To suffer a double loss; to attempt to gain an advantage but end up losing even more than what was initially risked.
Era:
Ancient
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Story:
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Sun Quan intended to reclaim Jingzhou. Zhou Yu proposed a scheme: 'fake a marriage proposal to hold Liu Bei hostage.'
Zhuge Liang, however, saw through the plot. He arranged for Zhao Yun to accompany Liu Bei, and their first stop was to visit Qiao Xuan, Zhou Yu's father-in-law. Qiao Xuan then persuaded Lady Wu (Sun Quan's mother) to meet Liu Bei at Ganlu Temple.
Lady Wu genuinely took a liking to Liu Bei and truly married her daughter, Sun Shangxiang, to him.
Sun Quan and Zhou Yu were consequently ridiculed with the saying, 'Zhou Yu's brilliant scheme to pacify the world resulted in losing the wife and also losing the soldiers.'