking jokes about idioms while fighting for the survival of civilization. The gap between the ideal (a perfectly cultivated sage ascending step by step) and the reality (a chaotic, flawed man doing his imperfect best) is the source of both the novel's comedy and its emotional power.
Use it: To describe a person's journey from personal growth to broader responsibility, or to argue that leaders must first master themselves before trying to lead others.
10. The Hidden Philosophy Behind the Nightwatchman (打更人)
The title itself — 打更人 (dǎgēngrén), "the one who beats the night watch" — is loaded with meaning. In imperial China, nightwatchmen (更夫, gēngfū) patrolled the streets after dark, beating wooden clappers to mark the time and warn of fire or danger. They were among the lowest-ranking public servants — invisible, underpaid, walking through darkness so that others could sleep safely.
Xu Qi'an's identity as a nightwatchman isn't incidental. It's thematic. He operates in the darkness — the corruption, crime, and supernatural threats that respectable people pretend don't exist. He walks the streets that scholars and nobles avoid. And like the real nightwatchmen of imperial China, he's essential but unrecognized.
This connects to a concept embedded throughout Chinese classical literature: 位卑未敢忘忧国 (wèi bēi wèi gǎn wàng yōu guó) — "Though my position is humble, I dare not forget my concern for the nation." This line from the Song Dynasty poet Lu You (陆游, 1125-1210) captures the novel's moral argument: your rank doesn't determine your responsibility. A nightwatchman who serves the people with integrity stands higher, in the Confucian moral order, than an emperor who serves only himself.
The Confucian idea of 浩然正气 comes full circle here. Moral authority doesn't flow from title or rank — it flows from character. A nightwatchman who embodies 为天地立心 is more powerful than a king who has forgotten 民脂民膏. This is why Xu Qi'an, despite being the lowest-ranking official in the Dafeng Empire, can shatter steles, challenge Buddhas, and reshape the fate of nations. His power comes from the same source Zhang Zai described a thousand years ago: a heart committed to heaven and earth, a life committed to the people.
Why Classical Chinese Literacy Makes This Story Great
Most cultivation novels treat power as physics — absorb energy, level up, fight stronger enemies. Guardians of the Dafeng treats power as philosophy. The strongest characters aren't the ones who train the hardest; they're the ones who understand the deepest truths about human nature, moral responsibility, and the relationship between the individual and the world.
Every quote and idiom in this article is real. Zhang Zai's Four Sentences were written in the eleventh century. Mencius described 浩然正气 in the third century BCE. The Admonition to Officials has stood in government offices for over a thousand years. When Xu Qi'an quotes them, he's drawing on a literary tradition that is genuinely that old and that powerful.
And then he makes a dirty joke about it. That's what makes Guardians of the Dafeng unforgettable.
More in This Series
- The Real History Behind Guardians of the Dafeng
- Xu Qi'an Character Study & Idioms
- The Cultivation Systems Explained: Confucians, Daoists & Buddhists
- Learn Chinese Watching Guardians of the Dafeng: 30 Essential Words
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