二桃三士 | eliminate rivals by exploiting their arrogance

èr二táo桃sān三shì士

A stratagem to eliminate troublesome rivals by exploiting their arrogance or fostering internal conflict, leading them to self-destruction.

项目经理巧妙地运用二桃三士之计，解决了团队中几位骨干成员之间的矛盾，让他们在竞争中各自反思，最终回归合作。

The project manager skillfully employed the 'Two Peaches, Three Valiant Men' stratagem to resolve conflicts among several key team members, leading them to self-reflection through competition and ultimately restoring cooperation.

Era:

Ancient

Frequency:

Synonym:

二桃杀三士

Story:

During the Spring and Autumn Period, there were three valiant warriors in the State of Qi: Gongsun Jie, Tian Kaijiang, and Gu Yezhi. They were arrogant due to their achievements and often behaved unreasonably.

Prime Minister Yan Ying worried that their actions might cause trouble and endanger the state. He suggested to Duke Jing of Qi that two peaches be awarded to them, to be eaten by those who had the greatest accomplishments.

As a result, the three warriors, despite their bravery, lacked wisdom. In their dispute over who deserved to eat the peaches, they successively committed suicide.

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