1lit. 'attacking the east, and the west complains' — said of a benevolent ruler whose troops are so welcomed that the un-liberated regions resent being passed over; later used loosely for 'campaigning on all sides'
Tā yī nián dōng zhēng xī yuàn, zhōngyú píngdìng le biānjiāng.
He campaigned in all directions for a year and finally pacified the frontiers.
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history
From 《尚书·仲虺之诰》: 东征西夷怨，南征北狄怨 — when King Tang of Shang attacked one direction, the people of the OTHER direction complained ('why didn't you come save us first?'). It's a paradoxical praise: people resent NOT being conquered.
mistakes
Don't read this as 'fighting wars on all fronts and stirring up resentment everywhere'. The classical sense is the opposite: troops so welcome that being left out is the grievance.
