This idiom comes from A Dream of the Pillow by Shen Jiji of the Tang Dynasty. It recorded that there was a poor scholar named Lu Sheng in ancient times.

Although he had failed many times in seeking honour and office， he was still infatuated with being an official.

Once Lu Sheng decided to try his luck again by taking the Imperial Examination in the capital. On his half way， he put up at an inn in Handan for the night. He met an old Taoist priest， Lu Weng there and told all his misfortune. The old Taoist priest gave him a pillow and said: \"Sleeping on this pillow will bring you unexpected good luck.\" At the same time the innkeeper was cooking the golden millet on the fire.

After he fell asleep， he dreamt he had become a high official and enjoyed untold wealth and high honour. Not only did he marry a very beautiful wife， but also had five clever sons， and the succession of happy events arrived one after another.

But as soon as he woke up， he saw everything in the room was just the same as before， and the golden millet was still cooking. It was really a happy dream with short duration. From this story comes the idiom:\"Huang Liang Yi Meng\"--a dream of golden millet.

In original intention， it means \"life but a dream\". Now we use it as a metaphor to indicate illusion can never be regarded as reality.

此語出自唐·沈既濟(jì)《枕中記》。相傳，古代有個(gè)盧生，雖家境窮困潦倒，屢試落榜，卻貪圖享樂，官迷心竅。

一次，他決心再赴京趕考。在赴京途中路過邯鄲，他投宿在一個(gè)小旅店，遇到一位道士呂翁，并傾述了自己一生不幸遭遇。老道士給了他一個(gè)枕頭，并對(duì)他說：“只要枕著它睡覺，將有意想不到的好運(yùn)?！?/p>

當(dāng)時(shí)旅店內(nèi)的人正煮黃粱(小米粥)。盧生便枕著枕頭睡去，沉睡之中，他夢(mèng)見自己被封官拜相，并娶了個(gè)聰明美麗的妻子，生了五個(gè)可愛的兒子，享受盡了一切榮華富貴。盧生高興極了。

但當(dāng)他睡醒后見到屋里仍和原來一樣，而且鍋中小米粥尚未煮熟，原來只是一個(gè)短暫的美夢(mèng)罷了。由此故事引出成語“黃粱一夢(mèng)”。

原用此典指“人生若夢(mèng)”，也作“一枕黃粱”。現(xiàn)多用此語比喻夢(mèng)想永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)。