The Beauty Trap

Dōnghàn mònián, cháozhèng fǔbài, quánchén Dǒng Zhuó shǒu wò zhòngbīng, fèilì huángdì rú fǎnzhǎng, cháoyě shàngxià wú bú jìn-ruò-hánchán.

In the late Eastern Han, the court was rotten with corruption; the powerful minister Dong Zhuo held the army, deposing and setting up emperors as easily as turning his palm, and the whole court was struck dumb with fear.

Dǒng Zhuó shēngxìng cánbào, dòngzhé túlù zhōngliáng, Luòyáng chéng zhōng rénrén zìwēi, lǎochén Wáng Yǔn gèng shì rìyè yōufèn.

Dong Zhuo was cruel by nature and slaughtered the loyal at every turn; in Luoyang everyone feared for their lives, and the old minister Wang Yun was sick with worry day and night.

Wáng Yǔn kǔ yú wúlì chú zéi, fǔ zhōng gējī Diāochán jiàn tā chángtàn, biàn zhǔdòng qǐngyīng, yuàn wèi Wáng Yǔn fēn yōu.

Helpless to oust the traitor, Wang Yun could only sigh; his maidservant Diaochan saw his sorrow and offered herself, willing to share his burden.

Wáng Yǔn língjī-yídòng, dìng xià “Měirén-jì” —— xiān bǎ Diāochán xǔ gěi Dǒng Zhuó de yìzǐ Lǚ Bù, zài xiàn gěi Dǒng Zhuó běnrén, shǐ fùzǐ èr rén wèi tā fǎnmù.

A sudden idea struck him, and he set the “Beauty Trap”: first he would betroth Diaochan to Dong Zhuo's adopted son Lü Bu, then offer her to Dong Zhuo himself, turning father and son against each other over her.

Wáng Yǔn xiān shèyàn kuǎndài Lǚ Bù, xíjiān ràng Diāochán bǎzhǎn xiànwǔ, Lǚ Bù yíjiàn-qīngxīn, xǔ yǐ hūnyuē.

Wang Yun first hosted a banquet for Lü Bu, and had Diaochan pour the wine and dance; Lü Bu fell for her at first sight, and a marriage was promised.

Bú shù rì, Wáng Yǔn yòu yǐ tóngyàng lóngzhòng de lǐjié, jiāng Diāochán sòng rù Dǒng Zhuó fǔ zhōng, xiàn wéi shìqiè.

A few days later, with equal ceremony, Wang Yun sent Diaochan into Dong Zhuo's mansion as a concubine.

Diāochán zhōuxuán yú èr rén zhī jiān, duì Lǚ Bù ànsòng-qiūbō, duì Dǒng Zhuó qūyì-féngyíng, jiàn lìng fùzǐ xīn shēng xiánxì.

Diaochan moved between the two men, casting longing looks at Lü Bu while flattering Dong Zhuo, and slowly a wedge grew between father and son.

Lǚ Bù dézhī Diāochán bèi Dǒng Zhuó suǒ zhàn, nùhuǒ-zhōngshāo, yòu wén Diāochán zài Fèngyí-tíng kūsù wěishēn fēiyuàn, hènyì gèng qiè.

When Lü Bu learned Dong Zhuo had taken Diaochan, his anger blazed; and hearing her weep at Phoenix Pavilion that she had been given against her will, his hatred only deepened.

Zhōngyú zài tiānzǐ shànràng zhī jì, Lǚ Bù yì jǐ cì sǐ Dǒng Zhuó, yídài quánchén jiù cǐ fúzhū, cháoyě huānténg.

At last, on the very day of the imperial abdication, Lü Bu ran Dong Zhuo through with his halberd; the mighty minister was executed, and the whole court rejoiced.

Zhè biàn shì “Měirén-jì” —— yǐ měisè xiāomó dírén xīnzhì, shǐ qí fùzǐ fǎnmù, gǔròu chéng chóu.

This is the “Beauty Trap”: using beauty to wear down an enemy's will, until father and son fall out and blood becomes foe.

Fàng dào jīntiān kàn, jìngzhēng duìshǒu zhī jiān zuì jì de yě shì “nèihào”; yì jiā gōngsī ruò bèi duìshǒu yòng lìyì huò rénmài tiǎobō, héxīn tuánduì hěn kuài huì sìfēn-wǔliè.

Seen today, what rivals fear most is still “internal friction”: if a company lets a competitor use perks or connections to sow division, its core team will soon fall apart.

Tā de zhìhuì zàiyú: zhèngmiàn qiánggōng búdòng-rúshān, jiè yí wèi “měirén” zhī shēn, què néng ràng tiětǒng bān de tóngméng zìluàn-zhènjiǎo.

Its wisdom: a head-on attack may not move a mountain, but through a single “beauty” even an iron-clad alliance can be made to crumble from within.