Borrow a Corpse to Resurrect the Soul
故事全文
In 234 AD, Shu's military advisor Jhu Ge Liang passed away through over-work and illness. Before he died, he knew that once he was gone, the Wei army would take this opportunity to attack Shu. So he instructed the chief of staff Yang Yi to withhold the news of his death until the Shu army had safely retreated. He even gave detailed instructions on how to defend against an attack during their retreat.
Sih Ma Yi, the general of Wei, was an expert in astrology, so he knew that his arch rival Jhu Ge Liang had passed away. But he was concerned that he could be faking his death to lure the Wei army into a trap. So he sent some scouts to find out if there were any movements in the Shu army first. To his surprise, the Shu army had completely retreated. This convinced Sih Ma Yi that Jhu Ge Liang had indeed died. So he led his army on a frantic chase. Finally, the Wei army caught up with the Shu army. But when the Wei army charged forward, suddenly they heard a sound of canons. There were several generals who escorted a carriage on which, to his horror, sat Jhu Ge Liang. Sih Ma Yi shouted out loud, " We've been tricked!" Immediately, he sounded retreat, and the Wei army retreated to as far as 50 kilometers back. What Sih Ma Yi did not know at the time was that Jhu Ge Liang had indeed died earlier. What Sih Ma Yi saw sitting on the carriage was just a wooden dummy dressed up like Jhu Ge Liang. And all these events were anticipated and planned for before Jhu Ge Liang's death.
Strategy 14: Borrow a Corpse to Resurrect the Soul
To revive something useless by giving it new purpose. This adds new variables or uncertainties that an enemy has to take time to consider, giving us an opportunity to seize the initiative and control of a given situation.
