Zhou Yu Tricks Jiang Gan
Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao and Sun Quan's forces had a small skirmish on the Yangtze River. Cao Cao's navy, led by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, was defeated by a smaller enemy force led by Gan Ning. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun explained to Cao Cao that they lost because their troops, who were mostly northerners, could not adapt well to naval warfare. They suggested constructing a naval base for training and Cao Cao agreed. The following day, Zhou Yu boarded a vessel disguised as a luxury cruiser, with a band on board playing music, and sailed towards Cao Cao's camp to observe the enemy. He saw the naval base and became worried, and felt that he needed to eliminate Cai Mao and Zhang Yun first. Cao Cao heard that Zhou Yu came to spy on his camp so he sent a small fleet to pursue Zhou Yu's vessel but Zhou had already escaped. Cao Cao then held a meeting with his subordinates to discuss how to deal with the enemy. One of Cao Cao's advisers named Jiang Gan, who was an old acquaintance of Zhou Yu, volunteered to persuade Zhou to surrender to Cao Cao. Zhou Yu understood Jiang Gan's purpose in visiting him at his camp and he tricked Jiang into believing that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were planning to kill Cao Cao and defect to his side. Jiang Gan also got hold of a fake letter from Cai Mao and Zhang Yun addressed to Zhou Yu, so he stole the letter while Zhou was asleep and went back to his camp. Cao Cao too fell for the ruse and had Cai Mao and Zhang Yun executed.
Read more about this topic: List Of Fictitious Stories In Romance Of The Three Kingdoms
Famous quotes containing the words tricks and/or gan:
“Everyone has some tricks they can do, but each has his own way of doing them.”
—Chinese proverb.
“For which he wex a litel red for shame,
Whan he the peple upon him herde cryen,
That to beholde it was a noble game,
How sobreliche he caste doun his yen.
Criseyda gan al his chere aspyen,
And let so softe it in her herte sinke
That to herself she seyde, “Who yaf me drinke?””
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400)