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连环计 (lian2 huan2 ji4) Multi-ploy scheme at play
March 1, 2009, Sunday
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IN face of a powerful enemy, one is always advised to not enter into a head-on battle with him. Instead, you should employ some shrewd ploy to defeat the enemy and avoid heavy losses on your own side. However sometimes one ploy is not enough, so you should then adopt this stratagem - the so-called "Multi-ploy scheme at play"
This stratagem uses several plans applied simultaneously, or in a sequence, within the framework of a master scheme designed to ultimately rout the enemy. By applying this stratagem, you can not only multiply the effectiveness of your ploys, but also have other plan options to fall back on when one of them fails.
During the famous Battle of Red Cliff in the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280), this stratagem was successfully employed by Zhou Yu, a young general of the Kingdom of Wu to defeat invading troops from the northern Kingdom of Wei.
Zhou first joined forces with the Kingdom of Shu Han to fight the invading forces along the Yangtze River, the longest river in China. But the northern troops, though unfamiliar with water warfare, still outnumbered the joint forces of the two southern kingdoms, so Zhou decided to employ a series of schemes to weaken and then destroy his enemy.
He first applied the stratagem of "sowing distrust in the enemy camp" to lure Cao Cao, the ruler of Wei, into executing two defectors from the south who served as instructors training northern troops on how to fight on water.
Then Zhou "recommended" one of his advisors to Cao through one of Cao's close aides. The advisor complained to the aide about being neglected by Zhou and expressed his willingness to serve a "wise" ruler. The aide believed him.
After he was introduced to the Wei ruler, the advisor told Cao that the best way to help his troops overcome seasickness while fighting along the big river was to use wooden boards to join many small boats into large platforms. He promised that this would largely reduce the rocking of boats on rough waters and make the northern troops feel like walking on solid ground.
The next ploy used by Zhou was the "self-injury" scheme. After being brutally beaten for some dissident ideas, one of Zhou's generals decided to defect to Cao and even picked a date for his escape.
When the day came, the general steered a quick boat loaded with inflammables toward the enemy's boat platforms. When it was close, he suddenly rammed his boat into the enemy fleet and immediately set off a big fire.
Since Cao's boats were all joined by wooden boards and could not be easily separated, the fire swept across all platforms.
Zhou sent hundreds of boats to attack the invaders, eventually winning the Battle of Red Cliff with his "multi-ploy scheme."
This stratagem uses several plans applied simultaneously, or in a sequence, within the framework of a master scheme designed to ultimately rout the enemy. By applying this stratagem, you can not only multiply the effectiveness of your ploys, but also have other plan options to fall back on when one of them fails.
During the famous Battle of Red Cliff in the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280), this stratagem was successfully employed by Zhou Yu, a young general of the Kingdom of Wu to defeat invading troops from the northern Kingdom of Wei.
Zhou first joined forces with the Kingdom of Shu Han to fight the invading forces along the Yangtze River, the longest river in China. But the northern troops, though unfamiliar with water warfare, still outnumbered the joint forces of the two southern kingdoms, so Zhou decided to employ a series of schemes to weaken and then destroy his enemy.
He first applied the stratagem of "sowing distrust in the enemy camp" to lure Cao Cao, the ruler of Wei, into executing two defectors from the south who served as instructors training northern troops on how to fight on water.
Then Zhou "recommended" one of his advisors to Cao through one of Cao's close aides. The advisor complained to the aide about being neglected by Zhou and expressed his willingness to serve a "wise" ruler. The aide believed him.
After he was introduced to the Wei ruler, the advisor told Cao that the best way to help his troops overcome seasickness while fighting along the big river was to use wooden boards to join many small boats into large platforms. He promised that this would largely reduce the rocking of boats on rough waters and make the northern troops feel like walking on solid ground.
The next ploy used by Zhou was the "self-injury" scheme. After being brutally beaten for some dissident ideas, one of Zhou's generals decided to defect to Cao and even picked a date for his escape.
When the day came, the general steered a quick boat loaded with inflammables toward the enemy's boat platforms. When it was close, he suddenly rammed his boat into the enemy fleet and immediately set off a big fire.
Since Cao's boats were all joined by wooden boards and could not be easily separated, the fire swept across all platforms.
Zhou sent hundreds of boats to attack the invaders, eventually winning the Battle of Red Cliff with his "multi-ploy scheme."
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