so many that the bamboo slats have been exhausted / innumerable crimes (idiom) / see also 罄筆難書|罄笔难书[qing4 bi3 nan2 shu1]
坐山观虎斗
zuò shān guān hǔ dòu
lit. sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight (idiom) / fig. watch in safety whilst others fight then reap the rewards when both sides are exhausted
江郎才尽
Jiāng láng cái jìn
Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent (idiom) / fig. to have used up one's creative powers / to have writer's block
隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
to watch the fires burning across the river / to delay entering the fray until all others have been exhausted by fighting amongst themselves (idiom)
以逸待劳
yǐ yì dài láo
to wait at one's ease for the exhausted enemy / to nurture one's strength and bide one's time (idiom)
杜鹃啼血
dù juān tí xuè
lit. the cuckoo, after its tears are exhausted, continues by weeping blood (idiom) / fig. extreme grief
横躺竖卧
héng tǎng shù wò
to lie down all over the place / exhausted and in disarray
民穷财尽
mín qióng cái jìn
the people are impoverished, their means exhausted (idiom) / to drive the nation to bankruptcy
穷途末路
qióng tú mò lù
lit. the path exhausted, the end of the road (idiom) / an impasse / in a plight with no way out / things have reached a dead end
(lit.) so exhausted (by difficulties in a relationship) that one feels one could never fall in love again (Internet slang) / disenchanted with sth
十六字诀
shí liù zì jué
16-character formula, esp. Mao Zedong's mantra on guerrilla warfare: 敵進我退，敵駐我擾，敵疲我打，敵退我追|敌进我退，敌驻我扰，敌疲我打，敌退我追[di2 jin4 wo3 tui4 , di2 zhu4 wo3 rao3 , di2 pi2 wo3 da3 , di2 tui4 wo3 zhui1] when the enemy advances we retreat / when the enemy makes camp we harass / when the enemy is exhausted we fight / and when the enemy retreats we pursue
jìn