Chapter 47 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms – titled “Kan Ze Delivers the Surrender Letter; Pang Tong Proposes the Linked Ships Stratagem” – marks the culmination of a meticulously woven tapestry of deception that sets the stage for the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Kan Ze (courtesy name De Run) was born in Shanyin, Kuaiji Commandery – modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang – into a family of modest means. Unlike many elite officials of his time, he had no inherited privilege. To pursue learning, he copied borrowed books by hand, demonstrating extraordinary diligence. This early discipline laid the foundation for…
Chapter 46 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms – titled “Zhuge Liang Borrows Arrows with Straw Boats; Zhou Yu Beats Huang Gai in a Feigned Punishment” – presents two of the most celebrated stratagems in Chinese military lore, both instrumental in paving the way for the decisive fire attack at Red Cliffs.