挟天子以令天下

Traditional form:

挾天子以令天下

Pinyin (reading):

xiétiānzǐyǐlìngtiānxià

Definitions:

• (expr.) hold the feudal overlord and you control the whole country

Characters:

• 挟 - to seize; to hold to one's bosom
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
• 子 - son, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thing
• 以 - according to; so as to; because of; then
• 令 - command, decree, order; magistrate; to allow, to cause
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
• 下 - below, underneath; inferior; to bring down; next

Traditional characters:

• 挾 - to seize; to hold to one's bosom
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
• 子 - son, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thing
• 以 - according to; so as to; because of; then
• 令 - command, decree, order; magistrate; to allow, to cause
• 天 - sky, heaven; god, celestial
• 下 - below, underneath; inferior; to bring down; next