南征北伐

nánzhēngběifá
war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

CEDICT

形容经历许多战争。唐．陈子昂〈为金吾将军陈令英请免官表〉：「西踰流沙，东绝沧海，南征北伐，无所不至。」唐．柳宗元〈封建论〉：「历于宣王，挟中兴复古之德，雄南征北伐之威，卒不能定鲁侯之嗣。」也作「南征北讨」、「南征北战」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 南征 nánzhēng punitive expedition to the south
=2 北伐 Běifá the Northern Expedition, the Nationalists' campaign of 1926-1928 under Chiang Kai-shek, against the rule of local warlords
=2 北伐 běifá
  1. short for 北伐戰爭／北伐战争 (Běifá Zhànzhēng, “Northern Expedition”)
  2. to fight north; to wage a punitive expedition to the north

Related entries

南征北战 nánzhēngběizhàn war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
南征北讨 nánzhēngběitǎo war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
东征西怨 dōngzhēngxīyuàn war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
东征西讨 dōngzhēngxītǎo war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
东讨西征 dōngtǎoxīzhēng war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters