The negotiation resolved the crisis without a single drop of blood spilled.
Tips
history
From 《荀子·议兵》 (Xunzi, Discourse on Warfare): "故近者亲其善，远方慕其德，兵不血刃，远迩来服" — when a ruler is virtuous, near and far submit, and weapons need never be bloodied. The idiom celebrates moral or strategic supremacy that wins without combat.
memory
Literal breakdown: 兵 bīng (weapons/soldiers) + 不 bù (not) + 血 xuè (blood) + 刃 rèn (blade) — "weapons did not bloody their blades." Note 血 is read xuè in literary compounds, xiě in colloquial speech.
