When the lips are lost, the teeth feel the cold: Sima Yi knew it was an empty city yet did not capture Zhuge Liang

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This post was last edited by yinkuilin6868 on 2016-7-30 09:18. There are many astonishing similarities throughout history. Those who study history, especially works like \"The Three Kingdoms,\" often talk enthusiastically about Zhuge Liang’s \"Empty City Strategy.\" What they don’t realize is that the confrontation between Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang atop those empty cities was even more fascinating; it was a battle where the fate of one party was tied to that of the other, a truly masterful struggle. Act I: A Look Back at History: That Thrilling “Empty City Stratagem”. Chapter 95 of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is titled “Ma Su Disregards Advice and Loses Jieting; Zhuge Liang Plays the Qin to Repel Sima Yi”. The highlight of this episode is Zhuge Liang’s devised strategy of the \"Empty City Plan\". It is said that Sima Yi led an army of 150,000 troops to defeat Ma Su and seize Jieting; building on this success, he captured three more cities in quick succession, advancing at lightning speed toward Xicheng, the rear stronghold of the Shu forces. Zhuge Liang had no time to retreat; he had only 2,500 elderly, weak, and infirm soldiers at his disposal. In this extremely dire situation, Zhuge Liang orchestrated a brilliant “ruse of the empty city.” By creating an aura of mystery and intimidation, he managed to scare away the timid and suspicious Sima Yi. Subsequent generations used this as a basis to create the traditional Peking opera masterpiece “The Empty City Stratagem”, which never fails to captivate audiences and remains popular even today; it has now become a national treasure of China. Look, Zhuge Liang had all four gates of the small city of Xicheng thrown open; he also ordered veteran soldiers to sweep the roads. Meanwhile, accompanied by two page boys, he ascended the city tower, burned incense, and played the zither... When Sima Yi’s troops arrived at the city walls, Zhuge Liang remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened. He also sang, \"I was on the city tower, enjoying the view of the mountains, when suddenly I heard chaos outside the city walls; flags fluttered in the wind. It turned out to be troops sent by Sima... You should take control of the city now – why do you hesitate, stuck between going forward or retreating? What’s the reason for that?\" ……Don’t have wild thoughts and be restless. Come, come, please come to the city and listen to me play the zither.” Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, Sima Yi’s two sons, seemed to have spotted Zhuge Liang’s attempt at deception; they wanted to send troops to attack the city and capture Zhuge Liang alive, but were immediately reprimanded by Sima Yi. Next, a dramatic turn of events took place. Sima Yi hesitated for a moment, fearing that it might be a “trap”. At the foot of the city walls, he made a self-deprecating remark: “Zhuge Liang, oh Zhuge Liang! Whether this is a deserted city or not, I won’t be fooled by you today.” Thus, an order was given: \"The front unit shall become the rear unit; forty soldiers shall withdraw.\" Thus, it also gave rise to the myth of Zhuge Liang. Act 2: The psychological battle between Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang. In history, did Zhuge Liang really manage to deceive Sima Yi with his strategy of the empty city using just a feather fan and silk headband? In a true duel between masters, no flashes of swords or blades are visible, yet the outcome is already decided. But beyond the clash of swords and blades, there are still techniques, and have you seen Zhuge Liang’s techniques? Sima Yi went personally to the foot of the city to observe the situation, and then ordered his troops to withdraw. He said, \"Zhuge Liang is cautious throughout his life and would never take risks.\" Now that the city gates are wide open, there must be an ambush inside; if our troops go in, we will fall right into their trap. "However, his second son, Sima Zhao, wondered: Could it be that Zhuge Liang had no soldiers at all in his household, and thus deliberately arranged this situation? Even Sima Zhao had doubts; how could Sima Yi, who was \"masteryful in military tactics,\" not have pondered this? Moreover, Zhuge Liang’s strategies have been celebrated through the ages; how could someone as clever as Sima Yi fail to be wary of his strategic moves? Wisdom can be seen; caution cannot. The visible is easy to perceive, while the invisible is hard to fathom. In what’s known as “knowing oneself and one’s opponent,” when masters compete against each other, how deeply can you truly understand your opponent? "“Cautious throughout life.” These four ordinary words actually describe the minute differences between the two great masters, Zhuge and Sima. The opponent Sima Yi faced was Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang also had a very deep understanding of Sima Yi. He knew that Sima Yi was a master; an ordinary master, even those who were close to him such as the great generals of Shu like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, would merely marvel at Zhuge Liang’s strategic skills. But Sima Yi could see through himself more deeply – he was a master among masters. Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, made full use of this point and successfully carried out his psychological tactics. This is not a battle of visible weapons; he secures victory in the invisible realm. However, if Zhuge Liang could win merely based on his understanding of Sima Yi, then Sima Yi would not be considered a master among masters. To achieve victory, Zhuge Liang demonstrated even more remarkable skills, which is why Sima Yi lost willingly and without any objections ； No, Sima Yi must have been awestruck by Zhuge Liang; that’s why the incident of “the dead Zhuge Liang scaring away the living Sima Yi” occurred later. Zhuge Liang was burning incense and playing the qin on the city tower. How did this manage to astonish Sima Yi, a master among masters? Wasn’t this just Zhuge Liang’s psychological tactic of pretending to be casual? Of course not; it is the most crucial battle in this clash of masters, and success hinges on this single attempt! Sima Yi was intelligent and resourceful from a young age; he adhered to Confucianism and was highly learned and well-informed. Once, Cui Yan said to Sima Yi’s brother Sima Lang, \"Your brother is intelligent and decisive, brave and resourceful; you can’t compare to him.\" "What prompted Sima Yi, who was known for his wisdom and judgment and who also had a large army of 150,000 troops at his disposal to take action, to go personally to the gates of the city to watch? "The “brave and resourceful” man wanted to discern some clues beneath the city walls, so he could make a further decision In fact, Sima Yi went to the foot of the city not just to look, but more importantly, to listen. He can see what others cannot see, and hear what others cannot hear; that is why he is “clever” and “wise,” and able to make prompt decisions. With Sima Yi’s wisdom and strategy, how could one fail to understand the **situation** created by 150,000 troops against the small city of Xicheng? Ma Su’s elite vanguard had been annihilated, and taking advantage of this victory he captured three more cities in succession. The remaining forces of the Shu army were also severely damaged; at this point, Xicheng was trapped in Sima Yi’s \"trap,\" with victory already within his grasp. Sima Yi already had a clear idea of Zhuge Liang’s total troop strength and general deployment. A small city like Xicheng, even if under siege from all sides, could have no more than ten to twenty thousand soldiers in it. Whether it was an empty city or a fortified one, sending a few thousand troops as a vanguard to attack its four gates would immediately reveal its true condition. Was there any need to strain one’s ears to listen to the sound of the zither? This is **common sense** that even lower-ranking officers with average intelligence understand, let alone the cunning Sima Yi! The sound of the guqin without a amplifier, in the chaotic and noisy battlefield of that time, could at most travel only a few dozen steps far; it was well within the range of bows and crossbows. With Sima Yi chasing after him at full speed, how could he possibly return empty-handed, without firing a single arrow or shot? Did he come just to appreciate Zhuge Liang’s “music”? Definitely not! If Zhuge Liang had not been in Xicheng at that time, the city would have surely fallen easily into Sima Yi’s hands, and all the supplies that had not yet been moved out of the city would have become Sima Yi’s loot. “The \"Empty City Strategy\" was a clever plan devised by Zhuge Liang in a time of crisis. Knowing that Zhuge Liang was cautious and never took risks, Sima Yi played along with this strategy, pretending to fall for it and deliberately sparing Zhuge Liang. The true high-IQ winner was not Zhuge Liang, but Sima Yi, who seemed to have a lower IQ. Act 3: When the lips are gone, the teeth suffer: Zhuge Liang predicted that Sima Yi would not dare enter the city, for the cunning Sima Yi understood our ancient Chinese adage that \"when the high birds are gone, the good bows are put away.\" ； Knowing the old adage that when a cunning rabbit dies, its blood is used for cooking, it is also aware of the tactics employed by emperors throughout history of getting rid of those who have been useful to them. Fearing that Emperor Wei Ming, Cao Rui, might resort to the trick of getting rid of his rival after achieving a decisive victory, he deliberately let go of Zhuge Liang, an opponent who was on par with him. A little more research into Sima Yi’s fraught career path will make things clear. During his lifetime, Cao Cao was well aware of Sima Yi’s talents, but he remained wary of him. He once said to Hua Xin, “Sima Yi has a predatory gaze and behavior; he should not be given command over troops, otherwise it will surely lead to great disaster.” He repeatedly warned that Sima Yi was extremely ambitious and would inevitably become a source of trouble in the future; thus, he should not be given important responsibilities. Consequently, Sima Yi was only appointed as a minor literary aide in the prime minister’s office, and later became the chief clerk (administrative secretary) to the prime minister. Sima Yi also understood this implicitly. To avoid putting his life in danger, he chose to lay low and refrain from striving to achieve accomplishments during Cao Cao’s lifetime; thus, he remained unknown and unrecognized ； After Cao Cao’s death, Cao Pi seized power and declared himself emperor. When Cao Pi was the crown prince, Sima Yi served as one of the crown prince’s attendants and was highly trusted by him; therefore, Cao Pi appreciated Sima Yi’s talents and began to promote him, assigning him various positions such as Right Minister of the Secretariat and Grand General in charge of military affairs ； After Cao Pi died and Cao Rui ascended the throne, Sima Yi was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry. He commanded a large army in Yongzhou and Xiliang, stationed in Chang’an. Holding a very high position with great power, he was feared both within the court and among the populace. Zhuge Liang also regarded him as a formidable opponent; therefore, he used the tactic of sowing discord by spreading rumors that Sima Yi was plotting rebellion. Cao Rui fell for this trick and wanted to execute Sima Yi. Thanks to Cao Zhen’s intervention, Sima Yi’s life was spared. After having his military powers taken away, he returned to his hometown to retire. Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang was overjoyed and said, “I have long desired to attack Wei. But with Sima in charge of the troops in Yongliang, I had concerns. Now that he has been demoted, what worries do I still have?” ”Thus, the above request was made to send troops to attack Wei. Zhuge Liang led his troops out from Qishan and achieved successive victories; his momentum was unstoppable. None of the generals of Cao Wei dared to confront him, leaving the entire court and populace in terror. In that time of crisis, Cao Rui had no choice but to recall Sima Yi, appointing him as Governor of the Western Regions and giving him command of troops to confront Zhuge Liang, in an attempt to save the situation. Sima Yi knew in his heart that it was entirely Zhuge Liang’s merit that he was able to receive the title of “Commander-in-Chief for Pacifying the West”. It should be grateful not to Emperor Wei Cao Rui, but to its long-time rival Zhuge Liang. In a sense, it was Zhuge Liang who determined whether Sima Yi could seize power. Naturally, Sima Yi understood from early on that his role was that of a hunting dog for the Cao Wei regime; he also understood the relationship between Zhuge Liang’s existence and his own. The opposing sides in a conflict represent a unity of opposites, complementing each other. Within the Cao Wei regime, the only person capable of checking Zhu Ge Liang’s power was Sima Yi. Without Zhu Ge Liang from the Shu Han dynasty, Sima Yi would lose his \"unique\" value as a figure If Zhuge Liang were captured or killed in Xicheng, the Shu army would collapse completely, and the Shu Han dynasty would perish immediately. The still-unproven Sima clan would inevitably face the fate of being discarded once their purpose was served. This was a situation that Sima Yi did not want to see at that time; he still needed to keep working hard for the Cao Wei dynasty. As long as there were endless tasks to carry out, he would avoid the tragic fate of being dismissed after having done all the work. The prerequisite for continuing to make efforts is that Zhuge Liang must remain alive, so as to buy time to build up his forces and wait for the right moment to realize his grand ambitions. Therefore, knowing full well that the tiny city of Xicheng was completely empty, Sima Yi deliberately feigned stupidity and ignorance, using the pretext of “falling into Zhuge Liang’s ambush” as a reason to withdraw his troops. As a result, Sima Yi’s two sons became indignant, while his generals were filled with doubts. Everyone in the Cao Wei court also believed that Sima Yi lacked intelligence, was cowardly and suspicious, and indecisive; thus, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything of significance. Consequently, they lowered their guard against Sima Yi. From then on, although Sima Yi had a large army at his disposal and was in a clear advantage, he never took the initiative to attack Shu Han, nor did he try to destroy Zhuge Liang’s main forces. This allowed Zhuge Liang to maintain an offensive capability, thus preserving a relative strategic balance. Unafraid of mockery or insults, and ignoring the joint advice of his generals, Sima Yi persisted with his defensive strategy, patiently engaging in a struggle against Zhuge Liang. Occasional minor incidents between them are considered to be \"border friction,\" with basically no changes occurring in either side’s territories. This fully demonstrates Sima Yi’s far-sightedness and strategic insight; he deliberately left Cao Wei with a \"prey\" that no one else could catch, one that only he, Sima Yi, the experienced hunter, could pursue – namely, the highly astute Zhuge Liang and the militarily capable forces of Shu Han. There is prey: hounds cannot be cooked yet ； “The grinding isn’t finished yet: the donkey still can’t be killed. In this way, Sima Yi created space for his own survival and room for growth. Not long after he had \"wearied\" Zhuge Liang to death, he withdrew from the public eye and pretended to be ill, appearing to be on his last days. This allowed him to distract his political rivals and reduce suspicion, while he secretly plotted, waited for the right moment, and launched a coup, eventually seizing power in Cao Wei. (As for the notions of loyalty and treachery, they should be discussed separately. Ultimately, the Cao Wei regime also seized power from others; this is karma in the cycle of history. The historical outcome of the reunification of the Three Kingdoms under the Jin dynasty is sufficient proof that Sima Yi’s extraordinary intelligence, as demonstrated during the incident with the empty city, was far beyond what ordinary people could even aspire to match. Throughout history, Zhuge Liang, the honest and dedicated figure from the Three Kingdoms period, was nothing more than a historical side character to Sima Yi, who was adept at concealing his true intentions and being highly strategic. Therefore, when Sima Zhao asked, “Could it be that Zhuge Liang has no troops at his disposal, and thus is putting on this act?” Why did the father withdraw his troops? ”At that time, Sima Yi said, “Zhuge Liang has always been cautious and never taken any risks.” If we open the city gates now, there must be an ambush; if our troops advance, they will fall into their trap. Do you know what’s at stake? Retire quickly! ”He pretended to fall for the trick in order to lead the troops away; what great effort he put into it! This is precisely what makes Sima Yi so clever!