Stratagem 2: Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao

A colleague in Beijing once described this stratagem as “the art of not showing up to the fight you are supposed to have.” I was describing a disagreement — someone pushing hard on one issue — and I was trying to figure out how to respond directly. He told me to stop. “Attack somewhere else. Make them move.”

The Historical Example

During the Warring States period, the state of Wei besieged the Zhao capital. Zhao asked the state of Qi for help. Qi’s military strategist Sun Bin advised: do not attack the Wei army directly. Attack the Wei capital instead. When Qi forces moved on Wei’s home territory, the Wei army besieging Zhao had to rush back to defend. The siege was broken without a single direct engagement.

The Logic

This is not about avoiding conflict. It is about refusing to fight on the enemy’s chosen ground. Every concentration of force creates a vulnerability elsewhere. The stratagem says: find that vulnerability and make it visible. The enemy will have to choose between their offense and their defense, and most of what looks like strength is actually borrowed from somewhere else.

I have used this in business contexts — when a competitor targeted one of my markets, I did not lower prices or run ads. I focused attention on a different market that they were ignoring entirely. They had to redirect. The pressure on my side evaporated because they needed to be somewhere else. That is Stratagem 2 in modern clothes: do not outmuscle your opponent at the point they are strongest. Make them weaker somewhere they are not paying attention.

Key Takeaways

• Do not fight the battle the enemy has chosen
• Every concentration creates a vulnerability
• Forcing the opponent to move often wins more than outlasting them

Next: Stratagem 3 — Kill with a Borrowed Knife →