shān​zhōng​wú​lǎo​hǔ​hóu​zi​chēng​dà​wáng

when the cat is away the mice will play

山中无老虎,猴子称大王 山中無老虎,猴子稱大王 shān​zhōng​wú​lǎo​hǔ​hóu​zi​chēng​dà​wáng
when the cat is away the mice will play
(idiom) Literal meaning is "when there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey acts as king"; describes a situation where a lesser person takes power or a leadership role because a superior or more capable person is absent.