Basic Information
Chinese Idiom: 假途灭虢
Pinyin: jiǎ tú miè guó
Literal Meaning: Seize a state by borrowing passage through its territory
Figurative Meaning: A crafty tactic of taking advantage of asking for passage to invade and eliminate the target party secretly
Cultural Background
The idiom comes from Spring and Autumn Period history. It exposes deceptive military and diplomatic schemes, often applied to describe underhanded plots that disguise aggression as reasonable requests.
Origin & Translation
From Zuo Zhuan · The 5th Year of Duke Xi
The Duke of Jin asked the State of Yu for passage again to attack Guo. Gong Zhiqi remonstrated: “Guo acts as the outer defense of Yu. Once Guo falls, Yu will meet the same fate. As the saying goes, jaw and cheek rely on each other; lips gone, teeth feel cold. This perfectly fits Yu and Guo.”
Jin conquered Guo, and its ruler fled to the capital. On the troop’s return journey, they stationed in Yu, launched a sudden attack and wiped out Yu.
From Romance of the Three Kingdoms – Chapter 56 by Luo Guanzhong
Liu Xuande asked for details. Zhuge Liang replied: “This is the scheme of conquering Guo by borrowing path. It pretends to seize Sichuan, yet aims to capture Jingzhou in reality.”
Usage
Neutral and alertive term, used to refer to disguised invasion and tricky strategic plots.
Example:
“Letting that rival company use your distribution channels to ‘reach other markets’ could be a case of borrowing a road to destroy Guo. Once they’ve grown stronger, they may put you out of business.”
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