Empty City Stratagem; bluffing tactic to hide weakness
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
the Empty City Stratagem (from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Zhuge Liang bluffed Sima Yi into retreating by appearing defenseless); any strategy of masking weakness to deceive an opponent
Refers specifically to the famous story from the Three Kingdoms period, but is also widely used as a metaphor for any bluffing tactic in business, politics, or daily life when one lacks actual strength.
Zhū诸
gě葛
liàng亮
chàng唱
le了
yī一
chū出
kōng空
chéng城
jì计
，
xià吓
tuì退
le了
sī司
mǎ马
yì懿
de的
dà大
jūn军
。
Zhuge Liang performed the Empty City Stratagem, frightening off Sima Yi's large army.
Zhè这
jiā家
gōng公
sī司
zī资
jīn金
liàn链
kuài快
duàn断
le了
，
xiàn现
zài在
zhǐ只
néng能
wán玩
kōng空
chéng城
jì计
，
xū虚
zhāng张
shēng声
shì势
。
This company's capital chain is about to break; now they can only play the empty city bluff, making a show of force.
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Tā他
chàng唱
kōng空
chéng城
jì计
chàng唱
de得
tài太
jiǔ久
le了
，
chí迟
zǎo早
huì会
bèi被
chāi拆
chuān穿
。
He has been bluffing for too long; sooner or later he will be found out.