rebel minister; traitorous vassal
Historical term for a minister or retainer who betrays their lord or the state. Used in contexts of rebellion or treason within a feudal or imperial court setting.
He went down in history as a traitorous vassal who betrayed his lord.
Compound of 賊 (bandit, rebel) and 臣 (retainer, minister). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of a treacherous court official.