“Hitting the grass to frighten the snake” is a traditional Chinese military strategy with two meanings. The first meaning involves a cautious approach toward hidden enemies, using feigned attacks to reveal the enemy’s actual position before taking action. This ensures that one does not fall into the enemy’s trap and gains the initiative. The second meaning is about setting up an ambush and using a deceptive move to lure the enemy into a dangerous situation, where they can then be eliminated.
Testing reactions: Cao Cao’s hunting expedition
After relocating Emperor Xian to Xuchang, Cao Cao’s power grew steadily. His advisors urged him to seize the opportunity to achieve dominance. Cao Cao replied: “Many ministers still support the emperor. We must not act rashly. I will take the emperor hunting to gauge the situation.” With that, Cao Cao led an army of 100,000 and invited Emperor Xian on a hunting trip in Xu County.
As they rode ahead with Cao Cao’s trusted generals following closely, other civil and military officials kept a distance, too afraid to approach. When a large deer emerged from a thicket, Emperor Xian attempted to shoot it, but he missed three times. He then turned to Cao Cao and said: “Let the Chancellor shoot.” Taking the emperor’s prized bow and golden-tipped arrow, Cao Cao shot the deer dead with a single shot. The officials, thinking the emperor made the kill, rushed over, exclaiming: “Long live the emperor!” However, when they saw Cao Cao receiving the cheers in place of the emperor, they were shocked and speechless.
This instance demonstrated Cao Cao’s “hitting the grass to frighten the snake” strategy. Cao Cao assessed his influence by testing the ministers’ and generals’ reactions to his disrespect for the emperor. The lack of protest revealed his authority rivaled the emperor’s. After his death, Emperor Xian eventually abdicated to Cao Cao’s son, Cao Pi.
Losing both wife and troops: The tale of Zhou Yu
During the Three Kingdoms period, the strategist Zhuge Liang helped Liu Bei capture Jingzhou. To reclaim the territory, Zhou Yu of Sun Quan’s forces devised a scheme to trick the widowed Liu Bei into marrying Sun Quan’s sister, intending to detain Liu Bei and exchange him for Jingzhou. Seeing through the plot, Zhuge Liang advised Liu Bei to agree and instructed his men to make a grand display in Jiangdong, drawing attention to the marriage proposal.
Upon learning of the plan, Sun Quan’s mother, Lady Wu, summoned Sun Quan and scolded Zhou Yu for using her daughter in a deceitful plot. She argued that killing Liu Bei would leave her daughter a widow, ruining her life. Sun Quan, unable to defy his mother, agreed to the marriage. Liu Bei left Jiangdong with his new wife, and when Zhou Yu pursued them, he was ambushed and suffered significant losses.
This story illustrates Liu Bei’s use of the “hitting the grass to frighten the snake” strategy. By publicly announcing the marriage, he alerted Lady Wu (the snake), who then thwarted Zhou Yu’s plan. Zhou Yu’s attempt to reclaim Jingzhou not only failed, but also cost him dearly. The whole incident was known in history as “the double loss of a bride and troops.”
Translated by cecilia, edited by Amanda
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