Observing the Fire from the Other Side of the River Bank, 隔岸观火 - 36 Strategies
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36 Strategies - Strategy No 9: Observing the fire from the other side of the river bank, 隔岸观火
Original: 阳乖序乱，阴以待逆。暴戾恣睢，其势自毙。顺以动豫，豫顺以动。
Modern: 在敌人内部冲突激化、分崩离析之时，我方应等待地方形势的恶化。届时，敌人横暴凶残，相互厮杀，必将自取灭亡。我方顺应其势，见机行事，坐收渔利。
English: When the enemy has internal disputes, and it is aggravating, we should monitor their movement. When the dispute has aggravated to the point where there are infighting, we should use the opportunity to deal heavy blow.
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During the period of the Three Kingdoms, around AD 200, the major forces in the region were divided between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. When Yuan Shao died, his wife, Liu, divided his kingdom among his three sons, Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang. As Yuan Shang was borne by Liu, she gave him the power to control the important cities. The eldest son, Yuan Tan, was unhappy and contemplated staging a war against his brother. He decided against this idea only for fear that Cao Cao might take advantage of the situation to conquer them. Nevertheless, the animosity amongst the brothers persisted.
Three years later, a fierce battle broke out between Cao Cao and the Yuan brothers and the Yuan brothers were badly defeated and managed to escape to Liao Dong, under Gongsun Kang. Cao Cao's general ask Cao Cao to ride on the winning momentum to annexed Liao Dong and capture the Yuan brothers, which at this moment only left only Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi. Cao Cao laughed and said," There is not need to pursue them, Gongsun Kang will bring their heads to me." With that he ordered the troops to head back home.
Now Gongsun Kang has always been suspicious of the Yuan family because of their ambition to capture Liao Dong. Now the two Yuan brothers seek refuge under him because they have no choice. Gongsun Kang thought that if he take the two Yuan brothers under him, there is no guarantee they will not rebel against him. Moreover, taking the two Yuan brothers under him, he would definitely incur the wrath of Cao Cao who was more powerful than him. The only use of these two Yuan brothers to Gongsun Kang would be when Cao Cao comes to attack him. But on hearing that Cao Cao has returned with his troops to Xu Chang and have no intention to attack him, he realise that keeping the two brothers is meaningless and would bring more harm than benefit. In the end, Gongsun Kang ambushed the two brothers, beheaded them and presented their heads to Cao Cao.
东汉末年，袁绍兵败身亡，几个儿子为争夺权力互相争斗，曹操决定击败袁氏兄弟。袁尚、袁熙兄弟投奔乌桓，曹操向乌桓进兵，击败乌既，袁氏兄弟又去投奔辽东太守公孙康。曹营诸将向曹操进君，要一鼓作气，平服辽东，捉拿二袁。曹操哈哈大笑说，你等勿动，公孙康自会将二袁的头送上门来的。于是下令班师，转回许昌，静观辽东局势。
公孙康听说二袁归降，心有疑虑。袁家父子一向都有夺取辽东的野心，现在二袁兵败，如丧家之犬，无处存身，投奔辽东实为迫不得已。公孙康如收留二袁，必有后患，再者，收容二袁，肯定得罪势力强大的曹操。但他又考虑，如果曹操进攻辽东，只得收留二袁，共同抵御曹操。当他探听到曹操已经转回许昌，并无进攻辽东之意时，认为收容二袁有害无益。于是预设伏兵，召见二袁，一举擒拿，割下首级，派人送到曹操营中。曹操笑着对众将说，公孙康向来俱怕袁氏吞并他，二袁上门，必定猜疑，如果我们急于用兵，反会促成他们合力抗拒。我们退兵，他们肯定会自相火并。看看结果，果然不出我料。