欲擒故纵　(yù qín gù zòng)

Letting up on Your Pursuit

Experienced fishers all know when to “give more line” in order to prevent a hooked fish, particularly a big one, from breaking the line. You move the rod from side to side to gradually make the fish calm down and get tired, then you haul it in with little effort.

This stratagem of “purposely letting up your pursuit before capturing your enemy” follows the same basic rule.

Once your enemy is cornered, he will often put up a desperate fight. So, instead of pressing hard, you let up the intensity a little to give him the delusion that he still has a chance to escape. As a result, his will to fight is compromised by his desire to flee. When your enemy gets tired and relaxes his vigilance, you can capture him with much less difficulty.

Naturally, Zhuge Liang, one of the most famous strategists in Chinese history, knew very well how to apply this ploy.(https://www.daowen.com)

During the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 AD), Zhuge, the prime minister of the Kingdom of Shu, was ordered to suppress a tribal uprising led by Meng Huo in the south. Zhuge understood very well that to fight their strong rival, the Kingdom of Wei in the north, his troops must first eliminate any danger in the backyard.

But those tribesmen rarely accepted defeat. To ensure a lasting peace there, Zhuge decided to win them over.

So, when his troops captured the rebel chief Meng Huo, Zhuge asked his prisoner whether he would admit defeat. Meng categorically denied it, saying he was far from being convinced of his rival’s superiority. Zhuge then offered him some food and horses before setting him free.

In the following battles, Meng was captured a few more times and every time he was released. When he was captured for the seventh time, Zhuge again treated him to a sumptuous dinner. But this time, the rebel leader conceded his defeat and vowed his tribe would never fight the Kingdom of Shu in the future.

As a result, the recalcitrant south remained calm and peaceful for many years.