Embattled on all sides, an ancient Chinese idiom, comes from Records of the Historian Xiang Yu's Biography, which is a metaphor for being trapped on all sides and reaching the embarrassing situation of being isolated and helpless.
Xiang Wang's army was stationed in Gaixia, with few soldiers and no food. The troops of Hanwang and the vassals surrounded them heavily. At night, Hanwang's army sang songs of Chu in all directions.