兵不厌诈 — “In military strategy”

兵不厌诈 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “in military strategy”. It is permissible and often advantageous to use deception, cunning, and stratagems to outwit the enemy and secure victory. Literally, “Troops are not averse to deception”.

Frequency

兵不厌诈 Pronunciation and Pinyin

兵不厌诈 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
兵	bīng	7	weapon, soldier, military affairs
不	bù	4	not
厌	yàn	6	dislike, detest, be weary of
诈	zhà	7	deceive, defraud, feign

Example Sentence with 兵不厌诈

在一场激烈的商业谈判中，优秀的销售团队深知兵不厌诈的道理，善于运用各种策略来掌握主动权。

In a fierce business negotiation, an excellent sales team deeply understands the principle that "troops are not averse to deception," skillfully employing various strategies to gain the upper hand.

Origin and Story of 兵不厌诈

In 633 BC, the state of Chu attacked the state of Song, and Song appealed to Jin for help. The following spring, Duke Wen of Jin dispatched his forces to occupy Cao and Wei, two allies of Chu. He demanded that they sever their ties with Chu if they wished to have their states restored. Enraged, Chu lifted the siege on Song and marched to engage Jin in battle. The two armies confronted each other at Chengpu.

When Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, was a young prince, he was persecuted by his stepmother and fled to Chu, where he was kindly received by King Cheng. King Cheng once asked Chong'er how he would repay this kindness in the future. Chong'er replied, "You already possess beauties, silks, and all things desirable. What could I offer you? Should I be fortunate enough to return to my state and govern, and if our two states ever face each other in war, I would retreat three 'she' (a 'she' being thirty li, so ninety li in total). If Chu still remains unforgiving, then we shall truly engage in battle." To honor this promise, Duke Wen ordered his army to retreat ninety li.

However, Chu's general Ziyu led the Chu army in close pursuit, refusing to give up. At that time, Chu, allied with states like Chen and Cai, had a stronger military, while Jin, allied with Qi and Song, was weaker. How should they fight? Duke Wen's uncle, Zifan, advised: "I have heard that for a gentleman who values propriety, one should speak of loyalty and trustworthiness to gain their confidence. But in the midst of a life-and-death battle, one should not hesitate to employ deceitful tactics to mislead the opponent. You can adopt a strategy of deceiving the enemy." Duke Wen heeded Zifan's counsel.

First, he crushed the Chu army's right wing, which was composed of troops from Chen and Cai. Then, his main force feigned a retreat, enticing the Chu army's left wing to pursue them, only to then ambush them from both sides. The Chu left wing was utterly defeated, and their central army was forced to retreat as well. This was the historically famous Battle of Chengpu, an instance of the weaker side overcoming the stronger. After this victory, Jin formed an alliance with states such as Qi, Lu, Song, Zheng, Cai, Ju, and Wei, establishing itself as the hegemon among the feudal lords.