燕雀处堂

Origin and story

The Kongcongzi tells of a Wei official welcoming Qin's attack on neighboring Zhao, assuming that either outcome would benefit Wei. Zishun objects: a victorious Qin could attack Wei next. He illustrates the mistake with birds feeding their young beneath a roof, happily unaware that fire is rising toward the beams above them. Similar bird-and-fire illustrations also occur in the Lüshi Chunqiu. The exact expression with 'hall' is preserved in a later historical quotation. Its force is not simply that danger exists, but that people mistake temporary comfort for lasting safety and fail to recognize a threat approaching their own home.