不学无术

Literal Meaning:

refusing to study and having no skills

Metaphorical Meaning:

having no ßknowledge and no skills

In the Han Dynasty (220 BC – 202 AD), when Emperor Wu ruled this country, General Huo Guang, whom Emperor Wu trusted a lot, played an important role in the court. Before his death, Emperor Wu asked Huo Guang to take care of his son and successor Emperor Zhao, who lived a short life. Then Huo Guang helped Liu Xun to rule the country.

When Liu Xun succeeded the crown and became the Emperor Xuan, he married a Xu-surnamed woman and titled her as the queen. Huo Guangs wife was an ambitious woman. With the hope of making her daughter become the queen, she bought off the doctor in the palace and poisoned the queen to death when treating her illness. But the doctors crime was detected and he was sentenced to death. Huo Guangs wife was very scary and told Huo Guang about this matter. Huo Guang blamed his wifes stupid behavior. But he didnt want to see his wife being punished. Therefore, he concealed this thing. After Huo Guangs death, somebody told Emperor Xuan about the truth of the queens death. Emperor Xuan sent people to investigate this matter.

Huo Guangs wife and sons knew this thing and planned to rebel. But their plans met failure before being carried out. The king was quite angry and killed all the people of the Huo family.

The historians thought Huo Guang was a man with no knowledge and skills. He couldnt make clear judgment about the whole situation, which resulted in the extinction of his family.