Empty Fort Strategy

QUOTE

Sun Tzu once said…

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”

CONCEPT

Empty Fort Strategy

The Empty Fort Strategy is a tactic often used in psychological warfare, based on the principle of using deceit to create an illusion. The concept originates from ancient Chinese warfare and is one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems described in a Chinese essay attributed to Sun Bin. It involves creating an illusion of confidence and calm when you are actually in a position of weakness.

In essence, it's about making your opponent second guess their assumptions about your strength or weakness, causing them to hesitate or pull back from what might otherwise be an opportune moment for them to strike.

STORY

It Can't Be That Easy ... Could It?

In the late 200s AD, Zhuge Liang, serving as the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Shu, faced a potentially devastating situation. The city of Xicheng, under his control, was under imminent threat from the formidable general Sima Yi of the rival Kingdom of Wei.

However, Zhuge Liang found himself in a perilous situation:

His troops were out on a mission, and Xicheng was nearly defenseless with just a small number of soldiers remaining. A direct confrontation would lead to certain defeat, and a retreat would mean losing the strategic city.

In this moment of crisis, Zhuge Liang decided on an audacious strategy: he ordered all the city gates to be flung open and instructed the remaining soldiers to sweep the streets and behave as though everything was normal. Instead of hiding, Zhuge Liang calmly sat atop the city gate, dressed in a ceremonial robe, and began to play his lute.

When Sima Yi's forces arrived, they were met with an eerily serene scene: open gates, a visibly relaxed city, and their arch-rival playing a lute. The sight was completely contrary to their expectations of a city bracing for war.

Suspicion started to creep into Sima Yi's mind.

Could this be a cunning trap? Is there an ambush waiting for his men inside the city?

The peaceful scene was so out of place that Sima Yi chose to retreat rather than risk falling into what he perceived might be an elaborate ruse. In reality, there was no trap or ambush; it was all part of Zhuge Liang's clever deception. The city was as defenseless as it seemed, but Zhuge Liang's confident demeanor and the unexpected calmness inside the city walls created doubt and uncertainty in Sima Yi's mind.

This masterful utilization of the Empty Fort Strategy by Zhuge Liang resulted in turning a near-certain defeat into an astonishing victory without a single sword drawn.