A brilliant stratagem or clever plan, especially one prepared in advance for emergencies or difficult situations.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Three Kingdoms period, Liu Bei's power grew with the assistance of Zhuge Liang, making Jingzhou, from the state of Wu, his base.
After the Battle of Changban, Zhou Yu devised a scheme to lure Liu Bei to Eastern Wu under the pretense of marrying Sun Quan's sister, with the true intention of eliminating him.
Zhuge Liang, however, foresaw this and gave Zhao Yun three 'brocade pouch brilliant plans' (锦囊妙计), instructing him to accompany Liu Bei to Eastern Wu.
Following these ingenious plans, Zhuge Liang successfully turned the tables, resulting in Sun Quan not only failing to harm Liu Bei but also losing his sister and suffering military losses.