In today’s Chinese internet, the phrase “請先生赴死” (“Please, sir, go to your death”) no longer means what it once did. It used to stand for something noble, but now it’s a sharp way to criticize society online. To understand how its meaning changed, we need to look back at its history and also at a recent legal case.
The words “請先生赴死” come from an old Chinese story. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang did not give in when Cao Cao tried to threaten him. This was later summed up as “請先生赴死,” which stood for loyalty and courage.
However, during a recent engagement, the phrase took on a whole new meaning:
– In 2023, a 28-year-old man called Zhen and a woman called Li got engaged.
– After they had sex, Li’s mother asked Zhen to immediately pay the rest of the bride price and put Li’s name on his house. When he refused, Li accused him of rape.
Zhen was jailed for over 100 days, facing rape charges. On the internet, people started using “請先生赴死” about Zhen. The phrase now showed anger about marriage problems and gender conflict. It also made many people worried about getting married at all. Data shows China’s marriage rate dropped from 9.9 per thousand in 2013 to 5.8 per thousand in 2022. Cases like this made young men even more afraid of marriage and its risks.
Now, the phrase that once meant honor and bravery has been completely changed by the internet. Thanks for reading! If you want to know more about Chinese memes, feel free to leave a comment.