JapanNewbie

I’m sure it has to do with the person who chops off one’s head during Seppuku always being a very trusted individual. It’s their responsibility to keep the person killing himself from showing pain so as not to be dishonored or whatnot.

I think.

Search for lin xiangru and Lian Po on English wiki.

Sima Qian(135 BC–86 BC) in his history book Records of the Grand Historian called them “friends not afraid to be beheaded together/even beheading won’t stop their friendship”.

There you go, this phrase was created by this historian.

Here’s the relevant part:

“The incident made Lin Xiangru famous throughout the Warring States as the man who had shamed the Qin king. His status rose and soon he was chief minister of Zhao. However many people were jealous of his success, notably the old general Lian Po; one of the most experienced commanders during that time. He was so jealous that he swore enmity between the two of them.

When Lin had caught wind of this, he decided that the best way to deal with the problem is not to confront Lian at all. When Lian’s carriage was going down the street, Lin’s carriage, although normally had the right of passage, turned and backed out of the street in order to let Lian Po pass.

Many saw it as a sign of weakness, not least Lian Po himself, who reckoned that Lin, an academic, was too scared to fight such a warrior as he. Lin’s courtiers, too, grew dissatisfied by the subservient way Lin was behaving; many left. But when Lin’s chief courtier demanded to know why he was behaving in such a manner, Lin Xiangru replied:”The feud between me and Lian Po is a personal one; but I am in charge of the nation’s government, and he the nation’s security: I cannot let my personal life ruin that of the kingdom!”

When Lian Po finally heard of this, all his hatred turned into shame. Deciding to apologize to Lin, he strapped brambles to his bare back and walked from his house to that of Lin Xiangru’s, begging for his forgiveness. Lin Xiangru forgave him, and from then on, they became good friends.”