杯酒釋兵權

to dismiss military hierarchy using wine cups / cf Song founding Emperor Song Taizu 宋太祖 holds a banquet in 961 and persuades his senior army commanders to go home to their provinces

cup / trophy cup / classifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup

variant of 杯[bei1]

variant of 杯[bei1] / trophy cup / classifier for certain containers of liquids: glass, cup

wine (esp. rice wine) / liquor / spirits / alcoholic beverage / CL:杯[bei1],瓶[ping2],罐[guan4],桶[tong3],缸[gang1]

to explain / to release / Buddha (abbr. for 釋迦牟尼|释迦牟尼[Shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2]) / Buddhism

soldiers / a force / an army / weapons / arms / military / warlike / CL:個|个[ge4]

military leadership / military power

surname Quan

authority / power / right / (literary) to weigh / expedient / temporary