The “golden cicada shedding its shell” refers to its growth process, which sheds or molts its outer shell. It can be used metaphorically to describe how people can cleverly escape a situation by using deception.
In times of crisis, employing the “golden cicada shedding its shell” strategy can often turn a dangerous situation into a safe one and help a person survive in a desperate situation. There are many examples in Chinese history of using the “golden cicada shedding its shell” tactic to escape death.
Sun Jian escaped pursuit by a warlord
In the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Jian, the Prefect of Changsha, was appointed by Yuan Shao to spearhead an attack on the warlord Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shu, the cousin of Yuan Shao, envied Sun’s bravery and skill on the battlefield and deliberately withheld provisions from Sun, causing chaos in Sun’s army due to lack of food.
When Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo’s adopted son, learned of this, he launched a night attack on Sun’s camp, resulting in Sun’s significant defeat. Sun and his generals escaped the attack and fled, with Lu in hot pursuit. Sun devised a clever idea and hung his armor on a tree. When Lu’s pursuing troops saw Sun’s armor from afar, they hesitated to approach because they feared Sun’s bravery and resorted to only shooting arrows from afar. When no movement was seen, they looked closer, only to realize that they had been tricked and Sun had already escaped.
The tale of Sun Jian’s escape illustrates the artful application of the “golden cicada shedding its shell” strategy. Just as the golden cicada cleverly deceives by leaving its shell behind, Sun Jian outwits his pursuers, evading danger and securing his survival through similar tactics.
Zhang Yi escaped from the state of Qin
When King Wu of Qin was the Crown Prince, he had conflicts with the Prime Minister Zhang Yi. After ascending to the throne, many ministers in the court often spoke ill of Zhang in front of him, saying that Zhang was untrustworthy and a deceiver who would not hesitate to betray his country for personal gain. Zhang realized his difficult situation and devised a plan to leave the state of Qin to avoid being executed by the King.
One day, Zhang visited the King of Qin and said: “I have a plan to help you achieve greatness in ruling the kingdom, and I hope you will adopt it.” The King of Qin asked him about the plan, and Zhang replied: “For the long-term benefit of Qin when the alliance of the eastern states collapses, you can take advantage of the situation to annex territories from neighboring countries. Currently, the King of Qi holds a deep grudge against me, and wherever I go, he will send troops to attack.”
“Therefore, I request to depart for the state of Wei. Once I arrive there, Qi State will attack Wei State. When the armies of Qi and Wei are inextricably tied up in the conflict and unable to extricate themselves, you can seize the opportunity to attack Zhao State. This way, you can effortlessly approach the capital of the Zhou Dynasty. The treasures of the Zhou Dynasty will have to be sent to Qin out of necessity, and you can use this to control the feudal lords by holding the King of Zhou hostage, which is crucial to the great cause of Qin’s unification of the country.”
King Wu of Qin thought this strategy was excellent, so he allowed Zhang to go to Wei. When the Qi State heard that Zhang had arrived in Wei, it sent troops to attack Wei. However, Zhang had already achieved his goal of safely leaving Qin, so he sent his disciples to Chu and used Chu’s messengers to inform the King of Qi about Zhang’s and the King of Qin’s scheme. As a result, the King of Qi immediately withdrew his troops. Zhang offered the King of Qin a plan to achieve hegemony, acting as a “shell” to divert the King of Qin’s attention. His true intention was to escape and leave the state of Qin.
Applying the ‘golden cicada’ strategy to business
In intense market competition, encountering difficulties or troubles is common, but the key lies in overcoming them. Using the “golden cicada shedding its shell strategy,” one can maintain a facade of stability on the surface during difficult situations, making opponents dare not act while finding an opportunity to escape the predicament. It’s a last-resort tactic, a lifeline after facing temporary setbacks.
As long as one can temporarily escape, there is no need to worry about lacking opportunities for a comeback. The saying goes: “If you keep the hills green, you won’t have to worry about running out of firewood.” The “escaping from the golden cicada” strategy promises a triumphant comeback, ushering in a new era of growth and prosperity.
Translated by Joseph Wu and edited by Tatiana Denning
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