尚方剑 (shàngfāngjiàn): the imperial sword (granted by…

尚方 was the imperial workshop that forged weapons exclusively for the emperor. A 尚方剑 (also 尚方宝剑) was a sword from this workshop personally granted by the throne, carrying delegated power to punish - even to execute officials - without further approval. Famous in Ming-dynasty stories of upright officials like Hai Rui (海瑞) and in Beijing-opera plays such as 《打銮驾》.

usage

Used metaphorically today for any blanket authorization from a high-level boss - 'I have the CEO's 尚方剑' = 'I'm acting on direct top-level authority'. The full form 尚方宝剑 is at least as common.

In Pop Culture

包青天 Bāo Qīngtiān

Lord Bao

The legendary Song-dynasty judge Bao Zheng (包拯) is depicted in countless TV dramas wielding a 尚方剑 (sometimes a set of imperial guillotines) to execute corrupt officials on the spot.