- drumming to make apricots flower, cf joke by Tang Emperor Xuanzhong 唐玄宗, playing the drum in apricot blossom
Generated: This phrase refers to a humorous or metaphorical context where one engages in actions that are meant to provoke or encourage a certain event, similar to how the emperor humorously suggested drumming to make flowers bloom. It can be used to describe an impractical or whimsical effort to achieve a desired result.