汉武帝在位的时候，大将军霍光是朝廷举足轻重的大臣，深得武帝信任。武帝监死前，把幼子刘弗陵（昭帝）托付给霍光辅佐。昭帝去世后，霍光又立刘询做皇帝（宣帝）。霍光掌握朝政大权四十多年，为西汉王进立下了不小的功勋。

刘询承皇位以后，立许妃做皇后。霍光的妻子霍显，是个贪图富贵的女人，她想把自己的小女儿成君嫁给刘询做皇后，就乘许娘娘有病的机会，买通女医下毒害死了许后。毒计败露，女医下狱。此事霍光事先一点也不知道，等事情出来了，霍显才告诉他。霍光非常惊惧，指责妻子不该办这种事情。他也想去告发，但又不忍心妻子被治罪，前思后想，还是把这件伤天害理的事情隐瞒下来了。霍光死后，有人向宣帝告发此案，宣帝派人去调查处理。霍光的妻子听说了，与家人、亲信商量对策，决定召集族人策划谋反，不想走漏了风声，宣帝派兵将霍家包围，满门抄斩。

东汉史学家班固在《汉书霍光传》中评论霍光的功过。说他不学无术，暗于大理，意思是：霍光不读书，没学识，因而不明关乎大局的道理。成语不学无术，指没有学问，没有本领。

havingneitherlearningnorskill

inthereignofemperorwudiofthehandynasty,
grandgeneralhuoguangwasaministerwhooccupiedadecisivepositionat
courtandwasdeeplytrustedbytheemperor.whenemperorwudiwasdying,
heentrustedhuoguangwiththetaskofassistinghisyoungestsonliufuelling
(emperorzhaodi)ingoverningthecountry.
afterthedeathofemperorzhaodi,huoguangmadeliuxuntheemperor.
whowasemperorxuandiofthehandynasty.
controllingtheimperialgovernmentformorethan40years,
huoguanghadrenderedfairlyoutstandingservicetothewesternhandynasty.
afterliuxunascendedthethrone,hemadeimperialconcubinexuhisqueen.
hankeringafterwealthandrank,
huoguangswifehuoxiantriedtomake
heryoungestdaughterchengjunthequeenoflinxun.so,
takingtheopportunityofthequeensillness,
huoxianbribedawomandoctorwhopoisonedthequeentodeath.
thevenomousschemewasbroughttolight,
andthewomandoctorwasputintojail.huoguangknewnothingaboutitbeforehand,
anditwasnotuntilaftertheeventthathiswifetoldhimaboutit.seizedwithterror,
huoguangreproachedhiswifefordoingsuchathing,
hethoughtofreportinghiswifeforhercrime,
butatthesametimedidnothavethebearttohaveherwifepunished.
aftermuchhesitation,heconceitedthethingoffensivetogodandreasonintheend.afterhuoguangdied,
emperorxuandiwasinformedofthecase.someonewassenttoinvestigateit.hearingthis,
huoguangswifediscussedwithherfamily
membersandtrustedfollowersinordertofindawaytodealwithherfamily
membersandtrustedfollowersinordertofindawaytodealwiththesituation.
threedecidedtocalltheclansmentogethertostagearebellion.
butthesecretwaspulged.emperorxuandisenttroopstosurroundhueshome,
andallthemembersofhuesfamilywereexecuted.
mentingonthemeritsanddemeritsofhuoguang,historianbangu(32-92)saidin
thelifeofhuoguanginhishistoryofthehandynastythathuoguang
hadneitherknowledgenorskillanddidnotunderstandthemajorprinciples.
thatistosay,huoguangdidnotunderstandthetruthsconcerning
theoverallsituationbecausehedidnotstudyandhadnoknowledge.thesetphrase
havingneitherknowledgenorskillislaterusedtorefertobeingignorantandinpetent.