动摇社稷之基
“and shake the foundation of the state.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
动摇社稷之基
“and shake the foundation of the state.”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
The ancient gods of soil and grain ('she' and 'ji') symbolized agricultural prosperity and dynastic legitimacy; invoking them is the ultimate rhetorical appeal to imperial survival.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to shake the very foundations of the state / country
A high-register classical idiom used in political discourse to dramatize an existential threat to dynastic rule.
the state; country; dynasty (literally deities of soil and grain)
An archaic metonym for the nation-state, common in historical and costume dramas.