"As the years get colder, you will know that the pines and cypresses will wither." What social phenomenon is this metaphor for after pines and cypresses?

Excerpts from Nan Huaijin's "The Analects of Confucius"

Confucius said: When the year is cold, you will know that the pines and cypresses will wither.

When the weather is cold, all the vegetation has withered, and only the pine and cypress trees are always green - you can't tell it from Taiwan's climate, but you can see it clearly with the four distinct seasons on the mainland - this is Confucius's sigh. The conclusion of life must be seen at the end. A person's personality can only be seen in hardships and hardships, which cannot be seen in ordinary times.

For example, Wen Tianxiang is an example. When the country was in peace, he was a romantic and talented man, but who could tell that he turned out to be such a loyal and upright person. So the ancients said, "The strong wind knows the strong grass, and the rough wind knows the loyal ministers." When the strong wind comes, all the grass falls down. There is only one kind of grass on the top of the mountain, which can be used for medicinal purposes. It can also be seen in Taiwan, called "Duhuo" , in places with very high altitudes, all grass does not grow, only this kind of grass grows, so it is called "Duhuo". It is a strong grass that cannot be blown down by strong winds. When the great storms of the times come, the personality remains firm and unshakable, unaffected by the material environment and does not change due to different social eras. When the country is in chaos, loyal ministers will be seen, which is what Confucius said: "The year is cold, and then the pines and cypresses will wither." I know that pines and cypresses will wither after that." Sculptures are withered; pines and cypresses are metaphors for the material of pillars. Zhu Xi cited Xie Shangcai's note and said: "When a scholar is poor, he knows integrity, and when the world is chaotic, he knows loyal ministers." ("Analects of Confucius") There is no day when it is not here." ("Xunzi·Dalue") "Zhuangzi·Rang Wang" quotes Confucius as saying: "A gentleman who knows the way is called a master, and a man who is poor in the way is called a poor man. I hold the way of benevolence and righteousness in order to survive the troubled times. Why should we be so poor when we are in trouble? Therefore, we should reflect inwardly and not be exhausted, and face difficulties without losing our virtue."

It means that when the years are cold, you will know that pine trees and cypress trees will eventually wither. reason. In the metaphor, it is still through severe testing that the quality of everything can be identified.