Cheng Yaojin

Cheng Zhijie (Chinese: 程知節) (589 - February 26, 665) is the courtesy name of a general whose real name is popularly known as Cheng Yaojin (Chinese: 程咬金) early in the Chinese Tang Dynasty, formally Duke of Lou. He was one of the most meritorious officials serving in both reigns of Emperor Gaozu of Tang and Emperor Taizong of Tang. His life-sized portrait was positioned the at outermost layer in the Lingyan Pavilion.

Folklore

After his death and in the centuries that followed Cheng Zhijie entered Chinese folklore as the Tang dynasty's lucky general, portrayed as somewhat inept and bumbling he would nevertheless always arrive in the right place at the right time to save the day. The Cheng Yaojin of folklore has given rise to two popular idioms:-

• Half way there, there appeared a Cheng Yaojin (Chinese: 半路殺出個程咬金)-this was used as an exclamation to describe when a plan is scuppered by the intervention of an unexpected individual, now used to describe an unwelcome busybody showing up where they are not wanted.
• With the same three strokes of the axe (Chinese: 三道板斧)-Used to describe someone with a limited repertoire of skills, i.e. someone relying on the same old tricks.