pluck up the trouble by the root; remove the root of the trouble ❍ 只要～，莫教坏了我高门清德。(《西游记》256)All I want is to pluck up the trouble by the root,so that the pure virtue of our Gao family will not be tainted./……或暗使人算计，务将张华治死，方～，保住自己的名声。(《红楼梦》897) …or send assassins to kill him secretly. In this way the root of the trouble would be removed and her reputation assured.
剪草除根jian cao chu gen
cut the weeds and dig up the roots—remove the root of trouble