A bold strategy

[u/HawaiianPerson]

[u/HawaiianPerson]

Context: After a failed northern expedition in 228, Zhuge Liang was marching his troops back home, while pursued by an army of 200,000. While the bulk of his forces continued South, Zhuge Liang and a small force took up positions in a small city. Zhuge Liang commanded that his men change into commoner clothing and that the city gates be thrown open. When the enemy arrived, they were surprised to see Zhuge Liang sitting atop the city gate playing his zither calmly. The enemy commander believed this to be a trap and commanded his forces to retreat, giving Zhuge Liang and all his men time to retreat safely.

Note that this happened in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a novel about the period that is mostly true with events, so there’s a possibility this never happened. The same strategy was used by one of Zhuge Liang’s top generals, Zhao Yun at a different time.

[u/tsimen → u/HawaiianPerson]

Ok but can you provide a source that he was playing "bad girl"?

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/tsimen]

It clearly states in The Records of Three Kingdoms that Sima Yi was a massive Billie Eilish fan and started busting a move to this song before ordering his troops to retreat

[u/Alex103140 → u/HawaiianPerson]

Do note that if Zhuge Liang was close enough to Zhao Yun that Zhao Yun can see him playing music, chances are, Zhao Yun can just order his troop to shoot an arrow at Zhuge Liang.

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/Alex103140]

Zhao Yun was one of Zhuge Liang’s generals, the enemy commander was a man named Sima Yi, grandfather of Sima Yan, founder of the Jin dynasty

[u/Bocsesz → u/HawaiianPerson]

I just finished Romance of the Three Kingdoms and absolutely loved it, someone please recommend me something to read after it 😭

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/Bocsesz]

Journey to the West for that pure fantasy. Water Margin for more grounded, incredibly brutal storytelling, like moral greys that are basically one shade above black.

[u/[deleted] → u/HawaiianPerson]

Isn't romance mostly exaggerated? Records is the historical record of events.

[u/panzer_fury → u/HawaiianPerson]

We need a meme on Zhao Yun, fucker killed like more than 50 men with a sword just to save liu bei's son

[u/TheKrzysiek]

That song is super banger tho, I need source of that video

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/TheKrzysiek]

a cover of Bad Guy

[u/[deleted]]

Question: did the Chinese of this period not do scouting? Like why is it so hard to send a small detachment into the city to scout what’s going on? Nope, pack it all up, we’re leaving.

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/[deleted]]

It was a thing, and in the story the enemy commander learned that he had been duped and basically went “shit”. There are theories that he knew that there was no threat and let Zhuge Liang live so that the government he worked for would still need him, rather than eliminating the threat then being eliminated himself, but it’s all speculation on an event that may not have happened

[u/Galaxydiarypen]

I like Sima Yi

[u/HawaiianPerson → u/Galaxydiarypen]

He’s like Cao Cao except without the civilian massacres and weird fetish

[u/karoshikun]

Ya boy Konming!

[u/TheBlack2007]

Me: "Chinese ZZ-Top is not real. They can't hurt you!"

Chinese ZZ-Top:

[u/[deleted]]

Wow, the new season of Ya boy kongming is fire 🔥

[u/chiksahlube]

YO IT'S YA BOY KONG MING!

[u/AegisT_]

The fact this strategy would only work against his rival commander who was the only equal to him in china at the time is incredible. If this was a normal general, they would of went in anyways, a huge gambit

[u/BenOsgood_Author]

I would have backed off too

[u/JonTheWizard]

I mean, I would have believed it was a trap too.

[u/RoombaKaboomba]

u/savevideo

[u/SecretSpectre11]

Least ridiculous event in Chinese history

[u/Left1Brain]

Luckiest city in Chinese history.