战国时代，楚顷襄王到兰台游玩。
有两位著名的辞赋家宋玉和景差陪伴他。
突然一阵风吹来，顷襄王高兴地敞开衣襟说：“这风真凉快，是我和百姓一起共享的吧？”
但是宋玉不同意，因为他看到顷襄王沉迷享乐，忽视国政，并且听信小人的谗言，放逐了他的老师屈原。
他想找个机会劝谏顷襄王，于是借题发挥说：“这风是大王独有的，百姓哪能一起共享呢？”
顷襄王感到不解，问：“风是自然产生的，任何人都可吹到风，怎么是我独有的呢？”
宋玉回答说：“我听我的老师屈原说过，枳树弯曲的枝桠会吸引鸟儿筑巢，空的洞穴会把风招来。而风因为所在的环境不同，气味自然不同。在这兰台王宫之地，空气清新，所吹来的风令人舒爽，但只属于大王；而百姓居住在肮脏、低洼的陋巷里，空气污浊，所吹来的风夹杂许多灰尘和腐臭的气味，这是属于老百姓的。风因为所在的环境不同，对大王您是一种享受，对百姓却是难忍的折磨。”
宋玉所说的“空穴来风”是指“空的洞穴就会把风招来”。
本来他是借此机会劝谏顷襄王的，后来这个成语被用来比喻事出有因，流言趁隙而入。
也有人将“空穴来风”比喻凭空捏造的不实传言。
During the Warring States period, King of Chu Qingshang visited Lantai.
Two famous rhetoricians, Songyu and Jingshuai, accompanied him.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and King of Chu Qingshang happily opened his clothes and said, "This wind is so cool. Is it shared by me and the people?"
But Songyu disagreed because he saw that King of Chu Qingshang was indulging in pleasure, neglecting state affairs, and believing in slanderous words, exiling his teacher Qu Yuan.
He wanted to find an opportunity to advise King of Chu Qingshang, so he took advantage of the situation and said, "This wind is unique to Your Majesty. How can the people share it?"
King of Chu Qingshang felt puzzled and asked, "Wind is a natural occurrence. Anyone can feel the wind. How can it be unique to me?"
Songyu replied, "I heard my teacher Qu Yuan say that the twisted branches of Zhi trees attract birds to build nests, and empty caves invite wind. And because of different environments, the wind naturally has different scents. Here in the Lantai Palace, the air is fresh, and the wind blowing here is refreshing, but it only belongs to Your Majesty; while the common people live in dirty and low-lying alleys, where the air is polluted, and the wind blowing there carries a lot of dust and stinky odors, which belongs to the common people. Because of different environments, this wind is enjoyable for Your Majesty, but unbearable torture for the people."
The 'wind from an empty cave' that Songyu mentioned refers to 'empty caves will invite wind.'
Originally, he used this opportunity to advise King of Chu Qingshang, but later this idiom was used to比喻 things happen for a reason, rumors sneak in.
Some people also use 'wind from an empty cave' to比喻 groundless rumors.
