"You won't know what a bosom friend is until you read Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya!" The friendship between Guan Bao and Bao is a bosom friend who can really make people sigh.
This idiom is used to describe a friend who has intimate understanding and profound friendship.
This idiom comes from Liezi Lifeng, in which Guan Zhong sighed, "My parents gave birth to me, and Bao Zi knows me." This world is called Guan Bao's friend.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were two sages in the State of Qi, one named Guan Zhong and the other named Bao Shuya. One of them was brilliant and the other was sincere and kind. The two are congenial and very close. Later, they worked together as the teacher of the Duke of Qi, with Guan Zhong assisting Gong Zijiu and Bao Shuya assisting the Duke Xiaobai. After the death of Duke Xi of Qi, Xiang Gong succeeded to the throne. He was afraid that the sons would try to seize his throne, so he wanted to harm Gong Zijiu and Xiaobai. So Gong Zijiu fled to Lu, and Xiao Bai fled to Ju. Later, Xiang Gong died, and both Zheng and Xiao Bai hurried back to China to fight for the throne. Later, as described above, Guan Zhong became a prisoner.
Qi Huangong wants to worship Bao Shuya and want to execute Guan Zhong. Bao Shuya strongly recommended Guan Zhong as the prime minister, and Huan Gong finally adopted Bao Shuya's opinion.
Guan Zhong lamented, "Bao Shuya and I used to do business together and made money. I always took more. Some people say that I take advantage, but Bao Shuya said,' Guan Zhong's family is poor, so he should take more.' Bao Shuya's family declined later, and I planned to make money for him, which made him poorer. Someone said I was stupid, but Bao Shuya said,' Where is he stupid? I don't have a good chance myself!' I have been to the DPRK for many times as an official, but I was expelled from the country by the monarch. Some people say that I am not wise, but Bao Shuya said,' He has never met a wise Lord!' I joined the army and fought in the war, but when the enemy counterattacked, I was always the first to run back. Some people say I am timid, but Bao Shuya understands, saying,' He has an old mother at home, which is due to filial piety!' It was my parents who gave birth to me, and it was Bao Shuya who knew me!
"the friendship between Guan Bao and Bao" has always been regarded as the highest realm of making friends and has become a much-told story throughout the ages. It can be seen that sincere friends should share weal and woe with * *, and make concerted efforts regardless of personal gains and losses for the benefit of the country.