The peaceful handover of Ji Province (Jizhou) from Han Fu to Yuan Shao in 191 AD is often seen as a masterstroke of political manipulation—a bloodless coup achieved through psychological pressure and strategic deception. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly clever power grab lies a far more urgent and personal motive: survival.
In 191 AD, as the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition teetered on the brink of collapse due to internal rivalries and lack of unified command, Yuan Shao and Han Fu proposed a bold political solution: proclaim Liu Yu, Governor of Youzhou, as the new emperor.
In Chapter 6 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after Sun Jian secretly takes possession of the Imperial Seal and flees Luoyang, Yuan Shao—furious at the betrayal—sends a secret letter to Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, urging him to intercept Sun Jian and seize the seal.
“Kill with a borrowed knife” (“Kill with a borrowed sword”, or “Borrow one’s hand to kill”) is a famous Chinese idiom and also the third stratagem of thirty-six. It means to convince others or even your enemies that your enemies are theirs, and make them believe they will be defeated, betrayed or otherwise end…
When people grow up in the households of wealthy families, their love of luxury and covetousness are like a raging fire, and their reliance on their power is like a searing flame.
The smallest and the most alert of a flock of wild geese is often chosen to keep vigil for the others during the night. At the slightest untoward sound it raises the alarm and the flock start from their sleep and make off.