Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Ocean

Tángcháo chūnián, Táng Tàizōng qīnzì shuàijūn dōngzhēng, yào dùguò dàhǎi qù gōngdǎ Gāogōulí.

In the early Tang dynasty, Emperor Taizong personally led his army on an eastern campaign, needing to cross the sea to attack Goguryeo.

Dàjūn láidào hǎibiān, wàngzhe wúbiān-wújì de dàhǎi, huángdì què yóuyù le.

When the army reached the coast and faced the boundless sea, the emperor hesitated.

Táng Tàizōng yíxiàng pà shuǐ, kàndào jùlàng fāngǔn, chíchí bù gǎn xiàlìng dù hǎi, jiàngshìmen shífēn jiāojí.

Taizong had always feared the water; seeing the towering waves, he kept delaying the order to cross, and his officers grew anxious.

Zhèshí, dàjiàng Xuē Rénguì xiǎngchūle yí ge qiǎomiào de bànfǎ.

Then the great general Xue Rengui devised a clever plan.

Tā ràng rén zài hǎibiān dāqǐ yí zuò dà yíngzhàng, sìzhōu yòng hòuhou de bùmù zhē de yányán-shíshí.

He had a large tent set up by the shore, screened on all sides by heavy cloth.

Xuē Rénguì gōngqǐng huángdì jìn zhàng fù yàn, zhàng nèi jiǔcài fēngshèng, gēwǔ bùduàn.

He respectfully invited the emperor in to a banquet, with lavish food, wine, and music.

Huángdì shífēn kāixīn, jiànjiàn wàngle dùhǎi de fánnǎo.

The emperor was delighted and gradually forgot his fear of the sea.

Guòle xǔjiǔ, huángdì hūrán tīngdào zhàngwài chuánlái huāhuā de shuǐshēng, xiānqǐ bùmù yí kàn, bùjīn dàchī-yìjīng.

After a long while the emperor suddenly heard the rush of water outside; lifting the curtain, he was astonished.

Yuánlái, dàjūn zǎoyǐ qǐháng, cǐkè zhèng chéngfēng-pòlàng, xíngshǐ zài mángmáng dàhǎi shàng.

The fleet had long since set sail and was now riding the wind and waves far out on the open sea.

Zhè jiùshì “Mántiān-guòhǎi” —— ràng rén zài bùzhī-bùjué zhōng, wánchéng yuánběn bù gǎn zuò de shì.

This is “deceiving the heavens to cross the sea”: letting someone accomplish, without noticing, what they once feared to do.

Bǐrú zuò shēngyi shí, duìshǒu jǐndīng nǐ de zhāopai chǎnpǐn, nǐ què zài qiāoqiāo yánfā quánxīn de chǎnpǐn xiàn; děng tā chájué, nǐ yǐ zhànjù shìchǎng.

In business, while a rival watches your flagship product, you quietly build a whole new line; by the time they notice, you own the market.

Tā de zhìhuì zàiyú: zhèngmiàn qiáng quàn huì ràng rén jǐngjué, qiǎomiào de yǎnhù fǎn'ér néng ràng duìfāng fàngxià jièbèi, shùnqízìrán de jiēshòu.

Its wisdom: arguing head-on only makes people wary; a gentle disguise lets them lower their guard and accept things naturally.