【Source】Han Fei (Warring States period), "Han Fei Zi · Nan Yi"
【Meaning】"Yan" (厭) means "to dislike" or "to disdain"; "Zha" (詐) means "deception." This phrase means using deception and illusions to the fullest extent to confuse the enemy and achieve victory in warfare. It illustrates the idea that in war, one must skillfully employ tactics to mislead the opponent—that is, one should not be overly concerned with honesty or integrity toward the enemy, but rather keep them perpetually off guard.
【Historical Anecdote】
During the reign of Emperor An of Han, the Qiang tribes frequently raided the borders of the Han dynasty. On one occasion, they even surrounded Wudu Commandery. Emperor An quickly appointed General Yu Xu to lead troops against the Qiang forces. Yu Xu and his men marched overnight toward Wudu, but upon reaching the area of Chen Cang and Xiao Valley, they were blocked by a large Qiang army.
Observing this situation, Yu Xu immediately ordered his troops to halt and made a great show of declaring that reinforcements from the imperial court were on their way and would soon launch a pincer attack on the Qiang from both front and rear. Unaware of the ruse, the Qiang forces split into four groups to seize supplies and provisions. Seeing the Qiang forces dispersed, Yu Xu seized the opportunity to break through their defensive line and continued his advance toward Wudu.
Yu Xu then ordered his army to march at full speed—over a hundred li per day—and instructed each unit to dig two cooking pits on the first day, doubling the number each subsequent day. His officers, puzzled by this order, asked him: "When Sun Bin led his troops, he reduced the number of cooking pits daily to deceive the enemy. The military classic says that marching thirty li per day ensures safety. But we are increasing our cooking pits every day and covering a hundred li in one day—this defies the ancient principles!"
Yu Xu replied: "Military strategy must adapt to changing circumstances. The Qiang are numerous and highly motivated; we cannot afford to engage them in a direct confrontation. If we move slowly, they will surely overtake us. Deception in war is never out of place; creating illusions is the key to confusing the enemy. Sun Bin reduced his cooking pits to feign weakness. Today, we increase ours to feign strength."
Seeing the Han army increase their cooking pits daily, the Qiang assumed that Han reinforcements were continuously arriving and thus dared not pursue aggressively. This allowed Yu Xu's forces to safely enter Wudu Commandery. Using his exceptional military skill, Yu Xu then led his troops to a decisive victory over the Qiang, finally bringing peace to the turbulent Wudu region.
【Growth Insight】
Honesty and integrity represent the ideal state we strive for in human relationships, but we cannot avoid encountering deception and trickery in life. Disliking deceit and acting straightforwardly is the mark of a noble person. However, failing to recognize deception and falling into another's trap invites ridicule—and worse, may pose a serious threat to oneself.
We who live in the real world should not remain immersed in a utopia of honesty. Instead, we must face reality with clear eyes and observe the world's deceptions with a detached perspective. While we must never be the first to initiate deceit, we must at the very least ensure that we do not become its victims.
The parable of "Deception in War is Never Out of Place": Honesty is not a panacea.