Releasing the Enemy Only to Capture Him Later, 欲擒姑纵 - 36 Strategies
From World's Chinese Wiki
36 Strategies - Strategy No 16: Releasing the enemy only to capture him later, 欲擒姑纵
Original: 逼则反兵，走则减势。紧随勿迫，累其气力，消其斗志，散而后擒，兵不血刃。需，有孚，光。
Modern: 如果把敌人逼的无路可走，他就会拼命反扑。让敌人跑路反而可以让他的气势减弱。对逃跑之敌要紧紧跟随，不能过于逼迫，借以消耗其体力，瓦解其斗志。等到敌人士气低弱、军心涣散时在去逮捕他，这样就会避免不必要的流血牺牲。总之，不进逼敌人，并让他相信这一点，就能赢得光明的胜利。
English: If you force your enemy into a desperate situation, he would fight with all his got. If you give your enemy an escape route, he would focus on escaping rather then fighting. When he is escaping, try to follow him but not force him to attack. While escaping, it would reduce his strength and fighting spirit. Once they are tired and low morale, you can capture them easily without too much bloodshed.
Contents |
Illustration
In 225 AD Zhuge Liang has plans for the Northern Territory, but first he has to deal with Meng Huo, the leader of Southern Tribes to secure his rear. Meng Huo led an army of 10,000 to invade the Shu Kingdom. So Zhuge Liang personally led an army to fend off Meng Huo. The first time when they met, Zhuge Liang lured Meng Huo to a valley and ambushed him. Meng Huo was caught unaware and was captured.
Now since the leader has been captured, the mission could be considered accomplished but Zhuge Liang considered that Meng Huo has a high standing among the Southern tribes thus has strong influence on them. It would be wise instead to make Meng Huo succumbed to him whole-heartedly. So Zhuge Liang decide to release Meng Huo. Before Meng Huo left, he said to Zhuge Liang that the next time they meet, Zhuge Liang would be the losing side. When Meng Huo went back to the army camp, he removed all the boats from the Lu River to prevent the Shu army from advancing across the river and based himself on the southern bank. Zhuge Liang, instead cross the river where Meng Huo's defense was the weakest and attack his supplies depot. Meng Huo was furious and punished his generals. The generals that were punished was angry, so they captured Meng Huo and brought him and surrendered to Zhuge Liang. Seeing that Meng Huo is not convinced of his defeat, he released Meng Huo again. This went on for another four times, captured and released. Until the seventh and the last time, when Zhuge Liang set fire onto Meng Huo's bamboo-armored soldiers and defeated him, did Meng Huo submitted himself to Zhuge Liang and vowed not to rebel again.
诸葛亮七擒孟获，就是军事史上一个“欲擒故纵”的绝妙战例。蜀汉建立之后，定下北伐大计。当时西南夷酋长孟获率十万大军侵犯蜀国。诸葛亮为了解决北伐的后顾之忧，决定亲自率兵先平孟获。蜀军主力到达泸水（今金沙江）附近，诱敌出战，事先在山谷中埋下伏兵，孟获被诱入伏击圈内，兵败被擒。
按说，擒拿敌军主帅的目的已经达到，敌军一时也不会有很强战斗力了，乘胜追击，自可大破敌军。但是诸葛亮考虑到孟获在西南夷中威望很高，影响很大，如果让他心悦诚服，主动请降，就能使南方真正稳定。不然的话，南方夷各个部落仍不会停止侵扰，后方难以安定。诸葛亮决定对孟获采取“攻心”战，断然释放孟获。孟获表示下次定能击败你，诸葛亮笑而不答。孟获回营，拖走所有船只，据守沪水南岸，阻止蜀军渡河。诸葛亮乘敌不备，从敌人不设防的下流偷渡过河，并袭击了孟获的粮仓。孟获暴怒，要严惩将士，激起将士的反抗，于是相约投降，趁孟获不备，将孟获绑赴蜀营。诸葛亮见孟获仍不服，再次释放。以后孟获又施了许多计策，都被诸葛亮识破，四次被擒，四次被释放。最后一次，诸葛亮火烧孟获的藤甲兵，第七次生擒孟获。终于感动了孟获，他真诚地感谢诸葛亮七次不杀之恩，誓不再反。从此，蜀国西南安定，诸葛亮才得以举兵北伐。