Strategy 10Hide Your Dagger Behind a SmileCharm and ingratiate yourself to your enemy. When you have gained his trust, you move against him in secret. Warring States Era ChinaThe king of Wei sent a beautiful courtesan to the king of Chu who took
great delight in the new girl. His queen, Zheng Xiu, knowing how fond the
king was of his new woman, treated the newcomer as a sister supplying her
with gifts and treasures and whatever she needed. The king hearing of this
summoned his queen and said: A woman serves a man with her beauty and thus
jealousy is a part of her very nature. Yet you, knowing how much the new
woman pleases me, have treated her more kindly than I have myself. These
actions are those of a child to her parents or a minister to his ruler,
how unexpected it is to find this in a queen to her husband." The
queen thus knew that her husband did not suspect her of jealousy. When she
next met with the new girl the queen told her: "His majesty is much
taken with your beauty but he dislikes the shape of your nose. When next
you serve him be sure to cover it with your hand." Grateful for the
advice, when she next served the king this is what she did. See Modern Example |