Two Pursuits
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General Zhang Xiu was fighting Cao Cao and found him a formidable opponent. When he learned Cao Cao was pulling back his army to rush home, because his capital Xudu was under the attack by another warlord, he decided to launch a hot pursuit and attack Cao Cao’s retreating army.
His advisor Jia Xu tried to dissuade him. “Don’t do that. If you chase him, you will be defeated.”
“But I’m not going to miss this opportunity.”
General Zhang Xiu’s ten thousand men quickly overtook Cao Cao’s rear guard. But Cao Cao’s army fought so furiously that they threw back their pursuers.
General Zhang Xiu was filled with regret. “I wish I had heeded your warning,” he said to Jia Xu.
“Now you can turn round and pursue Cao Cao again,” Jia Xu said.
“But we’ve just been defeated.”
“This time I guarantee you will win.”
General Zhang ran after Cao Cao a second time. Just as Jia Xu had predicted, his troops put Cao Cao’s army to rout.
“Why is it that the first time we pursued him with our best troops but were defeated and the second time our defeated troops were able to win?”
“You are well-versed in the art of war,” explained Jia Xu. “but your opponent is even better. When Cao Cao ordered a retreat, he was bound to leave his best troops in the rear to ward off any attack. Therefore you stood little chance of winning even with your best troops. But Cao Cao was anxious to go back. Once he had beat off your attack, he would not be concerned with the rear defense. This has created an opportunity for you.”
General Zhang could not but marvel at Jia Xu’s insight.
Next Story
Two Peaches and Three Warriors
Last Story
Empty City Stratagem
Wise Proverbs
- If you know the enemy and know yourself, you can fight a hundred battles without a single defeat.
- 知己知彼，百战不殆。
- To catch one unprepared.
- 乘其不备。
- A profound understanding of commomplace affairs is genuine knowledge; a mastery of wordly wisdom is true learning.
- 世事洞明皆学问，人情练达即文章。
Editor Says:
Jia Xu might be called “a lateral thinker.” Most people have an established pattern of reasoning. A lateral thinker is capable of switching his pattern of thinking and looking at things from a different angle.