In Chinese history, being a
功臣 was dangerous. Many founding emperors killed their
功臣 after taking power — most notoriously
朱元璋 (Zhū Yuánzhāng), the Ming dynasty founder, who purged nearly all his meritorious officials. The phrase
兔死狗烹 (tùsǐ-gǒupēng, 'when the rabbit dies, the hunting dog gets cooked') captures this pattern.
