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36 War Strategies of Ancient China
Strategy 11
Sacrifice the Plum Tree in Place of the Peach
There are circumstances in which you must sacrifice
short-term objectives in order to gain the long-term goal. This is the scapegoat
strategy whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not.
Three Kingdoms Period China
On one of his campaigns Cao Cao was running short of
food. He asked his supply sergeant what he could do. The sergeant suggested
reducing the rations by secretly using a smaller cup to parcel out the rice. Cao
Cao praised the sergeant and gave his consent to use the smaller measuring cup.
After a few days the soldiers began to complain and accused their commander of
cheating them. Cao Cao again called in the supply sergeant and told him the
situation.
"I will do anything I can to help but what would
you have me do?" asked the sergeant.
"I'm afraid I am going to have to borrow your
head." replied Cao Cao and he had the sergeant decapitated and his head
stuck on a tall pole with a banner that read "Caught cheating on supplies
by using a smaller measuring cup."
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