置之死地而后生 — “Place in a deadly situation, and then survive”

Han Xin, from Huaiyin (now southwest Qingjiang, Jiangsu), was a great general under Liu Bang, King of Han. To defeat Xiang Yu and seize power, he advised Liu Bang to first capture Guanzhong, then cross the Yellow River eastward, defeat and capture Wei Bao (King of Wei), who had betrayed Liu Bang and sided with Xiang Yu. Next, they marched east to attack Zhao King Xie.

Han Xin's troops had to pass through an extremely narrow mountain pass called Jingxing Pass. Li Zuoche, an advisor to King Zhao, suggested blocking Jingxing Pass and sending troops to cut off the Han army's supplies and provisions from a side path. Without reinforcements, Han Xin's expeditionary force would surely be defeated. However, General Chen Yu disagreed, relying on his superior numbers, he insisted on engaging the Han army head-on.

Han Xin learned of this situation and was delighted. He ordered his troops to set up camp about thirty li from Jingxing. In the middle of the night, he had his soldiers eat some snacks, telling them they would eat a full meal after winning the battle. He then dispatched two thousand light cavalry to secretly advance along a small path, ordering them to quickly rush into the Zhao army's camp and replace their flags with Han army banners once the Zhao army left their camp. He also sent ten thousand troops to deliberately array themselves with their backs to a river to lure the Zhao army.

At dawn, Han Xin led his army in an attack, and a fierce battle ensued. Soon after, the Han army pretended to retreat to their riverbank position, and the Zhao army all left their camp to pursue. At this point, Han Xin ordered his main force to attack, and the soldiers arrayed with their backs to the water, having no retreat, also turned back and fiercely attacked the enemy.

Unable to win, the Zhao army was about to return to their camp when they suddenly saw that their camp was covered with Han army flags. They scattered and fled in all directions. The Han army pursued them, winning a great victory.

During the victory celebration, the generals asked Han Xin, "Military strategy says that an army can array itself with its back to a mountain and facing water. But you ordered us to array ourselves with our backs to the water and said we would eat a full meal after defeating the Zhao army. We didn't believe it then, but we still won. What kind of strategy was this?" Han Xin smiled and said, "This is also found in military strategy, but you just haven't paid attention to it. Doesn't military strategy say, 'Put them in a place of certain death and they will live; put them in a doomed situation and they will survive'? If there was a way to retreat, the soldiers would all scatter. How could we make them fight to the death?!"