8
Secretly perform in Chenqiang
Interpretation:
Be offensive first.
If the enemy does not take action,
take advantage of his passivity.
During war, unusual actions must be masked by ordinary ones. It is impossible to benefit from unusual actions without also taking ordinary actions.
If the enemy does not take action,
take advantage of his passivity.
During war, unusual actions must be masked by ordinary ones. It is impossible to benefit from unusual actions without also taking ordinary actions.
Historical example:
In 207 BC. in Xiang Yu won a decisive victory over the Qin dynasty. A brutal internecine war began. Xiang Yu with an army of more than 400,000 men advanced to Guanzhong. Here he learned that Liu Bang had already captured the city with 100,000 warriors. Liu Bang's luck teased Xiang Yu. He entered Guanzhong, set up camp near Hongmen, and declared that he would destroy Liu Bang. Liu Bang was forced to leave the Guanzhong region.
Throughout China, Xiang You installed eighteen appanage princes. He decided to keep Liu Bang as far away as possible and assigned him an inheritance in Hanzhong. When retreating from Guanzhong to Hanzhong, Liu Bang burned the wooden bridges he had passed through the mountain gorges behind him. With this, he intended to defend against a surprise attack from Guanzhong, especially from Zhang Dan, a former Qin warlord. By this he showed that he was not going to return to the east. When a rebellion against Xiang Yu later arose, Liu Bang ordered the warlord Han Xin to prepare to march to the east.
To deceive the enemy, Han Xin sent several warriors to repair the burnt bridges. Warlord Zhang Dan just laughed at this news. Destroyed walkways will not be usable again for a long time. However, no one was going to walk along the wooden walkways. Soon after the start of repair work, Liu Bang's main forces were secretly sent along a different route - along the Gudao Road to Chencang. Zhang Dan was taken by surprise, defeated and committed suicide. The campaign in Chencang became for Liu Bang the beginning of a victorious campaign against Xiang Yu. This campaign ended in 202 BC. the final establishment of the Han Dynasty.
Throughout China, Xiang You installed eighteen appanage princes. He decided to keep Liu Bang as far away as possible and assigned him an inheritance in Hanzhong. When retreating from Guanzhong to Hanzhong, Liu Bang burned the wooden bridges he had passed through the mountain gorges behind him. With this, he intended to defend against a surprise attack from Guanzhong, especially from Zhang Dan, a former Qin warlord. By this he showed that he was not going to return to the east. When a rebellion against Xiang Yu later arose, Liu Bang ordered the warlord Han Xin to prepare to march to the east.
To deceive the enemy, Han Xin sent several warriors to repair the burnt bridges. Warlord Zhang Dan just laughed at this news. Destroyed walkways will not be usable again for a long time. However, no one was going to walk along the wooden walkways. Soon after the start of repair work, Liu Bang's main forces were secretly sent along a different route - along the Gudao Road to Chencang. Zhang Dan was taken by surprise, defeated and committed suicide. The campaign in Chencang became for Liu Bang the beginning of a victorious campaign against Xiang Yu. This campaign ended in 202 BC. the final establishment of the Han Dynasty.