鸡鸣狗盗 — “Refers to insignificant skills”

During the Warring States period, Lord Mengchang of Qi was fond of recruiting all kinds of people as his retainers, claiming to have three thousand guests. He welcomed everyone, allowing the talented to use their skills and providing food and lodging for those without special abilities.

Once, Lord Mengchang led his retainers on a diplomatic mission to the State of Qin. King Zhaoxiang of Qin wanted to keep him and appoint him as prime minister. Lord Mengchang dared not offend King Zhaoxiang, so he stayed.

Soon after, Qin's ministers advised the King, saying, "Keeping Lord Mengchang is not beneficial for Qin. He is of royal descent, has his own fiefdom, and family in Qi. How could he truly serve Qin?" King Zhaoxiang found this reasonable and changed his mind, placing Lord Mengchang and his retinue under house arrest, awaiting an excuse to execute them.

King Zhaoxiang had a favorite concubine who held great influence over him. Lord Mengchang sent someone to seek her help. The concubine agreed, on the condition that he present her with a peerless fox-fur coat from Qi. This put Lord Mengchang in a difficult position, as he had already given that very coat to King Zhaoxiang upon his arrival in Qin. Just then, one of his retainers said, "I can get that fox-fur coat!" and left. This retainer was skilled at sneaking through dog holes and stealing. He investigated and learned that King Zhaoxiang cherished the coat but had not yet worn it, keeping it in the palace's treasure room. Under the moonlight, he evaded the patrols, easily slipped into the storeroom, and stole the coat.

The concubine was overjoyed upon seeing the fox-fur coat. She found a way to persuade King Zhaoxiang to abandon the idea of killing Lord Mengchang and arranged a farewell banquet for him to return to Qi in two days. Lord Mengchang dared not wait another two days. He immediately led his retinue and galloped eastward secretly that very night.

When they reached Hangu Pass (located in present-day Lingbao County, Henan Province, then the eastern gateway of Qin) it was midnight. According to Qin's regulations, Hangu Pass only opened at cockcrow. How could a rooster crow in the middle of the night? As everyone was in despair, they suddenly heard a few "cock-a-doodle-doo" sounds, and soon, all the roosters outside the pass started crowing. It turned out that another retainer of Lord Mengchang was skilled at imitating a rooster's crow, and roosters, once they hear the first crow, will immediately follow suit. Though the guards at the pass found it strange that the roosters crowed so early, they had no choice but to open the gates and let them out.

At dawn, King Zhaoxiang learned that Lord Mengchang and his group had fled and immediately dispatched soldiers to pursue them. By the time they reached Hangu Pass, the group had already passed through long ago. Lord Mengchang relied on these men of "cock crowing and dog thievery" to escape back to Qi.

The story comes from "Biography of Lord Mengchang" in the Records of the Grand Historian. The idiom "鸡鸣狗盗" (jī míng gǒu dào) is used to describe despicable skills or people who possess such minor abilities.