He ordered his soldiers to dress as civilians and sweep the streets in front of the four gates, acting as if the city were merely waking up for a quiet morning. Then, Kongming donned his simple Taoist robe and climbed to the highest point of the gate tower. He sat down, lit a stick of incense, and placed his guqin (zither) across his lap.
The drums of the Wei army thundered, a rhythmic death knell echoing through the gates of Xicheng. , known as Kongming, stood atop the city wall, watching the horizon. His main army was away on a campaign; he was left with only a handful of civil officials and 2,500 exhausted soldiers. 2 : Kongming Uses a Stratagem
Approaching him was , leading a massive force of 150,000 elite troops. To fight was suicide. To flee was impossible. He ordered his soldiers to dress as civilians
Kongming turned to his panicked subordinates with a calm, enigmatic smile. "Do not hide," he commanded. "Open the gates wide." The drums of the Wei army thundered, a
When Sima Yi’s vanguard arrived, they stopped in their tracks. Instead of a rain of arrows, they saw four open gates and a few elderly men sweeping the dust. Above them, the legendary strategist sat alone, plucking a serene, elegant melody.
This became known as the —the ultimate victory of psychological warfare over physical might.
"Sima Yi knows I am careful," Kongming replied, setting his instrument aside. "I used his own intelligence against him. He could not believe I would be so bold, so he convinced himself I was being clever."